Browns-Giants Final Score: Cleveland now 0-12 with 27-13 loss to New York

The Cleveland Browns’ defense played pretty well for the second straight week, but once again the offense failed to muster anything significant when it mattered as the team lost to the New York Giants by a final score of 27-13. The Browns are now 0-12 on the season.

After a scoreless first quarter, a fumble by RB Isaiah Crowell set the Giants up with good starting field position. A few plays later, QB Eli Manning found WR Dwayne Harris for a 13-yard touchdown pass to give the Giants a 7-0 lead.

The final two minutes of the first half were the most adventurous moments of the game. Cleveland couldn’t convert in a goal-to-go situation and had to settle for a 20-yard field goal with 1:43 to go to cut the lead to 7-3. The Giants then got their two biggest pass plays of the game -- a 37-yarder to WR Victor Cruz down the sideline and then a 32-yarder to WR Odell Beckham on a crossing route for the score. That made it a 14-3 game with 1:13 to go. Cleveland got in range for a 25-yard field goal before the half ended, making it 14-6.

Both teams went scoreless in the third quarter as QB Josh McCown was continuously off on his third down passes. Near the start of the fourth quarter, backed up in his own territory, McCown actually threw a nice deep ball, hitting WR Terrelle Pryor for 54 yards!

Being the Browns, they blew it after that: a screen pass for a loss of four yards, a false start, and then a fumble/interception/pick six type of play by DE Jason Pierre-Paul. K Robbie Gould missed the extra point, making it a 20-6 game with just under 11 minutes to go.

In less than three minutes, McCown finally found a bit of a rhythm and worked the hurry-up offense to lead to a touchdown-scoring drive that was capped off with a 21-yard touchdown pass to WR Corey Coleman, making it a 20-13 game with 8:17 to go.

Beckham gave the Giants the cushion right back with a big reception from midfield and eventually a 4-yard touchdown catch with 5:10 to go to make it a 27-13 game. McCown took several big hits on the Browns’ final drive, with New York knowing Cleveland had to pass, and they eventually turned it over on downs.

The Browns are on the bye next week, and then it’s [likely] RG III time after that. Hue Jackson is desperate to get a win, and there’s no quarterback he’ll trust more than Griffin, given how much he fought for him this offseason.

Quick Hitters

• QB Josh McCown: 25-of-43 for 322 yards, 1 TD, 2 fumbles.
• RB Isaiah Crowell: 16 carries, 44 yards (2.75 YPC). 6 catches, 47 yards.
• WR Terrelle Pryor: 6 catches, 131 yards.
• WR Corey Coleman: 3 catches, 38 yards, 1 TD.
• The Giants had seven sacks, the Browns had one sack.
• Cleveland held the Giants to under 300 yards (they had 296 yards), the first time they've done that all season. Cleveland had 343 yards of offense. Cleveland won the time of possession 33:51 to 25:17.
• This was an even game except for the red zone efficiency through three quarters. Then, with Cleveland behind, Hue Jackson stopped running the ball and the pressure started piling up on Josh McCown again (although John Greco leaving with an injury didn’t help matters).
• The Giants got their largest margin of victory this year (14 points). Their previous high was 7 points.