One of Sunday’s most entertaining games has taken place in Minneapolis.
Yes, we’re serious.
The Browns, led by passing game led by quarterback Brian Hoyer and wideout Josh Gordon, have a 24-17 lead after two quarters at Mall of America Field.
The Browns also used two second-quarter trick plays on special teams to score 10 points. First,a fake punt set up a field goal. Later, punter/holder Spencer Lanning hit an uncovered Jordan Cameron for a touchdown on a fake field goal.
Hoyer has completed 14-of-23 passes for 173 yards with two TD passes, with one to Cameron and one to Gordon, who had 103 first-half receiving yards.
Vikings quarterback Christian Ponder threw for 165 yards in the first half, but he was intercepted once, and he fumbled the ball away late in the second quarter after being sacked by Jabaal Sheard.
The Browns have made some mistakes, too. Hoyer has thrown a pick. Also, Travis Benjamin fumbled a punt. However, the Vikings were penalized 15 yards on the play after coach Leslie Frazier challenged the officials’ ruling that the punt was muffed and could not be advanced. Because the play was reviewed, Frazier was penalized by the officiating crew. However, Fox officiating expert and former NFL officiating executive Mike Pereira wrote on Twitter that the officials should not have penalized the VIkings 15 yards.
The Vikings turned the Browns’ fumble into three points, cutting Cleveland’s lead to seven.
In all, it was quite first two quarters in Minneapolis, where even some boos were heard from the home crowd after Cleveland went up 24-14 on the fake field goal.