Put another tick in the loss column for the Cleveland Browns.
And the Cleveland faithful let out another sigh. But Myles Garrett looks to take this loss and put it behind the team quickly.
“Always confident that you can bring it back,” he said. “You don’t look too far ahead or look behind you, you just have to look at the next opponent and figure out how you can win that one.”
On Sunday, the Browns suffered a heartbreaking defeat to the Minnesota Vikings in international play at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. The Browns held strong control of the lead through the majority of the contest, with the scoreline sitting within three heading into the fourth quarter of play.
The Carson Wentz-led Vikings offense trotted down the field and scored a 12-yard touchdown on a 10-play, 80-yard drive that took nearly three minutes off the clock. The Browns’ defense showed small struggles down the back half of the game, but it really came down to the offense finding the endzone.
“Just got to close it out,” Garrett said. “Frustration doesn’t matter, results do.”
Rookie quarterback Dillon Gabriel wasn’t asked to do too much and led a relatively average offense. He completed 19-of-33 passes for 190 yards and two touchdowns. However, for his first start, you couldn’t ask for much more from the former Oregon Duck.
“He looked like he usually does,” Garrett spoke of Gabriel. “Composed, making the plays that we know he can make. He put us in [a] position to win. We have to help ourselves out.”
Running back Quinshon Judkins was excellent as he rushed for 110 yards on 23 carries, including a long rush for a touchdown that was called back due to holding.
The penalty flags and lack of touchdowns being scored yet again haunted Cleveland, as the team ended up punting the ball eight times and went 3-of-15 on third down.
Garrett and the defense looked sharp as they maintained pace to be one of the top defenses in the nation, allowing just 97 total yards of rushing. They punched the ball out twice, causing fumbles for running backs Jordan Mason and Zavier Scott.
One of the biggest plays from Sunday for Garrett came late in the third quarter, where Wentz looked to roll out on third and long to pick up a first down with his legs. The 29-year-old defensive end chased him down and tackled him to force a punt try.
These types of moments are what make the six-time Pro Bowler and former Defensive Player of the Year special, even if the scoreline doesn’t favor Cleveland.
He currently has 21 tackles, eight for a loss and eight quarterback hits on the young 2025 campaign.
The Browns will look to this week to get Gabriel more comfortable as the starting quarterback as they head into a road game against the Pittsburgh Steelers. The game is set to be played on Sunday, Oct. 12, with kickoff set for 1:00 p.m.
