CLEVELAND — The Browns returned to Cleveland Sunday afternoon looking to get their first home win of the season. They were taking on a team trying to get its first win of the season.
For much of the day, the New York Giants — the team without a win coming into the game — looked like the better team. The scoreboard, when the day came to an end, reflected that fact in a 21-15 Giants victory over the Browns .
The bigger concern for the Browns wasn't the fact they lost to a team that was 0-2 entering the game. Instead, it's the fact they sustained a litany of injuries, most notably along the offensive line.
By the end of the game, only right tackle Dawand Jones was at the same spot where he started. Even Jones, though, was pulled for a couple of series.
Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson was 21-of-37 passing for 196 yards and two touchdowns, both to Amari Cooper , and an 89.5 passer rating. He was sacked a season-high eight times by the New York defense.
Cooper had seven catches on 12 targets for 86 yards and two scores. He walked off the field late after being shaken up on a play.
Giants quarterback Daniel Jones was 24-of-34 passing for 236 yard with two touchdown and a 109.4 passer rating. Rookie Malik Nabers had eight catches on 12 targets for 78 yards and two scores.
Here's how the Browns' effort to get above the .500 mark in a home game against an NFC East opponent unfolded through out live updates:
The Browns couldn't take advantage of the Giant opportunity. After Amari Cooper left the game with an undisclosed injury with 2:34 remaining, Cleveland was left with Deshaun Watson throwing a crossing pass to Cedric Tillman on fourth-and-4 from the Browns 44.
Tillman was unable to come up with the pass, despite it hitting him in the chest, giving the ball back to New York.
The Giants gave the Browns life by not converting the failed Cleveland fourth-down try into points. Kicker Greg Joseph missed a 48-yard field goal wide left with three minutes to keep New York's lead at 21-15.
Jameis Winston , the Browns' normal short-yardage quarterback, couldn't gain a yard on third-and-1 for the Browns from their own 29. On the next play, Deshaun Watson took a shotgun snap and was tackled short of the yard to gain to give the Giants the ball back.
Browns edge rusher Myles Garrett returned to the game with 6:10 remaining after having spent several minutes in the medical tent.
Quarterback Deshaun Watson fumbled away a great chance for the Browns with 7:35 remaining when he couldn't get the handoff to running back Jerome Ford . New York's Azeez Ojulari recovered it at the Giants 46.
Deshaun Watson hit Amari Cooper for a 6-yard touchdown pass, then connected with Jerry Jeudy for a 2-point conversion pass with 11:33 remaining in the fourth quarter. That pulled the Browns within 21-15 of the Giants.
The Browns still have life, even as it's looked bleak for the better part of two-plus quarters. After a Giants punt, they took over at the New York 49 with 13:40 remaining in regulation.
Cleveland trails 21-7.
The Browns trail the Giants 21-7 entering the final quarter.
The Browns have been decimated with injuries along the offensive line during Sunday's game against the New York Giants.
In the span of two plays, both right tackle James Hudson III and left tackle Jedrick Wills Jr. went to the locker room with injuries. That was a series after right guard Wyatt Teller left with a knee injury serious enough that the Browns have already ruled him out for the rest of the game.
Hudson was listed as questionable with a shoulder injury. Wills, who made his season debut after last year's knee injury, left with another knee injury.
The Browns moved Joel Bitonio to left tackle from left guard, and Ethan Pocic from center to left guard. Rookie Zak Zinter filled in for Teller at right guard, while Dawand Jones, apparently benched to open the second half, came back in for Hudson at right tackle.
The Browns officially ruled out right guard Wyatt Teller with a knee injury with 9:40 remaining in the third quarter. Rookie Zak Zinter replaced him at right guard, meaning the entire right side of the offensive line are backups to the players who started the game.
James Hudson III remained at right tackle in place of Dawand Jones, who remains on the sideline with his helmet on.
Browns right guard Wyatt Teller went to the locker room with the medical staff after a brief stint in the medical tent following the Dustin Hopkins missed field goal. There's been no immediate word on his status or injury.
Dustin Hopkins is mortal, after all. The Browns kicker had his first miss from 50-plus yards since Cleveland acquired him prior to the 2023 season when he missed a 53-yard field goal with 10:45 left in the third quarter.
Hopkins had made his first 10 kicks from that distance in his Browns career. That includes both this season.
Safety Ronnie Hickman had an interception taken away in the first quarter due to a Browns penalty. He got one in the third quarter when he fell on a Devin Singletary fumble caused by defensive tackle Shelby Harris at the Giants 45.
The Browns made a tackle change to open the second half. James Hudson III replaced Dawand Jones at right tackle when Cleveland opened the third quarter with the ball.
