The Cleveland Browns came up just short against the Baltimore Ravens in prime time in Week 15. On Sunday night, given a chance at redemption under the lights, Kevin Stefanski's squad came through. With the New York Giants down several key pieces thanks to both injuries and COVID-19 concerns, Baker Mayfield and Co. had little trouble cruising to their 10th win of the year -- and their first double-digit-victory campaign since 2007. With both Jarvis Landry and Rashard Higgins working the Giants' typically feisty secondary, Cleveland confirmed its place in the AFC North race with a 20-6 rout at MetLife Stadium.
The Giants started relatively strong but couldn't finish, falling to 5-9 and losing ground in the wide-open NFC East. The Browns, meanwhile, have now won five of their last six heading into the final two weeks of the 2020 season. They also have just one fewer win than the AFC North-leading Pittsburgh Steelers, who take on the Bengals to close out Week 15.
Here are some immediate takeaways from Sunday night's Browns-Giants showdown:
Why the Browns won
The Giants defense has rightfully earned praise throughout the year, but Cleveland had no trouble picking on a secondary without star cornerback James Bradberry. That starts with Baker Mayfield, who was rock solid in yet another prime-time outing while feeding pretty much every one of his outlets. The QB wasn't necessarily dazzling with big plays, but he didn't need to be, instead picking up first down after first down with mid-range targets to Jarvis Landry and Rashard Higgins. The run game wasn't its usual powerhouse, but that didn't matter either, as Cleveland's defense, punctuated by lots of pressure from ex-Giant Olivier Vernon, never looked overwhelmed despite a slow start to the game. Put it simply, the Browns played a clean, efficient football game, and that was more than enough.
Why the Giants lost
A failure to finish. New York actually looked capable of an upset out of the gate, marching its way up and down the field for three straight red-zone trips, with both Wayne Gallman and Alfred Morris finding big holes on the ground. Only three points came from those series, however, with the Giants whiffing on an ugly trick throw by the punter and then failing on another fourth-down try soon after. Morris looked surprisingly nimble and Darius Slayton flashed his big-play ability, but otherwise, offense was plain old hard work for a unit headed by Daniel Jones replacement Colt McCoy, who too often turned open windows into jump-ball shots. Defensively, meanwhile, the G-Men did fine against Nick Chubb, but their secondary basically suffered death by a thousand paper cuts.
Turning point
Fourth-and-2 Giants, with the ball at the Browns' 6-yard line. New York had just driven 11 plays and 67 yards, chewing up seven minutes of clock, and trailed just 7-3 in the second quarter. Wayne Gallman got the hand-off on the Giants' attempt to move the chains but was stopped just short of the marker by Karl Joseph. Another red-zone trip wasted. And Cleveland capitalized, proceeding to march 10 plays for a touchdown before half. The game was never close from that point forward.
Play of the game
Isaac Yiadom isn't exactly Jalen Ramsey, but Jarvis Landry working him in the back of the end zone for the Browns' second -- and basically game-sealing -- touchdown before halftime was a clinic on a red-zone receiver making a play:
What's next
The Browns (10-4) will hit the road in Week 16 for a matchup with the New York Jets (1-13), who stunned the NFL with an upset of the Rams on Sunday. The Giants (5-9), meanwhile, will face another tall task when they visit the Baltimore Ravens (9-5), who rolled over the Jaguars this weekend.
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December 21, 2020 at 11:15AM
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Giants vs. Browns score: Baker Mayfield picks apart New York as Cleveland rolls to fifth win in last six games - CBSSports.com
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