2024 Week 3: Giants 21, Browns 15
This game started with the Giants fumbling on the opening kickoff and the first offensive play was a TD pass to Amari Cooper. 10 seconds into the game the Giants were down 7 and I thought this game might turn into a classic Giants meltdown. After that the Giants were in the driver's seat for most of the game, mainly due to their good/underrated defense facing an uninspired Browns offense.
The Giants are (1-2) [now (1-3) after TNF] and have a chance at making a run for the NFC East title if they beat Dallas on a home TNF game. [They did not]
The Browns are now (1-2) and are starting to flounder. They have a very tough schedule and play in one of, if not the strongest division in the league. Cleveland has a shot at the #1 pick in 2025.
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QB Report:
- Daniel Jones (24/34 for 236 yards, 2 TDs, 8 rushes for 20 yards) has 2 TD passes in 2 straight games on the back of Malik Nabers. Jones played fine but was struggling to hit the deep ball, an issue he has had most of his career.
- Deshaun Watson (21/37 for 196 yards, 2 TDs) was terrible outside of that initial touchdown pass. The line deserves some credit for this but Watson looks like he’s just cashing checks out there. Watson was sacked 8 times and hit 17 times.
RB Report:
- Unfortunately I need to cool my jets on D’onta Foreman (2-5-0), he’s still a great running back but it seems the random breakout in usage was just that… random.
- Jerome Ford (10-37-0, 3 catches for 33-0/4) is the clear lead but doesn’t look like anything special, he’s just the guy there. Foreman was out-snapped by Ford 53 to 11.
- The Browns O-line is one of the worst in the league, they are a little banged up but the linemen who I thought was Cleveland’s best last year, Dawand Jones, looks awful this year. I think he;s gained a substantial amount of weight since last year. He looks noticeably slower. Cleveland is 24th in rush ypg and 18th in ypc. If Nick Chubb returns he will not save this offense.
- Devin Singletary (16-65-1, 4 catches for 43-0/4) is having a solid enough season for NYG. He can be replaced by any of 50 other running backs but he’s Daboll/Schoen’s guy.
- Tyrone Tracey (5-23-0, 2 catches for 17-0/2) looks promising but he will never cut into Singletary’s playing time. Singletary has had a fumble issue and if those fumbles turn into turnovers then we may start to see Tracy featured in a bigger split.
WR Report:
- Malik Nabers (8-78-2/12) put on an absolute masterclass. Anytime Jones would throw the ball in his general direction Nabers found a way to come down with it.
- All of the attention to Nabers will open up Wan’Dale Robinson (7-61-0/8) who could have a big game against the over-aggressive Cowboys secondary tonight.
[I got this one right! 11 catches for 71 yards]
- Giants TE Theo Johnson (1-13-0/3) almost had a touchdown but Jones overthrew it and Johnson had to make a leaping catch but just couldn’t reel it in. He’s due for a score eventually, the Giants run a lot of two TE sets.
- Amari Cooper (7-86-2/12) looked fine, he’s not 100% back yet but Deshaun doesn’t have anywhere else to really throw the ball. Elijah Moore and Jerry Jeudy are random events.
D/ST Report:
- I thought the Giants had an outside chance of beating the Cowboys on TNF but rookie corner Dru Phillips (1 tackle) was ruled out for the game after sustaining an injury early in this Browns game. Writing this portion on Friday morning so I now know that NYG lost a close game. Would Phillips have been a difference maker? No way of knowing that right now. Dru is my personal frontrunner for DROY but there isn’t much competition at the moment.
- Elijah Chatman (3 tackles, 1 sack, 1 TFL) is playing the best out of any rookie DT this season. If you haven’t heard of him it’s because he wasn’t on most people's boards. Chatman was a UDFA from SMU and instantly made an impact in preseason, winning the second string role behind All-Pro Dexter Lawrence (3 tackles, 2 sacks, 1 TFL).
image source: (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)