CLEVELAND — It was supposed to be another important step in the right direction. Instead, it produced a cocktail of boos and misery from the faithful at Huntington Bank Field.
Even when the Browns finally tried to steal a win, they were done in by their own errors yet again. Now, they find themselves in a self-made hole three weeks into the season.
Cleveland fell to 1-2 on the season with a 21-15 loss to the New York Giants on Sunday, a shocking result against a team many observers place among the NFL's worst. Instead, the G-Men overcame a disastrous start to stifle the Browns for much of the afternoon, taking advantage of an offensive line in disarray as well as a quarterback who once again looked all over the place.
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Still, the Browns had three chances to take the lead in the fourth quarter, but a fumble by Jerome Ford, a fourth-down stop by the Giants, and a drop by Cedric Tillman put the nail in the coffin once and for all.
Almost instantly, there was actually a sense of euphoria inside the stadium, when a fumble by New York on the opening kickoff led directly to a 24-yard touchdown pass from Deshaun Watson to Amari Cooper. Three series later, they appeared to have another takeaway, when Ronnie Hickman intercepted Daniel Jones in Giants territory.
But alas, the pick was nullified by a questionable roughing the passer penalty by Greg Newsome II. It proved to be a crucial turning point.
New York then ripped off 21 unanswered points, highlighted by the efforts of Malik Nabers. The rookie wideout caught eight passes for 78 yards and a pair of touchdowns, the first on a leaping grab in the back of the end zone.
QB Daniel Jones, the subject of a great deal of ire after an 0-2 start to the year, also delivered a solid performance. He picked apart Jim Schwartz's defense for the better part of the first half, and finished the day with 236 yards and both of those TD passes to Nabers.
Meanwhile, following Cooper's opening score, the Browns' offense fell apart.
Jedrick Wills Jr.'s return at left tackle couldn't rescue the O-line, which allowed eight sacks from nine different Giants players, including two from Dexter Lawrence II. Wills would eventually have to leave with yet another injury, and with James Hudson III also sidelined, All-Pro left guard Joel Bitonio was forced into duty protecting Watson's blind side.
Perhaps the biggest gut punch came just before halftime, when Brian Burns got around Dawand Jones and strip-sacked Watson, who held onto the ball for perhaps a split-second too long. The turnover set up Nabers' second touchdown, giving New York a comfortable 21-7 lead at intermission.
Cleveland's defense clamped down in the second half, but the offense kept sputtering, with two wayward throws by Watson leading to a missed Dustin Hopkins field goal. Still, the Browns fought back, with Watson finding Cooper in the end zone again early in the fourth. The veteran Cooper had a nice bonce-back game after a poor start to the season, hauling in seven catches for 86 yards.
Down by six after a successful 2-point conversion, Cleveland got the ball back and drove into New York territory, but on a draw play, Ford put Watson's handoff on the ground before it was recovered by Azeez Ojulari. A defensive stand followed, only for Watson to get stuffed by Lawrence on a fourth-and-1 from his own 29.
Even after all this, the Browns still had a chance to win following a missed field goal by Greg Joseph, and had the ball near midfield once more with 2:28 to play. On fourth-and-4, Watson hit Tillman in stride and in the chest, only for the ball to go through his hands and land incomplete. Devin Singletary would put the game on ice with a spring to the 1-yard line before Jones kneeled on the ball three times.
Though Watson's overall day was not terrible — 222 total yards and two TD passes — the sacks and missed throws were glaring, as were his reads and pocket presence. New York defense coordinator Shane Bowen also dialed up a blitz-heavy scheme, besieging Watson with pressure while baffling the offensive line.
Cleveland was held to only 41 yards of offense in the first half, the first 24 coming on the first play from scrimmage. The third-down woes continues with a 4 of 14 clip, and the running game mustered a mere 69 yards on 18 carries.
As of things couldn't be any more ominous, Myles Garrett was limited by a number of leg and foot injuries, at one point having to be helped off the field. Still, the reigning Defensive Player of the Year, had three QB hits, and drew chants of his name as he limped to the sidelines only to eventually come back on the field. His status in future weeks remains unclear, with an MRI to come soon.
For now, the Browns will turn their attention to Las Vegas, and their first trip to Sin City since the Raiders moved there in 2020. The Silver and Black entered Week 3 with a 1-1 record.