It took a backup defensive back making a crucial play on special teams to help give the New York Giants a 41-27 home victory. This play gave the Giants the impetus to settle down an upstart and improving Cleveland Browns team that had the Giants on the ropes for much of the first half. AHMAD BRADSHAW (30 carries for 200 yards and 1 score) had one of the best games of his career, as he was focused on bludgeoning the Browns defense and atoning for a fumble early in the game that helped secure a 14-0 Browns lead.
After the aforementioned Bradshaw fumble on the second play of the game, Cleveland took over at the Giants 22 yard line. Later in the drive, rookie running back TRENT RICHARDSON (who had 67 yards rushing on 13 carries and 1 score by halftime) scored from 15 yards out to give the Browns a 7-0 lead.
New York turned to their punting unit after an eight play drive ended up netting them a fourth down situation at their own 43 yard line. Cleveland then took over possession of the ball at their own 20-yard line. Later in the drive from their 38, rookie quarterback BRANDON WEEDEN (who lit up the Giants defense for 161 yards passing and 1 score by halftime) fired a 62-yard touchdown pass to rookie JOSH GORDON (2 catches for 82 yards and 2 scores) versus a mismatched CHASE BLACKBURN to give the Browns what appeared to be a commanding 14-0 advantage.
Taking over from their own 8 yard line, the Giants were in crisis mode. They were down 14-0 and 92 yards away from a score. Rookie receiver REUBEN RANDLE (5 catches for 78 yards by halftime) took it upon himself to give the Giants some breathing room with his big-time performance on this drive. He caught 4 passes for 32 yards which took the Giants all the way to the Browns 3 yard line. Randle’s catches eventually led to a VICTOR CRUZ (5 catches for 50 yards and 3 scores) 3 yard touchdown catch. In the end zone, Cruz paid homage to not only his Hispanic heritage with a Salsa dance but to New York based rapper Jay-Z as well. He flashed the dynasty sign (a hand sign the rapper made popular back in the 1990s) with his two hands a few moments after he ended his customary dance.
Late in the first quarter, Cleveland took over on their own 36. After moving the ball down the field with some big plays, highlighted by a Richardson 22-yard reception to the Browns 48 yard line, the Giants defense had decided they had enough. Inside the Giants 15 yard line, defenders OSI UMENYIORA, MARCUS KUHN, ANTREL ROLLE, and others stuffed Richardson for a 2 yard loss. As a result of that vital tackle for loss, the Browns were forced to settle for a 32 yard PHIL DAWSON field goal to give them a 17-7 lead early in the second quarter.
New York scored some points of their own with a LAWRENCE TYNES 29-yard field goal to cut into the Browns’ lead at 17-10. Starting from their own 25, the Browns took over. The drive was going places mainly due to a big Weeden to running back CHRIS OGBONNAYA 38 yard connection to the Giants 34 yard line. But some odd plays later, safety STEVIE BROWN bailed out the Giants by intercepting Weeden and returning the theft to the Giants 40 yard line. The Giants took advantage of the Brown theft and mounted a 2-play 40-yard scoring drive. The drive was highlighted by a Manning to Randle 37 reception to the Cleveland 3 yard line. Then on the next play Bradshaw bullied his way up the middle for a 3 yard score and tie the game at 17-17 after Tynes’ extra point with 2:52 left in the first half.
Then Brown came through again for the Giants. On the ensuing kickoff, backup defensive back WILL HILL forced a fumble on the Browns’ JOSHUA CRIBBS that was recovered by Brown and returned for a short gain to the Cleveland 30 yard line. The Giants took advantage of those two defensive backs’ hard work, as they scored on a ELI MANNING (25 of 37 for 259 yards, 3 touchdowns, and 1 interception) 8-yard touchdown strike to Cruz who was all alone near the left back corner of the end zone to give the Giants their first lead of the game at 24-17 with 1:10 left in the half. Then to further add to Cleveland’s misery, a big penalty gave the Giants the chance to try a 40-yard Tynes field goal. The kick was successful and the Giants sailed into the locker room with a 27-17 lead.
In the second half Cruz scored his third touchdown of the game with a 28-yard catch from Manning to give the Giants a 34-17 lead. The Browns culminated the connecting drive with a 41 yard Dawson field goal to make the score 34-20 late in the third quarter.
An USAMA YOUNG interception that he returned to the NYG 30 yard line gave the Browns some hope of getting back into the game. But two straight false start penalties on offensive linemen MITCHELL SCHWARTZ and SHAWN LAUVAO, an illegal forward pass by Weeden to tight end CAMERON JORDAN in the end zone, and a Blackburn interception in the end zone killed any chance the Browns had of making a rally attempt.
On the other hand, Bradshaw still wasn’t done bothering the Browns defense. On the drive that Blackburn’s theft led to, Bradshaw ambled across the field for a 28-yard gain to midfield with nearly eight minutes left in the contest. Then less than three minutes later, rookie running back DAVID WILSON followed HENRY HYNOSKI and CHRIS SNEE blocks through a right side hole and sped 40 yards untouched into the end zone to give the Giants an insurmountable 41-20 lead. Cleveland scored one more time on a very late fourth quarter Weeden to Gordon 20 yard play to make the score 41-27 New York.
