LONDON — In a game they absolutely had to have on Sunday at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, the Vikings found a way to escape with a 21-17 win over the Cleveland Browns.

It wasn’t pretty by any stretch of the imagination.

The sloppiness is something head coach Kevin O’Connell said he needs to get cleaned up moving forward. But O’Connell also praised his team for its relentlessness, crediting them for making it through an unprecedented international swing over the past week and a half.

Though they lost to the Pittsburgh Steelers in Dublin, the Vikings made sure that they returned home with a win over the Browns in London.

The Vikings are now 5-0 in games played in London. Here are some takeaways from the latest:

Carson Wentz’s toughness

After getting crushed on a scramble up the middle, veteran quarterback Carson Wentz got checked out in the blue medical tent, then made his way to the locker room shortly before halftime. It started to look like rookie quarterback Max Brosmer might be thrust into action. Instead, Wentz emerged from the locker room after halftime and played through the pain to lead the Vikings to a comeback win. He was at his best on the final drive, completing 9 of 9 passes for 71 yards and a touchdown with 21 seconds left that proved to be the difference.

Justin Jefferson’s excellence

It was almost as if Justin Jefferson knew he had to be the best player on the field. The Vikings’ star receiver was spectacular throughout, with a performance that seemed to elevate everybody around him. He had a leaping grab over the middle on which he put his body in harm’s way without hesitation. He also made an incredible catch near the sideline after winning a battle at the point of attack. The latter came on the final drive and helped put the Vikings in position to win.

Jordan Addison’s benching

The absence of star receiver Jordan Addison was conspicuous in the opening 15 minutes. He wasn’t playing despite being on the sideline with his helmet on. The reason for him not playing was initially unclear, but O’Connell said after the game that Addison was benched as a punishment for missing a walkthrough this week. As soon as he was allowed to return to the huddle, Addison made his presence felt, recording a handful of receptions, including a touchdown in the final seconds that put the Vikings on top for good.

Christian Darrisaw’s snaps

As the Vikings were trying to mount a comeback, star left tackle Christian Darrisaw was watching from the sideline. That caused some shuffling on the offensive line, forcing left tackle Justin Skule and right tackle Walter Rouse to serve as the bookends. Asked about having to sit out down the stretch, Darrisaw explained that it was part of a plan that has long been in place, designed to limit his snaps as he continues to ramp up after having surgery on his left knee.

Ryan Wright’s punt

It’s not often that punter Ryan Wright gets talked about during a game. That’s how impressive his 77-yard punt was in real time. It came at a big moment, too, as the Vikings very much needed to flip the field to avoid potentially surrendering points. Though it didn’t actually contribute to the scoreboard, the punt helped swing the momentum. Who knows what happens if Wright doesn’t step up with his right foot? Maybe the game gets out of hand before Wentz and Addison have a chance to win the game.

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Today is Monday, Oct. 6, the 279th day of 2025. There are 86 days left in the year.

Today in history:

On Oct. 6, 1981, Egyptian President Anwar Sadat was shot to death by members of the Egyptian Islamic Jihad while reviewing a military parade.

Also on this date:

In 1927, the era of talking pictures arrived with the opening of “The Jazz Singer” starring Al Jolson, a feature film containing both silent and sound-synchronized sequences.

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In 1973, war erupted in the Middle East as Egypt and Syria launched a surprise attack on Israeli forces in the Sinai Peninsula and the Golan Heights during the Yom Kippur holiday, starting a nearly three-week conflict that would become known as the Yom Kippur War.

In 1976, Republican President Gerald R. Ford, in his second presidential debate with Democrat Jimmy Carter, asserted that there was “no Soviet domination of eastern Europe.” Carter went on to narrowly defeat Ford.

In 1979, Pope John Paul II, on a weeklong U.S. tour, became the first pontiff to visit the White House, where he was received by President Jimmy Carter.

In 2007, British adventurer Jason Lewis completed the first human-powered circumnavigation of the globe, spanning 13 years and more than 46,000 miles.

In 2010, Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Roy Halladay tossed just the second postseason no-hitter in MLB history, blanking the Cincinnati Reds 4-0.

In 2014, the Supreme Court unexpectedly cleared the way for a dramatic expansion of gay marriage in the United States as it rejected appeals from five states seeking to preserve their bans, effectively making such marriages legal in 30 states.

In 2018, in the narrowest Senate confirmation of a Supreme Court justice in nearly a century and a half, Brett Kavanaugh was confirmed by a 50-48 vote; he was sworn in hours later.

