Five things to watch for during New York Giants vs Cleveland Browns
The New York Giants beat the Cleveland Browns 27-13 in Week 12 last season. The 14-point margin of victory was the largest for the Giants in 2016.
Monday night’s preseason matchup between the Giants and Browns obviously means nothing in terms of records but there’s still a level of importance in this game. The two teams are headed in opposite directions. The Giants are potential Super Bowl contenders while the Browns seem destined for the basement of the AFC North.
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Here are five things the Giants need to pay attention to in Monday night’s game.
1. The play of the quarterbacks
Eli Manning will take the field for the first time since last January’s playoff loss to the Green Bay Packers. His playing time will be monitored closely but it will be interesting what No. 10 will do while he is behind center.
The backups need a bounce back from the preseason opening loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers. Josh Johnson looked very much like a journeyman quarterback with nervous feet. Geno Smith had command of the offense but took too many unnecessary chances with the ball and didn’t quite bounce back from any of the mistakes he made.
The best-looking quarterback against the Steelers was rookie Davis Webb. It is unknown if he will get any time against the Browns with Manning taking the field.
2. The offensive line
The offensive line looked good in the beginning against the Steelers. They held up well in pass protection but their run blocking left much to be desired. The Giants are saying all the right things about having confidence in their offensive line but so far, the results on the field are not positive. The regular season opener is three weeks away and the offensive line needs to show signs of improvement.
3. The offense itself
The offense’s biggest problem in 2016 was an inability to score points. They failed to get in the end zone against the Steelers. The Giants have to score touchdowns if they want to be contenders, plain and simple. Settling for field goals isn’t going to cut it. The Giants are thin at wide receiver due to a bevy of injuries and the running game is stuck in neutral. Their success will depend on the play of the offensive line but they need to make the most of opportunities when they’re presented.
4. The first-team defense
The strength of the Giants is their defense. Landon Collins played like a man possessed for the 10 snaps he was on the field. His former Alabama teammate, rookie Dalvin Tomlinson, is coming along nicely. We know what to expect from the first-team, total domination of the Browns offense. The backups are another question. Who is going to stand out and make a name for themselves? Miscues led to points by the Steelers last week. In order for the Giants to be a truly dominant defense, the backups have to play better.
5. The kicking game
Kickers Aldrick Rosas and Mike Nugent put all 12 of the Giants’ points on the board in the season opener. Rosas, who has never kicked in an NFL regular season game, nailed two field goals including one from 52 yards. The veteran Nugent also kicked two field goals, including one from 45 yards out. Their ability to put up points when the offense sputters is very important, especially if the offensive issues continue in Cleveland.
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