Browns Preview 10/27/17: Minnesota Vikings @ Cleveland Browns, In London

By Katelin Marshall, @KatelinKnowsCLE

The Cleveland Browns and the Minnesota Vikings travel to England to play their game this week. The Browns still winless on the season after losing in overtime to the Tennessee Titans. The Browns will also be without Joe Thomas in the starting lineup for the first time since the 2006 season. Kevin Shaffer was the last guy not named Joe Thomas to start at left tackle for the Browns. The Vikings are leading the NFC North with a 5-2 record.


Browns Offense vs Vikings Defense

The Browns will be starting DeShone Kizer at quarterback after benching him in the second half of last weeks game. The Browns game plan this week is pretty simple, protect the ball. Kizer needs to take care of the ball especially in the redzone. The Browns will start Spencer Drango at left tackle in place of Joe Thomas this week.

The Browns running game is probably the most important key to the game this week. The Browns need some type of a running game to protect Kizer from throwing the ball too much. In my opinion Duke Johnson should get the majority of the carries but that's unlikely because we know Hue Jackson likes to run Crowell instead. Johnson and tight end David Njoku need to be on the field more and those are the only two consistent playmakers Kizer has had this year.



Browns Defense vs Vikings Offense

The Browns will be without Myles Garrett who is suffering from a concussion. The Browns could be without Jabrill Peppers and Jason McCourty this week too.

The Browns will be going up against Case Keenum this week. The goal for the Browns defensively is to limit Adam Thielen. Thielen is one of the leading receivers on the year. If the Browns can limit him and force Keenum to dink and dunk his way down the field the Browns defense could have a pretty good day. The Vikings running game isn't really a threat after rookie Dalvin Cook injured his knee and is out for the season.

The Browns are going to have a tough time getting pressure on Keenum and forcing him into bad throws so I almost expect for them try and force him into quick throws like they did week one against Pittsburgh.




Five Guys to Watch


1. DeShone Kizer: This one is pretty simple. Like every other week he starts he is the number one guy fans should watch. Kizer hasn't really developed as we all hoped and with the injury to Joe Thomas he will probably get hit a lot more.

2.  Duke Johnson: Johnson is the only dynamic playmaker on the team. It is inexcusable that Johnson doesn't get the ball more. I say this every week. Duke needs to be the number one running back going forward for this team.

3. Carl Nassib: With Garrett out this week Nassib will be starting in his place. Nassib has played okay when Garrett was out. The Browns need him to get pressure on Keenum in order to create a potential turnover.

4. Jamar Taylor: With McCourty being questionable this week Taylor is the number one corner again this week. Taylor did a good job last week against the Titans but with have a tough challenge this week with the weapons the Vikings have.

5. Any Receiver: The Browns need one of their receivers this week to step up. Britt has been a cancer on this team, but if Bryce Treggs or Kasen Williams can have a decent game hopefully it will be something Kizer and his receivers can build upon.


Injuries

Weather


Prediction: Vikings 35 Browns 10

With a potential blowout in England, Hue Jackson going 1-23 in his tenure, and the bye week next week this could be Hue Jackson's last game as the Browns head coach. Unless the owner and front office come out and say we are going to keep Hue Jackson for the rest of the season and go into 2018 with Hue also. This upcoming bye week could be interesting for a number of reasons. A fired head coach and/or a potential new hire to the front office...Stay Woke.

Leadoff with Lee 4.8.15 #AdrianPeterson #Browns #Carrasco #NHL

By @cleeverizon

- Adrian Peterson could come off the NFL's Exempt List as soon as April 15th. But once he does he will still be the property of the Minnesota Vikings. Peterson along with his agent met with Commissioner Roger Goodell to clear the way for Peterson's return. But Goodell wants Peterson to go to NFL mandated counseling on top of the counseling that he has already received. The NFLPA and Peterson are opposed to the recommendation of the NFL counseling and state it's a violation of the collective bargaining agreement. As apart of Adrian Peterson's plea deal with the courts he agreed to parenting evaluations and drug tests, and meet with a psychologist and undergo counseling. Despite Peterson's agent Ben Dongra's comments that Peterson will not play for Minnesota again, at this point no trade talks have been discussed with other teams.