Today’s Birthdays:

Actor Britt Ekland is 83.
Irish politician Gerry Adams is 77.
Pro Football Hall of Fame coach Tony Dungy is 70.
Bowler Walter Ray Williams Jr. is 66.
Actor Elisabeth Shue is 62.
House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., is 60.
Actor Emily Mortimer is 54.
Basketball Hall of Famer Rebecca Lobo is 52.
Actor Ioan Gruffudd (YOH’-ihn GRIH’-fihth) is 52.
Actor Jeremy Sisto is 51.
Football Hall of Famer Richard Seymour is 46.
NFL quarterback Trevor Lawrence is 26.
Social media personality Addison Rae is 25.
Basketball player Bronny James is 21.

More than 30,000 people registered to participate in the 2025 Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon weekend, according to Twin Cities in Motion.

The 44th annual race spanned 26.2 miles from downtown Minneapolis to the State Capitol grounds in St. Paul. A total of 7025 participants completed the marathon, with 9607 other participants completing a 10-mile run, according to the running event organizer and nonprofit, Twin Cities in Motion.

Will Norris of Iowa came out in first place for the men’s category of the marathon, with a time of two hours, 15 minutes and 41 seconds. Jane Bareikis from Illinois placed first in the women’s category with a time of two hours, 32 minutes and 52 seconds.

Daniel Duehs of Cold Spring defended their nonbinary title with a time of 3 hours, nine minutes and 53 seconds. Hermin Garic of New York won the men’s push-rim wheelchair title with a time of one hour, 46 minutes and 16. Hannah Babalola of Chicago won the women’s push-rim wheelchair title with two hours, 21 minutes and 47 seconds.

For the 10-mile race, Yemane Haileselassi of Eritrea placed first in the men’s category with a time of 46 minutes and 24 seconds. Mercy Chelangat of Kenya placed first in the women’s category title with 52 minutes and four seconds. Piper Bain of Minneapolis won their second consecutive nonbinary title in 1:11:27.

For more details on results from Sunday’s races, visit raceroster.com and search “2025 Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon.”

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Nine years after an apparent arson fire destroyed a city hall building under construction in Lakeland, the City Council could soon be purchasing a commercial property at 84 St. Croix Trail South for a new city hall.

The Lakeland City Council is moving forward with plans to purchase the Telus commercial property at 84 St. Croix Trail South for a new city hall. A letter of intent to purchase the property went out on Wednesday, Oct. 1, 2025. (Courtesy of the City of Lakeland)

The council voted unanimously last month to discuss the potential of developing an offer to purchase the Telus commercial building and its property. The council voted to provide a non-binding letter of intent to the owners of the property consistent with an independent appraisal commissioned by the city, said City Clerk Michelle Elsner. The appraised price of the property was not disclosed.

The letter of intent requires 60 days to further evaluate the building and property on how it will fit the city’s needs; that period would also provide an opportunity to gather more public input, she said.

Telus, a real-estate management company, is moving to Hudson, Wis., Elsner said.

City officials have spent years trying to determine what should be done with the current city hall, an octagonal building at 690 Quinnell Ave. that was built as a Baptist church in 1868. Structural problems include bowing exterior walls, a sagging roof frame and cracks in the basement walls.

A retaining wall is leaning and separating behind the Lakeland City Hall, which is deteriorating badly, Thursday, Nov. 4, 2021. (Scott Takushi / Pioneer Press)

There are also signs of mold and water infiltration in the basement, Elsner said, which is a problem. Plus there are serious accessibility issues and high levels of radon have been detected.

City staff had to move out of the building and into the city’s water department building because of all the issues, Elsner said.

The new building, which is 1,860 square feet, could definitely accommodate the city’s needs, Elsner said. “The office spaces are beautiful, but it will need some work to set up council chambers,” she said.

Lakeland officials have struggled with making plans for a new city hall ever since the city hall that was under construction was destroyed by an apparent act of arson in 2016. No one has been charged or convicted in the case.

The remains of what was to be Lakeland’s new city hall seen the morning of Monday, Nov. 14, 2016, after a fire late that Sunday destroyed the building. (Mary Divine / Pioneer Press)

The building burned on Nov. 13, 2016, just five days after then-Mayor Amy Williams, who supported building a new Lakeland City Hall, was defeated by then-council member Richard Glasgow, who opposed it.

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