Five Vikings Players the Browns must focus on during their Week 5 game in London

The Cleveland Browns are headed to London to take on the Minnesota Vikings for their Week 5 matchup. Even with some injuries, the Vikings are set to bring some star-studded talent against Cleveland this Sunday.

The Browns are set to start their third-round pick, rookie quarterback Dillon Gabriel, against a solid Minnesota Vikings defense. The defensive unit features players like linebacker Ivan Pace Jr. and safety Joshua Metellus. Along with these two playmakers, the Minnesota defense has allowed an average of 20.0 points per game to opposing offenses, currently ninth-best in the NFL. They also showed how painful they can make things for an inexperienced quarterback, as we saw with Bengals quarterback Jake Browning in Cincinnati’s 10–48 loss to Minnesota in Week 3. Rookie quarterback Dillon Gabriel will have to be sharp and smart with the football against this defense.

Minnesota’s offense, on the other hand, has quite a few key players who will be sitting out against the Browns. Backup quarterback Carson Wentz, running back Jordan Mason, and three offensive linemen will have to face the tough Cleveland Browns defense. Along with Wentz and Mason, the Browns will obviously have to be on the lookout for elite wide receiver Justin Jefferson. Hopefully, the Vikings’ injuries on offense will be enough to give the Browns an advantage in this Week 5 matchup.

Now, let’s take a look at five Vikings players to focus on in the Browns’ upcoming Week 5 game in London:

WR Justin Jefferson

There’s no question that the top threat on Minnesota’s offense is wide receiver Justin Jefferson. Through the first four games of the 2025 season, he’s collected 326 receiving yards, which ranks seventh in the NFL among all skill players. He’s also coming off his best performance of the year against the Pittsburgh Steelers, when he hauled in 10 receptions for 126 yards in Week 4. If the Browns’ secondary doesn’t lock in on him, it will be a problem early on, one that could easily remain unsolved.

Browns defensive backs Denzel Ward and Grant Delpit will be tasked with containing Jefferson in Week 5. Along with other top receiving threats, limiting the passing attack and quarterback Carson Wentz’s options could allow the defensive line to make game-changing plays. Jefferson hasn’t slowed down since his starting quarterback was injured, and he doesn’t expect that to happen against the Browns. It’s up to Cleveland’s defense to perform as they have been and limit Jefferson’s impact this Sunday.

LB Ivan Pace Jr.

Third-year linebacker Ivan Pace Jr. is off to another stellar start this season for the Vikings defense. He’s currently tied for 22nd in the NFL with 33 total tackles in just four games. Luckily for Cleveland, his weakness has been in pass coverage, where he’s earned a poor 38.2 PFF grade this season—ranking 108th out of 132 NFL linebackers. It will be tough for the Browns to keep him away from the ball, but exposing his weaknesses could be a key factor in Cleveland’s offensive success.

Rookie running back Quinshon Judkins and the Cleveland offensive line could have a difficult time against Pace Jr. and the Vikings defense. The Browns’ offensive line has faced some tough competition so far in 2025, but taking the Vikings lightly would be disastrous for the team’s rookie playmakers. Hopefully, they’ll be able to keep Pace Jr. at bay while giving Judkins and Gabriel the best opportunities to succeed.

QB Carson Wentz

The Vikings will once again be without quarterback J.J. McCarthy against the Browns, which means all eyes are on former No. 2 overall pick Carson Wentz. In his two games filling in as the Vikings’ starter, he’s thrown for 523 yards with four touchdowns and two interceptions. Despite missing their starting quarterback, head coach Kevin O’Connell has clearly not slowed his passing attack with Wentz. After seeing how unseriously the Bengals’ defense took their game against the Vikings, Cleveland won’t make the same mistake.

Wentz has a 2–2 career record against the Browns. The last time Cleveland faced him for a full game was in 2023 with the Washington Commanders. In that game, Wentz struggled heavily, throwing three interceptions, zero touchdowns, and only 143 passing yards against a very good Browns defense. Now in a similar situation, we’ll see if defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz is ready to shut down the backup quarterback’s hot start to the season.

RB Jordan Mason

Since filling in for starting running back Aaron Jones, backup Jordan Mason has been an upgrade for Minnesota’s offense. Mason has collected 271 rushing yards, which ranks 11th in the NFL among all running backs. His most notable game came against the Bengals in Week 3, when he ran for 116 yards and two touchdowns, averaging 7.2 yards per carry. Luckily for Cleveland, the Vikings will be without three key starting offensive linemen, meaning Mason should struggle against the Browns’ elite defensive line.

The Browns have been very successful against the run so far in 2025. In four games, the team has contained opposing rushing attacks to just 2.62 yards per carry. Their so-called “worst” performance of the season was last week against the elite Detroit Lions offense, allowing only 3.8 yards per carry. Defensive tackles Mason Graham and Maliek Collins will look to continue this trend of shutting down running backs.

S Joshua Metellus

One of the Vikings’ better defenders this season has been safety Joshua Metellus. He’s earned an impressive 70.9 overall PFF grade, which ranks 38th among all NFL safeties. Even more notable is his 18th-ranked 72.6 coverage grade, which could pose problems for Browns quarterback Dillon Gabriel and Cleveland’s offensive weapons. He’ll be tasked with ensuring that wide receiver Jerry Jeudy and tight end Harold Fannin Jr. are limited in their big-play opportunities.

Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski would be smart to stay away from Metellus, especially in Gabriel’s NFL debut. The offense is expected to rely on rookie running back Quinshon Judkins and company to provide a solid support system for Gabriel. That starts with getting open on routes and developing a strong rushing attack to help him find open receivers later on, away from Metellus’s coverage. Hopefully, he won’t find his second interception of the year against the Browns rookie in their Week 5 matchup in London.

This article originally appeared on Browns Wire: Five Vikings the Browns must focus on during their Week 5 matchup