No word yet on if the move was due to injury or performance.
The Giants, winless this season, have a 21-7 halftime lead on the Browns, who left the field with the home fans showering boos down on them.
The Browns have been outgained 218-41 by the Giants. Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson was 8-of-11 passing for 67 yards with a touchdown and a 118.4 passer rating, while also being sacked four times in the first half and fumbling the ball away once.
The Giants took a 21-7 lead with 11 seconds left in the first half when quarterback Daniel Jones found a wide-open Malik Nabers on a crossing pattern for a 5-yard touchdown. It's the second time the two hooked up in the first half for a touchdown.
Jones was 17-of-19 passing for 175 yards, two touchdowns and a 140.8 passer rating. Nabers has primarily abused cornerback Martin Emerson during his six-catch, 66-yard, two-score first half.
The Browns gave the ball up to the Giants late in the first half when outside linebacker Brian Burns beat right tackle Dawand Jones and stripped the ball out of quarterback Deshaun Watson's hand before he could bring it forward. Elijah Chatman recovered the ball for New York at the Browns 30 with 32 seconds left in the half.
Maligned Giants quarterback Daniel Jones has looked sharp as the game has gone on, including a stretch of 12 consecutive completions that ended on the first play out of the two-minute warning. He rebounded from that with a 3-yard touchdown pass to rookie Malik Nabers on which Nabers appeared to get both feet in before his left hand hit out of bounds.
The pass gave the Giants a 14-7 lead with 1:44 remaining in the first half. Jones is 14-of-16 passing for 156 yards with a touchdown and a 128.1 passer rating in the first half.
Browns pass rusher Myles Garrett spent some time in the medical tent, as well as standing on the sideline, with what was said on the television to be a calf injury. There was no official announcement made in the press box of the injury.
Garrett did return to the field on the sixth play of the Giants' second possession of the second quarter, with about 5:19 remaining in the quarter.
The Browns' first offensive possession of the second quarter was showing promise. However, back-to-back penalties moved them from the Giants 49, where they had second-and-4, to third-and-22 at their own 33.
The Browns and Giants were tied at 7-7 after the first quarter. The quarter ended with the Browns punting to the Giants, who take over at their own 37 to start the second quarter.
Cleveland's offensive possession ended with back-to-back sacks of quarterback Deshaun Watson. The first, by inside linebacker Micah McFadden , came on a blitz not picked up running back D'Onta Foreman; the second, by defensive tackle Elijah Chatman, came when he split center Ethan Pocic and right guard Wyatt Teller.
The flag on cornerback Greg Newsome III for roughing Giants quarterback Daniel Jones proved costly for Cleveland. The Giants turned that into a 13-play, 81-yard touchdown drive, capped by Devin Singletary 1-yard scoring run, to tie the score at 7-7 with 2:07 left in the first quarter.
The Browns thought they had a second turnover when Giants quarterback Daniel Jones threw a pass right to Browns safety Ronnie Hickman for an interception. However, the the pick was negated when nickelback Greg Newsome III, who came clean on a blitz to Jones' blind side, was flagged for roughing the passer when he hit Jones high.
Here's the first 11 out on the field for the Browns defense against the Giants:
DE: Za'Darius Smith
DT: Dalvin Tomlinson
DT: Shelby Harris
DE: Myles Garrett
LB: Jordan Hicks
LB: Devin Bush
S: Grant Delpit
CB: Denzel Ward
CB: Martin Emerson Jr.
S: Ronnie Hickman
The first 11 out on the field for the Browns offense against the Giants:
QB: Deshaun Watson
RB: Jerome Ford
TE: Jordan Akins
WR: Amari Cooper
WR: Jerry Jeudy
WR: Elijah Moore
LT: Jedrick Wills Jr.
LG: Joel Bitonio
C: Ethan Pocic
RG: Wyatt Teller
RT: Dawand Jones
The Browns wasted no time getting on the board. Deshaun Watson threw a perfectly placed 24-yard pass to Amari Cooper down the left side. Cooper, despite tight coverage by New York cornerback Deonte Banks , pulled the ball in before stepping out of bounds for the 7-0 Browns lead 11 seconds into the game.
The Browns started on offense when Cleveland's Tony Brown II stripped Giants return man Eric Gray at the New York 24. That's where Browns safety Grant Delpit fell on it.
The Browns honored former kicker Phil Dawson and long-time radio voice Jim Donovan as the newest inductees into the Browns Legends. Dawson was present to accept the honor while Donovan, who retired right before the season due to health issues, was not able to attend.
