Souhan: Many questions for Vikings and Browns need to be answered

LONDON – On Sunday at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, NFL fans who spent many thousands of dollars traveling to and staying in England to watch the Vikings and Browns will be rewarded with the matchup they have been dreaming about since they purchased their tickets:

Dillon Gabriel vs. Carson Wentz, leading two teams that have combined for three victories.

The most interesting appendages in the joint might be the active hands and sore ankle of two quarterbacks who will not play.

The Vikings’ J.J. McCarthy will miss a third consecutive game because of an ankle injury. The Browns’ Shedeur Sanders, perhaps the most heralded fifth-round draft pick in NFL history, might use hand signals to order halftime tea from the sideline.

Sanders made news this week when he pantomimed answers to reporters’ questions, his reaction to ESPN analyst Rex Ryan telling him to stop complaining about his role.

Today, Gabriel and Wentz, a logical fallback and a player who was out of the league two months ago, will pantomime the actions of starting quarterbacks.

When Sanders and McCarthy aren’t drawing attention, there is also the possibility that an important game for both teams could wind up being fascinating, one way or another.

Former Vikings assistant Kevin Stefanski has won the Coach of the Year award twice not by building the league’s best team, but for competing despite his organization’s ability to give him quality and stability under center.

Current Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell has earned his plaudits by elevating the play of middling or struggling quarterbacks, including Kirk Cousins and Sam Darnold.

At this juncture, both coaches are in danger of seeing the quarterback position ruin their best-laid plans.

The Browns are 1-3 despite a powerhouse defensive front featuring superstar edge rusher Myles Garrett.

Cleveland might be one or two losses away from deciding to spend this season vetting their current quarterbacks. Or maybe the decision to start Gabriel instead of veteran Joe Flacco means that process has already begun, and could eventually include a tryout period for Sanders.

That will be the most fascinating aspect of this game.

Can O’Connell and Wentz find a strategy that allows Wentz to get rid of the ball quickly enough to keep him upright, while making enough big plays to keep the Browns from massing 11 players near the line of scrimmage?

Can Wentz be decisive and accurate enough in an offense he may still be learning? And will O’Connell veer from his beloved offensive complexity to give Wentz maximum protection?

Sending four or five players on pass routes when the quarterback has time to look at only two or three doesn’t make sense.

What would make sense would be to use blocking tight end Josh Oliver and fullback C.J. Ham, if he’s active, to pass block, and to try to get the ball to Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison where they can run after the catch.

The Ravens couldn’t run, so quarterback Lamar Jackson worked the quick passing game, producing four touchdown passes, and seven catches for quick receiver Zay Flowers.

The Browns might be missing starting cornerback Greg Newsome II because of a hamstring injury.

The Lions were able to run the ball, with Jahmyr Gibbs rushing 15 times for 91 yards and a touchdown.

That might indicate hope for the Vikings offense, if they can block Garrett.