MINNESOTA (5-2) vs. CLEVELAND (0-7) at London Sunday, 9:30 a.m. EDT, NFL Network, CBS (local) OPENING LINE — Vikings by 8 RECORD VS. SPREAD — Vikings 4-3, Browns 2-5 SERIES RECORD — Vikings lead 11-4 LAST MEETING — Browns beat
MINNESOTA (5-2) vs. CLEVELAND (0-7) at London
Sunday, 9:30 a.m. EDT, NFL Network, CBS (local)
OPENING LINE — Vikings by 8
RECORD VS. SPREAD — Vikings 4-3, Browns 2-5
SERIES RECORD — Vikings lead 11-4
LAST MEETING — Browns beat Vikings 31-27, Sept. 22, 2013
LAST WEEK — Vikings beat Ravens 24-16; Browns lost to Titans 12-9, OT
AP PRO32 RANKING — Vikings No. 6 (tied), Browns No. 32
VIKINGS OFFENSE — OVERALL (12), RUSH (8t), PASS (14)
VIKINGS DEFENSE — OVERALL (4), RUSH (3), PASS (12)
BROWNS OFFENSE — OVERALL (24), RUSH (25), PASS (21)
BROWNS DEFENSE — OVERALL (9), RUSH (6), PASS (15)
STREAKS, STATS AND NOTES — Home game for struggling Browns, franchise’s first regular-season international contest. Vikings beat Steelers 34-27 in London, at Wembley Stadium. This will be played at Twickenham Stadium, normally rugby venue. … Vikings beat Browns 27-7 on Jan. 4, 1970, in last NFL championship game before merger with AFL. Vikings lost to Chiefs in fourth Super Bowl. … Vikings DE Everson Griffen is third in NFL with nine sacks, at least one in each game. He’s one of six players in history with seven-game streak to start season. Dwight Freeney last did it for Colts in 2009. … Vikings WR Adam Thielen is only player in league with five or more catches in each game. … Vikings have seven scoring drives of 80-plus yards. They had four last season. … Vikings held opponents to league-low average of 4.0 yards after catch. … For first time since Dec. 31, 2006, someone other than Joe Thomas will play left tackle for Cleveland; 10-time Pro Bowler suffered season-ending injury last week, ending consecutive plays streak at 10,363. Thomas had surgery this week and will need six to nine months to recover. He has not made decision whether to continue playing. … Browns rookie DE Myles Garrett placed in concussion protocol this week. Top pick has four sacks in three games after missing four with sprained right ankle. … Browns rookie QB DeShone Kizer getting another start after being benched three times in three weeks. Kizer has thrown league-high 11 interceptions. … Coach Hue Jackson 1-22 and QB handling and in-game decisions not helping case to get another year. … LB Christian Kirksey made career-high 17 tackles last week. … Despite missing two starters in secondary, Browns’ defense did not allow touchdown for first time since Nov. 6, 2014. … Rookie K Zane Gonzalez has shaken off rocky start. He converted 54-yard FG with 47 seconds left last week to force OT. … Former Browns coach Pat Shurmur is Minnesota’s offensive coordinator. … Fantasy Tip: Vikings RB Latavius Murray had 113 rushing yards and first TD with team last week. Murray has 59 carries and five catches. Jerick McKinnon has 55 carries and 22 catches.
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