While Jack Conklin was ruled out on Saturday with a hamstring injury, Jedrick Wills Jr. will make his season debut at left tackle when the Browns play host to the New York Giants . Wills had been sidelined for the first two games of the season while he continued his rehab from the right knee injury that ended his 2023 season.
Wills last played in a game last Nov. 5 , when the Browns beat the Arizona Cardinals in Week 9 of last season. He sustained a high-grade sprain to the MCL, a low-grade sprain to the PCL and bone bruises with 11:08 remaining in the game.
The injury, which the Browns initially thought would be around a six-week recovery, eventually led to arthroscopic surgery on the knee in December. At that point, Wills was shut down for the rest of the season.
Wills returned to the practice field for the first time on Sept. 4. He was ruled out on the Friday before each of the first two games before being listed as questionable leading into the Giants game.
James Hudson III had started the first two games at left tackle. He allowed 10 total pressures over those two games.
Conklin, who has been sidelined since last season's opener against the Cincinnati Bengals with a major left knee injury, was also listed as questionable for the game on Friday. The Browns, however, downgraded him to out on Saturday when he sustained a hamstring injury.
Dawand Jones will remain in the Browns' starting lineup at right tackle. Jones has started 12 games over two seasons in place of Conklin.
Dorian Thompson-Robinson was once again listed as the No. 3 quarterback. He's held that role in the first three games now.
The complete list of Browns inactive players is as follows:
QB Dorian Thompson-Robinson (3QB)
T Jack Conklin
WR Jamari Thrash
TE David Njoku
Kickoff is at 1 p.m.
Play-by-play: Kenny Albert
Analyst: Jonathan Vilma
Sideline: Megan Olivi
TV channel: Fox WJW-TV (Channel 8)
Stream: Fox Sports and NFL+
Announcers: Kenny Albert (play-by-play), Jonathan Vilma (analyst), Megan Olivi (sideline reporter)
The Cleveland Browns Radio Network will carry the game, with Andrew Siciliano (play-by-play), Nathan Zegura (analyst) and Je'Rod Cherry (sideline reporter) on the call. Among the affiliates in the Akron-Canton area are WAKR-AM 1590, WONE-FM 97.5, WHBC-AM 1480, WQKT-FM 104.5, WKRK-FM 92.3, WKNR-AM 850 and WNCX-FM 98.5.
The Cleveland Browns Radio Network's call can also be streamed at Cleveland Browns.com, as well as the Browns mobile app. It's also available on Sirius XM radio , with channel 225 carrying the Browns feed.
The Browns also have a Spanish-language broadcast, with Rafael "Rafa" Hernández-Brito (play-by-play) and Octavio Sequera (analyst) on the call. Games will be streamed on La Mega Cleveland , as well as heard on WNZN-FM 89.1 in Lorain and WVKO-FM 103.1 in Columbus.
Tickets for Sunday's game on StubHub can be purchased on StubHub from $51 before fees.
It's a sunny day in Cleveland, with the temperature at kickoff expected to be near 80 degrees, according to the National Weather Service . There is supposed to be calm winds between 5 and 7 mph.
Browns: OT Jedrick Wills Jr. (knee), questionable; TE David Njoku (ankle), out; OT Jack Conklin (hamstring), out; RB Pierre Strong Jr. (hamstring), out
Giants:CB Nick McLeod (knee), out; OLB Brian Burns (groin), questionable; ILB Darius Muasau (knee), questionable
Cleveland evened their record at 1-1. winning 18-13 at the Jacksonville Jaguars . The Browns led 7-0 after their first possession and never trailed in the game.
The Giants fell to 0-2 on the season with a 21-18 loss at the Washington Commanders last Sunday afternoon. The Commanders kicked seven field goal by former Browns kicker Austin Seibert .
So what should we expect from the Browns this Sunday against the Giants? Click here to see what our writers project as the score of today's game.
Provided by BetMGM.com ; access USA TODAY Sports Scores ad Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 4:30 p.m. ET Saturday.
Moneyline (ML): Browns -305 (bet $305 to win $100) | Giants +245 (bet $100 to win $245)
Against the spread: Browns -6.5 (-110) | Giants +6.5 (-110)
Over/Under (O/U): 38.5 (O: -110 | U: -110)
Today is the 53rd all-time regular-season or playoff meeting between the Browns and the Giants, and the seventh since the rebirth of the Cleveland franchise in 199. Here's a look at the series between the Browns and Giants.
