Cleveland Browns Suffer a Giant Beatdown on MNF

The Browns’ first-team offensive line looked completely overmatched all night against the reigning Super Bowl Champion’s defense. By the middle of the second quarter, the Browns had run 23 plays and had 23 yards of offense to show for them.

The Browns’ defense fared no better, getting run over time and time again by the Giants’ physical offensive line. At times, the Browns looked more interested in pushing and shoving after the whistle than actually tackling the Giants' ball carriers.

Only 14 of the 30 points were scored on the Browns' first-string defense, but at no point during the game did they generate any sort of pass rush or stop the run on a consistent basis.

The Browns' backups actually provided most of the highlights for the team, as they managed to play hard—despite the score—and turn a 30-7 joke into a 37-34 final. Brady Quinn looked sharp against the Giants’ second-team defense, as he lead the team down for a pair of touchdowns on the evening.

He was agile in the pocket and made a few big plays with his arm. He seemed to make a concerted effort to throw the ball down field more, including forcing a deep ball that should have been intercepted but was somehow wrangled away from the Giants’ defender by Steptoe for a 44-yard touchdown.

Steptoe had his second-consecutive brilliant game, as he added a 40-yard kickoff return to the 90-yard return he had earlier, to go along with two touchdowns on offense. He scored on a nine-yard backwards pass for the Browns’ first touchdown of the night and followed it up with the amazing grab from Quinn.

Jerome Harrison also had another great preseason game, running with purpose, including a breathtaking 23-yard scamper at, around, and trough the Giants’ defense. I will give Eric Wright credit as well, despite being burnt badly and often, he did have a short memory, as cornerbacks should, and returned a tipped pass for a touchdown late in the second quarter.

He had a bad game but didn’t pout or let it show. He just kept playing.

You know it’s a long night when third-string QB Ken Dorsey lights it up going 9-11 for 143 yards and a touchdown to rookie Lance Leggett. The cerebral Dorsey led the Browns on two scoring drives, culminating in 10 points.

Yes, it was against the Giants’ scrubs, but Dorsey looked absolutely horrid versus the Jets last week, so it was a positive in an otherwise dismal night.

What can we draw from this performance by the Browns?

First and foremost, their defense still has miles to go before they can be considered effective. They need to get Shawn Rogers healthy so that they can accurately evaluate the defense as a whole.

The young secondary is going to struggle, especially on the outside, and they need a strong force upfront to offset that. They also need to find some sort of pass rush, as it has been non-existent in both exhibition games.

On offense, it would not surprise me to see Anderson miss the next preseason game, as it is Saturday at Detroit after a Monday-night game. A super short week, and with a mild concussion, I doubt they would clear him to play in the preseason.

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