Christian Darrisaw joins long list of Vikings offensive linemen on the sideline during Sunday’s win

LONDON — Left tackle Christian Darrisaw watched the fourth quarter of the Vikings’ 21-17 win over the Cleveland Browns, including the game-winning drive, from the sideline Sunday.

“I wanted to be out there,” he said, “but I got to listen to my body.”

Darrisaw, who is nearly a year removed from surgery to repair two torn ligaments in his left knee, looked bothered at times while playing through the first three quarters. Coach Kevin O’Connell said the team planned for a potential Darrisaw exit after he played all 76 snaps in last week’s loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers, or double the 38 snaps he played in his limited debut against the Cincinnati Bengals two weeks ago.

“As he worked through the week,” O’Connell said, “we tried to give him as much time to turn over, but that’s a pretty aggressive jump as far as his snap count. I gave him so much credit for staying in there and battling until the very end in Dublin.”

“The right thing to do,” the coach added, “is always have that open dialogue and try to create a plan that the player can feel good about regardless if it’s necessarily what I want in the moment — that does not matter.”

The Vikings were already playing without three starting offensive linemen, and Darrisaw’s exit sent a fourth backup, tackle Walter Rouse, into the game. Tackle Justin Skule, starting for the injured Brian O’Neill, moved from the right to the left side.

Quarterback Carson Wentz was sacked three times, all in the second half, but the offense produced 127 yards in the fourth quarter against the NFL’s No. 1-ranked yardage defense. The Vikings’ 349 yards are the most given up by Cleveland this season.

Cleveland All-Pro edge rusher Myles Garrett tipped a cap to the Vikings for limiting him to three tackles and no sacks. Garrett had an 11-game streak with at least one tackle for a loss, which ended Sunday.

“Especially in the second half, they were chipping on both sides, so it made it difficult to get there,” Garrett said. “It takes a lot to battle through, too, and they made sure, at least tried to make sure, to get the ball out quickly.”

Right guard Will Fries, the only offensive line starter left in the fourth quarter, said “it all starts” with Blake Brandel, who made his first career start at center.

“He did a great job communicating,” Fries said. “Super tough, super smart. It shows how mentally tough he is.”

Running back Cam Akers was a star quarterback in high school in Clinton, Miss., once throwing for more than 3,000 yards in a season.

“I had a helmet ready with speakers in it,” Akers said.

Akers, a sixth-year pro, threw his first NFL pass attempt (he was sacked on his previous two dropbacks) for a 32-yard touchdown to tight end Josh Oliver in the first quarter.

“I didn’t know how well he could throw,” quarterback Max Brosmer said, “and in practice I saw him throw one ball, and I’m like, ‘Whoa.’”

When Wentz underwent a medical evaluation on his left shoulder before halftime, Brosmer — the only other healthy Vikings quarterback available — said he experienced a range of emotions that ultimately led to just one snap, which was just a kneel down, before Wentz returned in the second half.

“Getting your adrenaline going and then trying to stay calm, and then getting ready to go again, and then getting pulled back out,” said Brosmer, an undrafted rookie who spent last season with the Gophers. “It’s like a waiting game of trying to control your emotions. I’m learning everything I can from these guys around me about how to do it.”