Series record (regular season and playoffs): Browns lead 28-22-2
Series record (regular season): Browns lead 27-21-2
Playoff record: Tied 1-1
Series in Cleveland (regular season and playoffs): Browns lead 15-11
Series record in Cleveland (regular season): Browns lead 14-11
Series record in Cleveland (playoffs): Browns lead 1-0
Series record in New York/New Jersey (regular season and playoffs): Browns lead 13-11-2
Series record in New York/New Jersey (regular season): Browns lead 13-10-2
Series record in New York/New Jersey (playoffs): Giants lead 1-0
Last meeting: Browns won 20-6 in East Rutherford, N.J., on Dec. 20, 2020
Series streak: Browns won the last meeting
QUARTERBACKS (3): Dorian Thompson-Robinson, Deshaun Watson, Jameis Winston
RUNNING BACK (4): Jerome Ford, D'Onta Foreman, Pierre Strong Jr., Gary Brightwell
WIDE RECEIVER (6): Amari Cooper, Jerry Jeudy, Elijah Moore, Jamari Thrash, Cedric Tillman, James Proche II
TIGHT ENDS (3): Jordan Akins, David Njoku, Blake Whiteheart
OFFENSIVE LINEMEN (10): Joel Bitonio, Jack Conklin, Javion Cohen, Nick Harris, James Hudson III, Dawand Jones, Ethan Pocic, Wyatt Teller, Jedrick Wills Jr., Zak Zinter
DEFENSIVE LINEMEN (9): Myles Garrett, Shelby Harris, Sam Kamara, Quenton Jefferson, Isaiah McGuire, Ogbo Okoronkwo, Za'Darius Smith, Dalvin Tomlinson, Alex Wright
LINEBACKERS (5): Devin Bush, Khaleke Hudson, Winston Reid, Jordan Hicks, Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah
DEFENSIVE BACKS (11): D'Anthony Bell, Grant Delpit, Martin Emerson Jr., Kahlef Hailassie, Myles Harden, Ronnie Hickman, Rodney McLeod, Cameron Mitchell, Greg Newsome II, Mike Ford Jr., Denzel Ward
SPECIALISTS (3): Corey Bojorques, Dustin Hopkins, Charley Hughlett
The Browns elevated tight end Geoff Swaim and cornerback Tony Brown II off their practice squad to the gameday roster. It's both players' first elevation of the season.
Swaim, who was signed to the practice squad prior to the Jacksonville game, gives the Browns three tight ends for the game with David Njoku once again sidelined with an ankle injury. Jordan Akins has been on the active roster throughout the season, while Blake Whiteheart was signed to the active roster off the practice squad on Saturday.
Brown provides help at two areas. He fills a special teams need with running back Pierre Strong Jr. out with the hamstring injury, while also adding more depth at cornerback with Denzel Ward playing through a shoulder issue and Martin Emerson Jr. having dealt with an ankle injury in each of the first two games.
Sunday, Sept. 8: Home vs. Dallas Cowboys, L, 33-17
Sunday, Sept. 15: At Jacksonville Jaguars, W, 18-13
Sunday, Sept. 22: Home vs. New York Giants, 1 p.m., FOX
Sunday, Sept. 29: At Las Vegas Raiders, 4:25 p.m., CBS
Sunday, Oct. 6: At Washington Commanders, 1 p.m., FOX
Sunday, Oct. 13: At Philadelphia Eagles, 1 p.m., FOX
Sunday, Oct. 20: Home vs. Cincinnati Bengals, 1 p.m., CBS
Sunday, Oct. 27: Home vs. Baltimore Ravens, 1 p.m., CBS
Sunday, Nov. 3: Home vs. Los Angeles Chargers, 1 p.m., CBS
Sunday, Nov. 10: BYE WEEK
Sunday, Nov. 17: At New Orleans Saints, 1 p.m., FOX
Thursday, Nov. 21: Home vs. Pittsburgh Steelers, 8:20 p.m., Amazon Prime
Monday, Dec. 2: At Denver Broncos, 8:20 p.m., ESPN
Sunday, Dec. 8: At Pittsburgh Steelers, 1 p.m., CBS
Sunday, Dec. 15: Home vs. Kansas City Chiefs, 1 p.m., CBS
Thursday, Dec. 19: At Cincinnati Bengals, 8:15 p.m., Amazon Prime
Sunday, Dec. 29: Home vs. Miami Dolphins, 8:20 p.m., NBC
Saturday, Jan. 4 OR Sunday, Jan. 5: At Baltimore Ravens, TBA, TV TBA
Chris Easterling can be reached at ceasterling@thebeaconjournal.com. Read more about the Browns at www.beaconjournal.com/sports/browns. Follow him on X at @ceasterlingABJ
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Browns can't complete comeback, lose Week 3 game to Giants