- Former Arizona Cardinals TE Rob Housler is visiting the Browns today in Berea. Housler is 6-foot-5, 250 pounds and will be the downfield pass catching tight end the Browns would be looking to replace Jordan Cameron. Housler also has visited the Falcons and Bengals.

- The NFL has suspended Patriots running back LeGarrette Blount for the season opener for violating the substance abuse policy. The suspension stems from Blount's arrest last year for marijuana possession while a member of the Pittsburgh Steelers. He started the 2014 season with Pittsburgh, but the Steelers released him in mid-November. After going unclaimed on waivers he signed a 2 year deal with New England, where he spent the entire 2013 season. No discipline has been announced for Steelers running back LeVeon Bell, who was also involved in the arrest.

- The Indians signed pitcher Carlos Carrasco to 4-year extension that could reach up to $48M, the deal is worth a guaranteed $22M. The righty's deal includes club options for 2019 and 2020.

- The New York Rangers topped the New Jersey Devils 4-2 to clinch the NHL's best record. The win also got them the 2014-2015 President's Cup and home-ice throughout playoffs.

- The Cavaliers will try to lockup the number 2 seed against the Milwaukee Bucks tonight. Tip off is at 8pm.

Leadoff with Lee 5.21.14

-The shot heard 'round the world happened for the 3rd time in 4 years for the Cavs last night. With only a 1.7% of landing the number one pick in this years NBA draft...BOOM went the dynamite! Now who do the Cavs select? Jabari Parker? Andrew Wiggins? Sign and Trade for Kevin Love? Cleveland has a loaded weapon and is ready to pull the trigger on a big name player. But who will be the next Cavs head coach? Can Cleveland sign Kyrie Irving to a extension? Let the rumors fly and only time will tell.

-The bats of the Indians came alive last night, beating the Detroit Tigers 6-2. Trevor Bauer recorded his first win of the season with 6 innings pitched, giving up 7 hits, 2 runs and 5 strikeouts. Nick Swisher, Asdrubal Cabrera and Michael Bourn each recorded 2 hits. Right fielder David Young went yard in the 7th. The Indians will finish the series against Detroit today, with the game starting at 12:05.

-Minnesota has been awarded the 2018 Super Bowl by NFL owners. The Vikings new home is will open in 2016. The total cost of the stadium is $975 million dollars. The stat that gets me is that the stadium will seat 65,400 people but is expandable to seat 72,000. Expandable stadiums? Wow!

-Lawyers representing a group of over 600 retired NFL players are seeking a class action lawsuit, claiming the NFL provided them with narcotics and painkillers. The lawsuit states the league administered the drugs illegally without prescriptions and without warning players of the side effects. Notable players are from 1986 Bears team Jim McMahon and Hall of Famer Richard Dent.

-With the NFL owners meetings going on, playoff expansion is on the table. Playoff expansion is expected to happen in the 2015 season. Under the current postseason format, 12 of the NFL's 32 teams make the postseason. The proposal will increase to have 14 teams make the playoffs. This expansion will need to be voted on by owners and seek approval by the NFLPA. I do think this will pass with flying colors. More money for the league, more money for the extra 2 teams who make the playoffs, which means extra money for those owners. And I'm sure those players from those extra 2 teams that make the playoffs want a ring.

-The Miami Heat defeated the Indiana Pacers 87-83 to tie the series 1-1. Lebron James scored 22 points for the Heat and Dwayne Wade had a team high of 23. All five of the Pacers starters scored in double digits, with Lance Stephenson scoring a game high of 25 points. The Pacers only scored 16 points in the second quarter. Even though this game was tight throughout, the Heat outscored the Pacers 25-20. And Lebron James came through in the clutch, scoring 12 of his 22 in the final quarter. The series heads to Miami with Game 3 starting on Saturday.