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Week 6 Game Recap: New York Giants 14, Cleveland Browns 35
What you need to know
| New York Giants |
QB Eli Manning did not have his best game as he was picked off three times by the Browns, including one that was returned 94 yards for a touchdown. He actually didn't play that bad in the first half as threw for 141 yards and one touchdown, but he struggled in the second half as the offense bogged down and he threw a pair of costly interceptions in that half. He and WR Plaxico Burress, who returned from a one game suspension, didn't seem to be on the same page at times in the game.
New York had no problem running the ball on the Browns as RB Brandon Jacobs and RB Derrick Ward combined for 168 yards on the ground. Jacobs got the Giants' one rushing touchdown as he bulldozed his way in from the seven yard line. Ward reached the century mark in this game on only ten carries in the game and seemed to pick up a first down every time he touched the ball.
WR Plaxico Burress did not look rusty after missing last week due to his suspension and seemed to play hard and poise match difficulties for Cleveland secondary although at times he didn't look to be on exactly the same page as Manning. He caught a three yard touchdown pass by using his height over the much shorter Browns defender in the first half for his only score of the game.
| Cleveland Browns |
Cleveland's offense and QB Derrick Anderson resembled more like last year's explosive offense as opposed to this year's version that has struggled mightily to score points. Anderson played his best game of the year so far and hooked up with WR Braylon Edwards early in the game for two big plays in the first half, a 49 and 70 yard completions. The plays seemed to give him confidence that he's lacked most the season. He threw a 22 yard touchdown pass to backup TE Darnell Dinkins in the first half and added another 11 yard one to Edwards in the second half. The Cleveland offensive line did a good job of protecting Anderson and giving him time to throw against a formidable New York pass rush. In this game, we saw the Derrick Anderson of 2007, calm in the pocket and making accurate throws, something we had not seen this year up until this point.
WR Braylon Edwards, who has been all but invisible most of the season to this point, had a monster game by racking 154 yards receiving, a career high, and a touchdown. He made two big plays in the first half of this game. He took a short slant 49 yards on the third play of the game after he broke a tackle and sprinted down the sideline. The other big play came later in the half when he got behind the defense and caught a 70 yard pass and was tackled from behind on the four yard line. Edwards would add an 11 yard touchdown pass and a two point conversion in the second half.
RB Jamal Lewis had a solid game as he took a back seat to the Cleveland passing attack most the game, but he finished with good numbers. Lewis ran hard for 88 yards on 21 carries and scored on a four yard touchdown in the first half. The Browns line looked much better in this game as they opened holes for Lewis against a stingy Giants run defense.
What you ought to know
| QB Eli Manning, Pass: 18 - 28 - 196 - 1 TD / 3 INT, Rush: 1 - 13 - 0 |
Manning played pretty well in the first half with an exception to an ill advised pass that led to a costly interception. Manning threw a three yard pass to WR Plaxico Burress late in the first half for his only touchdown pass in the game. He completed 12 of 18 pass attempts for 141 yards with one touchdown and one interception in the first half. Manning did not play as well in the second half as he had two costly interceptions, including a 94 yard interception that was returned for a touchdown, and the offense sputtered in the second half. The Browns got pretty good pressure most the game even though they only sacked him once.
| RB Brandon Jacobs, Rush: 14 - 67 - 1 |
Jacobs powered his way into the end zone on a strong run off the left side of the line early in the second quarter for his only score of the game. He carried three Cleveland defenders the last yard and half on the carry as he bulldozed his way over the goal line. But Jacobs only had five carries 29 yards in the first half and only 38 yards in the second half mostly because the Giants were playing from behind most of that half.
| RB Derrick Ward, Rush: 10 - 101 - 0, Rec: 2 - 1 - 0 (2 targets) |
Ward led the Giants in rushing in the first half with six carries for 37 yards. He would only get four more carries in the second half, but he would make each one count as he gained 64 rushing and did not have a carry longer then 18 yards in the game. The Giants had no problem rushing the ball on Cleveland's defense and Ward was very successful on draw plays up the middle.
| WR Steve Smith, Rec: 9 - 94 - 0 (9 targets) |
Smith had a very nice first half as he led the team with six catches for 70 yards in the first half. He appeared to QB Eli Manning's safety value in the first half as he often hit on short passes beneath the coverage. Smith made some nice runs after the catch in the game and finished the game with nine catches for 94 yards.
| WR Plaxico Burress, Rec: 4 - 58 - 1 (8 targets) |
Burress, who was suspended for last week's game, seemed to play hard and ran good routes to get open in this game. He caught a short three yard pass for a touchdown with 12 seconds left in the first half. Burress used his height to make an easy catch over the much smaller Cleveland defender. He finished the half with two catches for 28 yards. QB Eli Manning didn't play as well in the second half and missed Burress a couple times when he was open. It's possible he and Manning's timing were off a bit because of his mid-season vacation although they've certainly missed practice time before.
| WR Amani Toomer (2 targets) |
Toomer had no catches in the game and was only targeted twice. One of those targets was near the end zone but, Cleveland intercepted and returned it 94 yards.
