New York Giants vs Cleveland Browns Match Player Stats (Sep 22, 2024)
Eight sacks. That’s the number that matters from Sunday’s Giants-Browns game. Eight times the Giants defense buried Deshaun Watson into the Cleveland turf. Everything else that happened at Huntington Bank Field stems from that beatdown.
The Stats You Came For
GIANTS 21, BROWNS 15 | September 22, 2024 | Cleveland
Quick Hits:
- Giants sacked Watson 8 times (tied for 2nd most since 1999)
- Malik Nabers: 8 catches, 78 yards, 2 TDs (youngest WR ever with 2 TDs)
- Total yards: Giants 340, Browns 217
- Browns ran just 18 plays in the entire second half
- Time of possession: Giants 33:56, Browns 26:04
Key Offensive Numbers
Giants Passing Attack
- Daniel Jones: 24/34, 236 yards, 2 TDs, 0 INTs (109.4 rating)
- Malik Nabers: 8-78-2 on 12 targets
- Wan’Dale Robinson: 7-61-0 (perfect 7-for-7)
- Jones rushing: 8 carries, 20 yards
Browns Passing Game
- Deshaun Watson: 21/37, 196 yards, 2 TDs, 0 INTs
- Sacked 8 times for -48 yards
- Amari Cooper: 7-86-2 (only bright spot)
- Net passing yards: 148 (3.3 per attempt after sacks)
The Wildest Start You’ll See All Season
Eric Gray catches the opening kickoff. Two steps. Ball’s out.
Rodney McLeod scoops it up, walks into the end zone. Eleven seconds played, Browns up 7-0, and the 68,016 fans are going absolutely nuts. Vegas had Cleveland as 6.5-point favorites, and it looked like easy money.
Then the Giants scored 21 straight points and turned Watson into a tackling dummy.
Jones Posts Pretty Numbers, But There’s More to It
Daniel Jones finished with one of those stat lines that gets you excited until you watch the tape. His numbers compared to what he usually does:
Stat Category
Week 3 vs Browns
2024 Average
Completions/Attempts
24/34
20/32
Completion %
70.6%
62.5%
Passing Yards
236
208
TD/INT
2/0
1.5/1.0
Passer Rating
109.4
82.3
Rushing
8 for 20 yards
6 for 18 yards
PFF Grade
49.7
—
Here’s the thing though – Pro Football Focus graded him at 49.7, which is backup quarterback territory. I saw at least two throws that should’ve been picked. One in particular, Martin Emerson Jr. had both hands on the ball before Nabers knocked it away.
“That play says more to me about Malik than some of the other things,” Brian Daboll said postgame. “Everyone can see the touchdowns, but the unselfish play, the smart play he made, was huge.”
Jones did complete 12 consecutive passes at one stretch, going 17-for-19 in the first half. His touchdown throw to Nabers in the corner was perfect – only place his guy could get it. Credit where it’s due.
But when your offensive line grades out like this:
- Andrew Thomas (LT): 42.0 PFF grade
- Jon Runyan Jr. (G): 38.5 PFF grade
…and you still only take two sacks? You’re getting rid of the ball because you have to, not because that’s your game plan.
Malik Nabers Has Arrived
Forget that he’s a rookie. This kid is different.
Through three NFL games:
- 23 catches
- 271 yards
- 3 touchdowns
- First player EVER with those numbers to start a career
Not Randy Moss. Not Justin Jefferson. Nobody.
The Catch Everyone’s Talking About
Second quarter, 6:32 left. Jones throws one up for grabs down the left sideline. Emerson’s in perfect position, goes up for the easy pick. Nabers somehow gets higher, rips it off the defender’s helmet, keeps both feet in. Twenty-eight yards.
“Tape don’t lie,” Emerson said after. “Everything we saw was pretty much accurate.”
Both touchdowns came in the final 1:44 of the first half:
- First: 3-yard slant where he beat his man clean
- Second: 5-yard score in traffic, high-pointing it perfectly
Giants went to halftime up 21-7. Game basically over.
Nabers’ Day:
12
Targets
8
Catches
78
Yards
2
TDs
83.8
PFF Grade
Everyone Else on Offense
The Giants spread it around just enough to keep Cleveland honest.
Devin Singletary powered through for 65 yards on 16 carries, including the 1-yard touchdown that answered Cleveland’s opening score. His 43-yard burst with 2:04 left sealed it – Browns had no timeouts, couldn’t stop the clock.
Wan’Dale Robinson was money in the slot. Seven targets, seven catches, 61 yards. That’s exactly what you need from that position. Converted a crucial 3rd-and-8 in the third quarter when the game was still technically in reach.
Quick hits on the rest:
- Tyrone Tracy Jr.: 5 rushes for 23 yards, nice blitz pickup on Nabers’ second TD
- Daniel Bellinger: 1 catch, 17 yards
- Darius Slayton: 1 catch, 7 yards before leaving with a thumb injury
- Eric Gray: 1 rush for 4 yards (plus that fumble)
Watson’s Day From Hell
I’ve watched a lot of football. I’ve rarely seen a quarterback get hit this much and keep getting up.
Completions/Attempts
21/37
56.8%
Passing Yards
196
5.3 per attempt
Sacks Taken
8
-48 yards lost
Times Hit
17
2nd most since ’99
Fumbles Lost
2
Both costly
Passer Rating
74.8
Below average
16 sacks in 3 games = 91-sack pace for season
The game footage shows a quarterback with zero chance. New York blitzed on 57% of dropbacks after blitzing just 25% in Weeks 1-2. Defensive coordinator Wink Martindale saw blood in the water and kept sending heat.
