4 winners (and 3 losers) from Browns loss to Vikings in Preseason Week 2

The Cleveland Browns dropped another preseason game to an NFC North opponent. After losing to the Green Bay Packers in the first exhibition game, Cleveland fell 27-12 to the Minnesota Vikings.

Cleveland again went with backups for this one and even went with their third quarterback as the starter. Jameis Winston, who still handled the pre-game speech, sat as Dorian Thompson-Robinson took the first half.

He had some good moments, as did many other players. He also had a few snaps he would love to have back. That's surely true for most players and with that in mind, here's a look at three winners and two losers from Preseason Week 2.

Winner: Chris Williams, Defensive Tackle

Undrafted out if Wagner in 2021, Chris Williams spent two years with the Indianapolis Colts and had just six tackles. He spent the first part of the 2023 season on the Kansas City Chiefs' practice squad before being released. He landed with Cleveland in December, again staying on the practice squad.

Williams is back and fighting for a spot and made a case for himself on Saturday with two sacks. The second resulted in a safety.

There could be a spot for him with Mike Hall, Jr. in limbo and Siaki Ika, who will be discussed further, might not make the 53-man roster.

Loser: Siaki Ika, Defensive Tackle

It feels like piling on at this point but it's getting tougher each week to watch Siaki Ika try and get a push in the middle of the line. There's no denying that the 335-pound nose tackle has strength to spare but struggles to get leverage, leading to him being pushed off the line constantly.

On Saturday, he again had goose eggs on the stat sheet. The good news is that he did register a quarterback pressure during the first half but outside of that, it was the same we've seen since he arrived. Heading into the final preseason game, Ika needs a huge performance if he wants to make this team.

Winner: Isaiah Thomas, Defensive End

Cleveland's defense had some issues early in the game but Isaiah Thomas wasn't a part of the problem. The third-year defensive end was at his best from the moment he touched the field. He was setting the edge in run defense and reminded us once again how quickly he can get after the quarterback.

Minnesota was approaching midfield and found themselves facing a third-and-two. That drive came to an end in a hurry when Thomas blew past his intended blocker and sacked Nick Mullens for a nine-yard loss.

Thomas is buried behind several talented defensive ends which might make it hard for him to crack the roster. But if he continues to perform as well as he has this preseason, the Browns might have to find a way to make it work.

Loser: Tyler Huntley, QB

This was a game to forget for Tyler Huntley.

He took over for Dorian Thompson-Robinson in the third quarter and moved the Browns deep into Minnesota territory in a hurry. Then, he threw an errant pass that turned into a 91-yard pick-six for Dwight McGlothern.

Huntley had another interception in the fourth quarter, finishing with 135 yards on 14-of-20 passing. DTR had a few plays where he still appeared to be getting comfortable in the NFL but it's clear he's the choice over Huntley at this point.

Winner: Jamari Thrash, Wide Receiver

Fifth-round pick Jamari Thrash continues to prove he's worthy of a not only a spot on the roster but also consideration as WR4.

In their preseason opener, Thrash caught three passes for 43 yards with a long of 22. He then started strong again when the Browns hosted Minnesota. Facing a fourth-and-two on the Vikings' 44, Cleveland decided to go for the first-down and Thrash delivered.

Despite tight coverage, Dorian Thompson-Robinson showed faith in Thrash and hit him with a bullet. The rookie held onto the pass, broke a couple of tackles, and picked up 15 yards on his first touch.

Thrash finished with 25 yards on three receptions.

Loser: Pierre Strong, Jr., Running Back

For the second week in a row, Pierre Strong wasn't able to take advantage of his opportunities. He finished with just two yards on three rushing attempts and three more on one reception.

The Browns' ground game as a whole was a problem. They managed just 56 yards on 23 attempts with D'Onta Foreman leading the way with 18 yards on 10 attempts. While his work on the ground wasn't ideal, Foreman added 46 yards on five receptions.

Winner: Zaire Mitchell-Paden, Tight End

We could have thrown every tight end that suited up on Saturday on this list. Giovanni Ricci had 32 yards on four receptions. Jordan Akins had 15 yards on two catches. Undrafted rookie Treyton Welch got in on the fun as well with 26 yards on two receptions.

As good as they all were, none made the impact Zaire Mitchell-Paden did. The third-year pro has yet to make his regular season appearance but he's an impressive player at 6-foot-5 and roughly 260 pounds. Even at that size, he moves incredibly well and has been a weapon in the preseason year after year.

This might be his best chance to make the 53-man roster. One more performance like he had on Saturday could be enough to make it happen.

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