CLEVELAND – In pro football, rarely does a bad team beat a very good team straight up.
A myriad of factors play into it, whether it is emotion or an overall lack of preparation.
But there is one factor above all else that is the great equalizer:
Turnovers.
Losing the turnover battle in a game tremendously decreases your chance of winning. Turn the ball over three times more than your opponent on the road and you give yourself literally no chance whatsoever.
The Super Bowl champions found themselves in this position on Monday and with it, were handed their first loss of the season falling to the Browns 35-14 at Cleveland Browns Stadium. For the Giants, it was their first loss dated back to December 29, 2007 when they lost their final regular season game to the Patriots at Giants Stadium. They had won their previous eight games prior to Monday night.
It was a game that the Browns controlled on both sides for a majority of the game. However, with just under nine minutes remaining, the Giants found themselves with the ball on the Browns 9 yard line with a chance to get within six points. On second down, Eli Manning rolled slightly to his right and threw off his back foot. The pass did not have enough air on it and was intercepted by Browns cornerback Eric Wright, who returned it 94 yards for the game sealing touchdown.
For Manning, it was one of three interceptions for the night. After throwing only one pick this season, Manning tripled his total. Going back to the start of the playoffs, Manning had only thrown two of them in the last eight games combined. Those turnovers led to 10 points by the Browns.
Warning signs were in the air right from the start of the night. On the third play of the game, Browns quarterback Derek Anderson threw a quick slant to receiver Braylon Edwards. Cornerback Aaron Ross missed the tackle and Edwards was off for a 49-yard catch and run. That play set up a field goal by Phil Dawson to give the Browns a 3-0 lead.
The Giants attempted to answer on their opening possession and moved the ball to the Browns 31. Manning tried to go for the big play, but was intercepted by Bradon Pool at the five-yard line.
Answering back though, the Giants sprinted 58 yards in six play to take a 7-3 lead. It would end up being their only lead of the game. However, the Browns answered in a blink. Anderson, who was not pressured the entire night, went deep and found Edwards again, who beat Ross for a 70-yard pass play down to the Giants four-yard line. Two plays later, running back Jamal Lewis rumbled into the end zone from four yards out to make it 10-7.
The Giants found themselves trailing 17-7 before halftime when Manning drove the offense down for a touchdown to cut the deficit to 17-14. Plaxico Burress, back from vacation…err…suspension, hauled a three-yard touchdown reception.
Cleveland came into the game 1-3 and sporting on the league’s worst offenses (31st) and defenses (30th). However, on this night, the world champions were unable to find answers to slow down the Browns attack.
Manning's second interception came at the beginning of the third quarter when on the first play his deep ball was overthrown and intercepted by cornerback Brandon McDonald. This lead to another Dawson field goal to extend the lead to six points.
Trailing 20-14 in the third quarter, the Giants needed to make a defensive stop. Starting at their own 13-yard line, the Browns drove the ball 87 yards in 14 plays for a touchdown to make it 27-14. Despite ineptitude, which included committing five offensive penalties, the Giants defense was never able to stop Cleveland’s quick passes, or prevent holes from opening up in the middle of the defense.
Anderson was 18 for 29 for 310 yards passing on the night. He was never sacked, much less hurried once. The Browns as an offense, tallied 454 total yards, were nine for 13 on third down conversions, and were never forced to punt the entire game. Cleveland did not turn the ball over once.
Still, despite the woeful play of the defense, the team had a chance. But when Manning’s (18-28, 196 yards, 1 TD, 3 INT) pass was intercepted for a touchdown in the fourth quarter, the game was effectively over.
Perhaps a market correction for a Giants team was in order. The team had put gaudy numbers through the first four games of the season and had the media anointing them as the best team in the NFL by a wide margin. A loss as humbling as this allows the team to catch their breath and show they are not invincible despite what others may say.
The next game is this Sunday against the San Francisco 49ers at Giants Stadium.
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