Sunday 29 October 2017 20:52, UK
The Minnesota Vikings beat a spirited, but still winless, Cleveland Browns side 33-16 in an entertaining final London game of the season, in front of an NFL-record crowd at Twickenham of 74,237.
Cleveland had held a slender 13-12 lead at half-time - their first lead at the midway point since being 7-0 up over the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 17 of the 2016 season, a game they'd ultimately lose in overtime.
But, the Browns lost ground on the Vikings following a sloppy start to the second half, which included an Isaiah Crowell fumble off their first play from scrimmage and a missed Zane Gonzalez field goal later in the third quarter.
Minnesota, meanwhile, finally found some fluency on offence that had been absent in the first half, with Jerick McKinnon running in for a one-yard touchdown - and adding a two-point conversion - and Sky Sports weekly columnist Kyle Rudolph hauling in a four-yard TD pass from Case Keenum.
Keenum finished with 27 completions on 43 attempts, with two touchdowns, as he overcame a first-quarter interception on Minnesota's opening possession.
The Browns opened the scoring off that turnover as Crowell rumbled in from 26 yards out, though Gonzalez missed with the point after, striking the right upright.
A muffed catch by Browns punt returner Bryce Treggs later in the first quarter allowed the Vikings to put their first points on the board, as Kai Forbath kicked his first of four field goals in the game.
Minnesota then took the lead in the second quarter courtesy of an 18-yard connection between Keenum and Adam Thielen, who plucked his first TD of the season in the back right of the endzone. But, Fortbath had his point after attempt blocked to see that lead limited to only three points at 9-6.
At the two minute warning of the half, and facing a 3rd & 12 from their own 16-yard line, DeShone Kizer then led the Browns on an impressive scoring drive which culminated in the QB running in for a TD from a yard out.
But, Cleveland could only manage a solitary Gonzalez field goal after the break and now slip to 0-8 on the year, while victory for the Vikings sees them improve to 6-2.
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