| TE Kevin Boss, Rec: 1 - 24 - 0 (2 targets) |
Boss caught his only pass of the game on a 24 yard pass deep down the middle on the last play of the first quarter.
| PK John Carney 0 - 0 FG, 2 - 2 XP, 2 points |
Veteran John Carney replaced K Lawrence Tynes again who has been out with a leg injury since week one. Carney did not get a field goal attempt and only had two extra points in the game.
| NYG Rush Defense |
The Giants lost the battle on the line of scrimmage as the Browns pounded them for 144 yards on the ground.
| NYG Pass Defense |
The Giants played a lot of man to man coverage which seemed to open the deep ball for Cleveland in this game. The Browns responded with 310 yards passing in the game. The Giants did not get much of a pass rush in this game.
| QB Derek Anderson, Pass: 18 - 29 - 310 - 2 TD / 0 INT, Rush: 4 - -2 - 0 |
Anderson had by far his best game of the season as he showed poise in the pocket and made good decisions. He had an excellent first half going 11 for 18 for 225 yards and one touchdown. Anderson hooked up with Braylon Edwards for 49 yard gain on a short pass that he took down left side line after breaking a tackle. It was by far Anderson longest pass play of the season to this point. But Anderson would go back to Edwards for even a longer pass in the second quarter when he hit him deep for a 70 yard gain when Edwards got behind the defender. The pass was a little underthrown and probably would have been a touchdown if Edwards didn't have to slow up to catch the ball. Anderson got his first touchdown pass on 22 yard pass to backup TE Darnell Dinkins late in the first half after leading his team on a 77 yard drive. Anderson overthrew WR Donte Stallworth on short pass from the Giants eight yard line early in the second quarter on what could have been a potential touchdown. Anderson did get a second touchdown pass early in the fourth quarter to Edwards on a nice roll out for 11 yards. Anderson played with confidence in this game and made accurate passes throughout the game. He looked more like the quarterback of last year, rather then the one who has struggled this year and had a QB rating of 57 coming into this game.
| RB Jamal Lewis, Rush: 21 - 88 - 1, Rec: 1 - 4 - 0 (1 targets) |
Lewis had a nice game and ran hard, punishing defending with his physical play. He scored on a four yard run that came after a long pass reception by WR Braylon Edwards. He had 11 carries for 39 yards in the first half and would add 49 yards in the second half.
| RB Jerome Harrison, Rush: 2 - 41 - 0, Rec: 2 - 26 - 0 (2 targets) |
Harrison scrambled for 33 yards on his first carry of the game which was a reverse down the left side line early in the second half. He would have one more carry for eight yards in the game and added two receptions for 26 yards.
| RB Jason Wright, Rush: 1 - 3 - 0, Rec: 1 - 6 - 0 (1 targets) |
Wright's nine total yards came on two touches in the game as RB Jerome Harrison served as the primary backup in the game.
| WR Braylon Edwards, Rec: 5 - 154 - 1 (6 targets) |
Edwards, who has gotten off to a terrible start this season, took the second pass of the game 49 yards on a quick slant after he broke a tackle and turned a short gain into a big one. Edwards would come back later in the half with even a longer play when he got behind CB Aaron Ross and QB Derrick Anderson hit him on deep pass for 70 yards. He was caught from behind and tackled on the four yard line. He finished the first half with three catches for 129 yards. Edwards would catch an 11 yard touchdown pass early in the fourth quarter on nice play where the quarterback rolled out and he got open in the back of the end zone. Edwards caught a two point conversion in the fourth quarter after a Browns interception return for a touchdown. In this game, Edwards looked like the big time playmaker most people thought they were getting when they drafted him.
| WR Donte Stallworth, Rec: 2 - 19 - 0 (7 targets) |
Despite being targeted six times in the first half, Stallworth had only two catches for 19 yards in the first and did not catch a pass in the second half.
| TE Steve Heiden, Rec: 5 - 59 - 0 (8 targets) |
Heiden started in place of TE Kevin Winslow and made the most of the opportunity. He led the team with eight targets and was second in receiving yards. He had three catches for 31 yards in the first half and had two catches for 28 yards in the second half.
| TE Darnell Dinkins, Rec: 1 - 22 - 1 (2 targets) |
Dinkins caught only one pass in the game but, he made it count as it was a 22 yard touchdown pass in the second quarter.
| TE Kellen Winslow Jr |
Winslow spent three days in a hospital in last week with an undisclosed illness and did not play in this game.
| PK Phil Dawson 2 - 3 FG, 3 - 3 XP, 9 points |
Dawson hit a 28 yard field goal on the Browns' first drive of the game but missed a 51 yard kick later in the quarter. He would make a second field goal from 26 yards in the third quarter.
| CLE Rush Defense |
Cleveland's run defense was ripped for 168 yards by the Giants on only 24 carries in the game.
| CLE Pass Defense |
The Browns seemed to blitz a lot in this game, especially on third down. That led to some turnovers in the passing game. S Brodney Pool got an interception early in the first quarter and CB Brandon McDonald got the Browns' second interception early in the second half. CB Eric Wright had a 94 yard interception return for a touchdown in the fourth quarter.