Why Watson Had No Shot
Cleveland’s offensive line got destroyed by injuries AS THE GAME WENT ON:
- Pre-game: Already missing RT Jack Conklin
- 1st Quarter: RG Wyatt Teller (knee)
- 2nd Quarter: LT Jedrick Wills Jr. (knee)
- 3rd Quarter: Backup OT James Hudson III (shoulder)
- 4th Quarter: Guard Joel Bitonio playing left tackle
That’s not an offensive line. That’s a disaster waiting to happen.
Amari Cooper vs Everyone
While Watson was running for his life, Cooper tried to win this game by himself.
Browns Offensive Production:
- Amari Cooper: 7 receptions, 86 yards, 2 TDs
- 24-yard TD just 11 seconds in
- 6-yard TD in Q4 plus the 2-point conversion
- Everyone Else Combined: 14 catches, 62 yards, 0 TDs
- Run Game: 69 yards on 18 attempts (3.8 average)
- Jerome Ford: 10-37
- Longest run: 9 yards
That’s not winning football. That’s one guy trying to carry 10 others.
The Defense That Won This Game
New York’s pass rush was historic. Not good. Not great. Historic.
The Pressure Cooker:
Defensive Stat
Giants
Browns
Total Sacks
8
2
QB Hits
17
5
Total Pressures
37
10
Blitz Rate
57%
32%
Pressure Rate
48.6%
18.2%
GIANTS DEFENSIVE DOMINANCE: 4x more sacks, 3.4x more QB hits
Dexter Lawrence lived in Cleveland’s backfield. Two sacks, five pressures, and the play that basically ended it: 4th-and-1, 4:12 left in the game. Watson tries the sneak. Lawrence throws his blocker aside and stone-walls Watson. Game over.
Brian Burns earned his money on one play. Strip-sack with 1:52 left in the half, Giants recover at the Cleveland 28. Three plays later, touchdown. That’s a 14-point swing in a 6-point game.
Meanwhile, Myles Garrett and the Browns defense? Two sacks. Five QB hits. They forced one Singletary fumble that led to nothing. For all the talk about Garrett being potentially hurt, he was invisible when it mattered.
Special Teams Left Points Everywhere
Both kickers stunk:
Greg Joseph (Giants): Made all three extra points but pushed a 48-yarder wide right with 3:04 left. That’s a 9-point lead instead of 6. Changes everything.
Dustin Hopkins (Browns): Missed from 53 after the Singletary fumble recovery. Best field position all day, came away with nothing.
Seven punts from Jamie Gillan (51.6 average). Six from Corey Bojorquez (51.0). That tells you everything about how these offenses operated.
Quarter-by-Quarter Breakdown
Q1 (7-7): Browns score in 11 seconds. Giants answer with 9-play, 70-yard drive. We got a game.
Q2 (14-0 Giants): Nabers takes over. Two touchdowns in under two minutes. Burns gets the strip-sack. Browns manage 43 total yards.
Q3 (0-0): Six punts. One missed field goal. Ugly football.
Q4 (0-8 Browns): Cooper scores, converts two. Browns get ball back three times, fail on 4th down three times. That’s the game.
The Bigger Picture
This makes the Giants 1-2, same record as Cleveland. But these teams are heading in opposite directions.
For New York: They found something with that pass rush. Eight sacks doesn’t just happen. When you can get home rushing four and drop seven into coverage, you can beat anybody. Add in Nabers becoming a legitimate weapon, and suddenly this team looks dangerous.
For Cleveland: They’re watching their season slip away in real time. Watson’s been sacked 16 times in three games. That’s a 91-sack pace. No quarterback in NFL history has survived that kind of beating for a full season.
According to team sources, Conklin and Wills could return soon. They better. Because what I watched Sunday wasn’t professional football. It was target practice.
Your Questions About This Game
Was this more about the Giants defense or Browns offensive line?
Both, but 70% Browns line. Even great defenses don’t get eight sacks without help. By the fourth quarter, Cleveland literally had guys playing positions they’d never practiced.
Is Nabers already the Giants’ best player?
On offense, absolutely. The way he tracks deep balls, adjusts mid-route, makes contested catches… some guys just have it. He’s got it.
What does this mean for Watson and the Browns?
They’re 1-2, not 0-3. Still plenty of season left. But Watson’s taken more hits than any QB should. Another game like this and we might see Jameis Winston.
Why did Jones get such a bad grade with good stats?
Because stats lie. Two near-picks that should’ve been turnovers. Several off-target throws that receivers bailed out. He managed the game well enough to win, but it wasn’t pretty.
How does this rank among Giants defensive performances?
Top-3 in the last decade, easy. Eight sacks, two forced fumbles, complete domination. The kind of game defensive coordinators dream about.
Final Take on These Player Stats
Look at the numbers from the New York Giants vs Cleveland Browns match – they show a simple truth. One team protected its quarterback and destroyed the other team’s. That’s football.
The Giants didn’t just beat Cleveland. They broke them. Eight sacks isn’t a stat, it’s a statement. Malik Nabers isn’t just a rookie, he’s a problem for every defense. And the Browns? They better fix that offensive line before Watson ends up in the hospital.
Sometimes you see a game that tells you everything about where teams are headed. This was one of those games. Giants found their identity. Browns lost theirs somewhere between the first sack and the eighth.
The 21-15 score actually flatters Cleveland. This was a beatdown disguised as a close game.
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Stats verified through NFL Game Center, ESPN, and team sources. For real-time updates, check FOX Sports live scoring.
