Giants avoid 0-3 start, pounce on Browns' miscues

Field Level Media|published: Sun 22nd September, 16:27 2024

Sep 22, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones (8) throws a pass during the first half against the Cleveland Browns at Huntington Bank Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

Daniel Jones threw two touchdown passes to Malik Nabers as the New York Giants notched a solid 21-15 victory over the host Cleveland Browns on Sunday afternoon.

Devin Singletary rushed for a touchdown and Dexter Lawrence had two of the Giants' eight sacks. New York (1-2) held Cleveland to 217 total yards.

Jones was 24-of-34 passing for 236 yards and two touchdowns. Nabers caught eight passes for 78 yards and two touchdowns.

Deshaun Watson completed 21 of 37 passes for 196 yards and two touchdowns for the Browns (1-2). Amari Cooper caught seven passes for 86 yards and both scoring catches.

Jones and Nabers hooked up twice in the final two minutes of the first half as the Giants took a 21-7 advantage.

First, New York drove 93 yards on 14 plays with Nabers culminating the excursion with a 3-yard scoring catch from Jones with 1:44 left.

Then a strip-sack of Watson by Brian Burns gave the Giants the ball at the Cleveland 30-yard with 32 seconds left, setting up a 5-yard aerial from Jones to Nabers with 11 seconds to play.

Cleveland cut its deficit to 21-15 with 11:33 remaining in the game when Cooper ran a slant pattern to catch a 6-yard scoring pass from Watson and Jerry Jeudy caught the ensuing two-point conversion pass.

The Browns moved past midfield nearly four minutes later but Watson and Jerome Ford botched a handoff and New York's Azeez Ojulari recovered the ball at the Giants' 46-yard line.

Later in the quarter, Cleveland went for it on fourth-and-1 from its own 29. Watson tried to scramble out of trouble and he was stopped just short of the first down, allowing New York to take over at the Browns' 29 with 3:56 left.

Cleveland averted danger when Greg Joseph was wide right on a 48-yard field goal with three minutes remaining. But the Browns failed to get a first down and gave the ball back to New York with 2:23 left.

Singletary then broke free on a 43-yard gain to the right, purposely going down at the 1-yard line to allow the Giants to run out the clock.

The Browns scored just 11 seconds into the game after Eric Gray of the Giants fumbled the opening kickoff and it was recovered by Cleveland's Grant Delpit at the New York 24.

On the next play, Watson connected with Cooper down the left sideline for a 7-0 lead.

The Giants knotted the score when Singletary scored from the 1 with 2:07 left in the quarter to cap a 13-play, 81-yard drive.

--Field Level Media