The Giants save their season with a dramatic win over the Cleveland Browns
The New York Giants came into Sunday’s game against the Cleveland Browns with a lot on the line. Giants general manager Joe Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll might have been without a job if the Giants started 0-3 in the season. Fortunately for Daboll and Schoen and the entire Giants fanbase, the “G-Men” defeated the Browns with a dramatic 21-15 score. The Giants' win keeps the Giants' playoff hopes alive and allows their fanbase to breathe a sigh of relief. This game had a lot of twists and we will break down how the Giants picked up their first victory of the 2024-25 National Football League (NFL) season.
The start of the game was all too familiar to Giants fans as running back Eric Gray fumbled the opening kickoff return of the game, leading to the Browns recovering. Once the Browns got the ball in Giants territory, they did not waste any time as quarterback Deshaun Watson fired a 24-yard touchdown to wide receiver Amari Cooper. Now, only 11 seconds into the game, the Giants already found themselves in a 7-0 deficit. The Giants, however, did not lay down and give up as they responded with a touchdown of their own just before hitting the 13 minute mark of the first quarter. The touchdown came off a meticulous 13-play drive that ended with Giants running back Devin Singletary punching it in for a one-yard touchdown.
In the second quarter, the Giants continued their roll with two long touchdown drives. The first came off a three-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Daniel Jones to wide receiver Malik Nabers. Prior to the second touchdown, Nabers had made a circus catch in which he ripped the ball out of Browns cornerback Martin Emerson to set the Giants up in the red zone. New York would get the ball back quickly after edge rusher Brian Burns stripped the ball from Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson. A couple of plays later, Daniel Jones would find Nabers in the endzone for a five-yard touchdown pass. The Giants would go into the half up 21-7.
Unfortunately, the Giants did not start the second half strong because in their first drive of the half. During this play, Devin Singletary fumbled the ball, and the Browns recovered, but the Giants’ defense remained strong, forcing Cleveland to punt the ball. They were constantly pressuring Deshaun Watson and forcing erratic throws from the Browns quarterback. This strong defensive performance allowed the score to remain the same going into the game's final quarter.
The Giants would again have a poor start to the quarter after Deshaun Watson found Amari Cooper for a six-yard touchdown pass at four and a half minutes into the fourth. Cleveland would add a two-point conversion to make it a 6-point game, cutting close to the end. The Giants would continue their offensive struggles in the second half, being forced to punt twice and also missing a field goal in the fourth quarter. After the missed field goal, the Browns still had a chance to drive down and win the game, but the defense saved the day by forcing a turnover, which secured a 21-15 win for the Giants.
There were several major takeaways from this win against the Browns. One of them is that the Giants have a superstar in the making with rookie wide receiver Malik Nabers. Nabers had eight receptions, 75 yards, and two touchdowns in this game alone. According to ESPN data, Naber’s start to the season has been historically good, as he became the first player in NFL history to have 20 receptions and three receiving touchdowns in their first three games. Plus, the Giants’ defense has seven sacks and forced two fumbles.
This is a great sign of what’s to come for the Giants, and if their defense can continue to perform like this, their season can turn around quickly. The New York Giants will look to carry their momentum when they host the Dallas Cowboys at Metlife Stadium on Thursday, Sept. 26.