It was not a flawless performance, but the Cleveland Browns took care of business in Week 4 with a crucial 14-7 road win against the Minnesota Vikings.
While the Browns offense had a difficult time in orchestrating multiple promising drives, it was the defense that essentially helped to seal the win for Cleveland. From allowing a mere 4.0 yards per play average to Minnesota to the key interception off Kirk Cousins in the fourth quarter, the Browns defense once again shined in a key matchup against an NFC North opponent.
Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield did not have his best outing on the day, as he recorded a mere 155 passing yards and had a 59.5 passer rating. This was also the second game for Mayfield this season where he failed to record a passing touchdown, as he also came away without such a pass in Week 1 against the Kansas City Chiefs.
After the game, Mayfield offered takeaways from this win over Minnesota, where he took full responsibility for his sluggish outing on the day.
“That piss-poor performance by me isn’t going to cut it,” Mayfield said. “I've got to be better. It’s just that simple.”
Mayfield also credited the defense for picking up for him in the game and offered his full confidence in the team at this early stage in the season
“We're a good team,” Mayfield said. “We have to play a complete game. On all three phases, I thought defense played great, special teams obviously was great.
“I just have to pick it up. We're a good team to where if a day like today where I'm off, I can lean on those guys. I have that accountability for them.”
The 3-1 Browns are now set for a key test against Justin Herbert and the Los Angeles Chargers up next. A win for Cleveland in this contest could give the team sole possession of first place in the AFC North pending results from other games in Week 5.
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