The Vikings are 1-2 and have another tough test at home in Week 4.
Minnesota hosts Cleveland on Sunday, with kickoff set for noon (CT).
Let's see who the experts are picking to win the game:
Browns 33, Vikings 30 — Gregg Rosenthal, NFL.com
Klint Kubiak is coordinating a dominant Vikings running game, one that his retired father and Kevin Stefanski could be proud of. Stefanski's roots in Minnesota — where he crossed paths with the Kubiaks — make this a matchup of mirror images on offense. Kirk Cousins does what Baker Mayfield does, but a bit better right now. I'm not yet confident of what I'm going to get out of either defense, so I give the slight edge to the Browns, whose offense has picked up right where it left off last season. Expect a very cranky Mike Zimmer if the game plays out like this.
Vikings 27, Browns 26 — Pete Prisco, CBS Sports
The Vikings are coming off their first victory, and the offense has been on fire the last two weeks. The Browns were impressive on defense last week against the Bears, but this is a much bigger challenge. I think the Vikings stay hot on offense and pull off a mild upset.
Browns 33, Vikings 28 — Bill Bender, Sporting News
If we're going to take Cleveland serious as a Super Bowl threat, then this is the exact kind of road game it needs to win. Minnesota is a couple field goals away from being 3-0, but their run defense just hasn't been strong enough in the first three weeks. Dalvin Cook (ankle) missed Week 3, and his status is certainly one to monitor throughout the week.
Browns 27, Vikings 24 — Michael David Smith, Pro Football Talk
This is a very intriguing game between two teams that played well on Sunday. I like the Browns in a close one.
Browns 24, Vikings 20 — Mike Florio, Pro Football Talk
Kevin Stefanski returns to the place where he worked from 2006 through 2019, a reunion not nearly as significant as the one that is coming later in the day. Stefanski knows how to come up with a game plan that attacks Mike Zimmer's defense effectively.
Browns 27, Vikings 23 — Staff, Bleacher Report
Minnesota Vikings Head Coach Mike Zimmer said his team's offensive performance last week against the Seattle Seahawks was its best in his eight-year tenure. But the Vikes have rarely been consistent offensively during that period, and quarterback Kirk Cousins is a Jekyll-and-Hyde player.
That being the case, the majority of the gang is surprised the Super Bowl-contender Cleveland Browns are laying just two points Sunday in Minnesota.
[Myles] Garrett had 4.5 sacks against the Bears last week, and the Minnesota offensive line is far from legendary. The Vikes were desperate to save their season last week, but it's tough to keep that flowing two weeks in a row against high-quality opponents. A team with the league's 27th-ranked run defense in terms of DVOA could be in trouble.
Pre-game win probabilities: Vikings 53% — FiveThirtyEight.com
3 of 8 experts pick the Vikings, CBS Sports
0 of 5 experts pick the Vikings, The MMQB
6 of 11 experts pick the Vikings, ESPN
1 of 5 experts pick the Vikings, The Athletic
