Approach to the Game – New York Giants at Cleveland Browns, November 5, 2000: Don’t take the Cleveland Browns too lightly! Yes, they are not a very good team, but there is NFL talent on their roster and in the NFL when a team doesn’t come mentally prepared to play a football game, most likely it will lose the game. Just ask the Denver Broncos (they last lost to the Bengals). Plus, for their part, the Giants have some real concerns in the secondary (due to injury) and on special teams (coverage teams have been terrible in recent weeks). If the game stays close and the opposing crowd gets into it, anything can happen.
The key to me this week is to win and get out of the game healthy.
Giants on Offense: The Browns are a far better defensive team than offensive team and the Giants’ fans must not assume New York will come waltzing into Cleveland and move the ball up and down the field. Obviously, the Giants want to establish the running game with HB Ron Dayne and HB Tiki Barber. The Browns are giving up over 146 yards on the ground a game and that is where it is important to attack them first and foremost. The big battle up front will be rookie DE Courtney Brown, the first player taken in the draft, versus RT Luke Petitgout (with probable double-team support from TE Howard Cross or TE Dan Campbell). Courtney is the complete package – he is a very disruptive player who can stuff the run and rush the passer. LT Lomas Brown faces DE Keith McKenzie, who is a decent pass rusher. Inside DT Orpheus Roye is a big, powerful run stuffing-type. RG Ron Stone should match-up well with him however. LG Glenn Parkers squares off against DT Stalin Colinet. But the Browns like to rotate their defensive linemen quite a bit so we should also see their back-ups on the field.
The other guy the Giants have to focus on in the ground game is MLB Wali Rainer. He is one of the leaders of the Browns’ defense and the Giants need to get a body on him, be it OC Dusty Zeigler, FB Greg Comella, or one of the guards. Cleveland has two very big outside linebackers in WLB Jamir Miller and SLB Rahim Abdullah. Since both guys are more forward-movers than agile guys in space, I would try to get the ball to Barber, Comella, and TE Pete Mitchell against these guys in the passing game. Controlling Abdullah at the point of attack on the strongside will also be a big factor in establishing the ground game. Miller is very good at rushing the passer – he may be too big for Tiki to pick up on the blitz.
When QB Kerry Collins puts the ball up top, he will be missing one of the guys who the Giants had hoped to get more involved down the stretch. WR Ron Dixon, the Giants’ speed burner, most likely will not play with a sprained foot injury. Thus, Joe Jurevicius will see even more playing time than usual. We may even see a bit of WR Thabiti Davis. But the main guys remain WR Amani Toomer, who is coming off his best game of the year, and WR Ike Hilliard, who is leading the Giants in receptions. Toomer will be matched up against CB Daylon McCutcheon most of the day. Daylon is a gamer who plays a physical game, but Amani will have a bit of a height advantage there. Ike gets CB Corey Fuller. Lewis Sanders is the nickel back and his battle with Jurevicius could be decisive. SS Marquis Smith is a solid player and we are all familiar with FS Percy Ellsworth. It’s a shame that Dixon is out because Percy doesn’t have the speed to stick with him. I’d hope the Giants can get Dayne in the secondary because I know Ellsworth won’t want to tackle him.
Giants on Defense: With season-ending injuries to QB Tim Couch and HB Errict Rhett, the Browns are struggling a bit on offense right now. WR Darrin Chiaverini and WR David Patten (who has played well for Cleveland) are also ailing a bit. But WR Kevin Johnson is a dangerous deep threat and Patten (who also has speed) may play. WR Dennis Northcutt can also get the ball deep. The Giants’ secondary is not a pretty picture right now. CB Jason Sehorn is out. Gone is CB Andre Weathers with a knee injury. CB Ralph Brown was lost weeks ago. CB Reggie Stephens is hampered by an ankle injury. That only leaves at corner Dave Thomas, Emmanuel McDaniel, Ramos McDonald, and Bashir Levingston. Bashir missed all of camp, the preseason, and the regular season thus far. He will be rusty as hell if forced to play in coverage. The big match-up will be Johnson versus whoever is covering him (most likely Thomas). The bad news is that Dave may not have the speed to cover him deep. The good news is that the Browns may not have the quarterback right now who can accurately deliver the ball (Doug Pederson and Spergon Wynn split time last week). Wynn has a very strong arm, but is a rookie. Pederson is an accurate short-passer, but lacks a big-time arm. But big play here or there could mean all the difference in the world for the Browns. The Giants have to be very, very careful that they don’t give up any cheap big plays.
The linebackers must be careful to keep an eye on TE/H-Back Aaron Shea – he is a very good receiver. The Browns also like to throw to their halfback (Travis Prentice) and occasionally their fullback (Marc Edwards).
The Giants can make it easier on their secondary if they can get to the passer. DE Cedric Jones (1 sack) needs to show more. He faces our old friend LT Roman Oben. That will be an interesting match-up to watch. DE Michael Strahan faces RT Steve Zahursky. Inside DT Keith Hamilton lines up against LG Jim Bundren and DT Christian Peter faces RG Everett Lindsay. These are all match-ups the Giants should win if the defensive line plays with intensity, intelligence, and focus.
The Browns feature runner is now rookie Travis Prentice. Travis is a big, no-nonsense, straight-ahead back. He can wear down a defense if you aren’t careful. Stuffing the run and putting Cleveland in 2nd and 3rd and long situations are a must. OC Dave Wohlabaugh is a quality player and the defensive players, particularly the tackles and MLB Mike Barrow.
The Browns are not a real confident offensive team right now. Stuff the run, don’t give up any deep passing plays, and get after the passer. If the Giants do these three things, they should be fine on Sunday. A turnover or two would also help out our own offense.
Giants on Special Teams: Brad Daluiso kick-offs for the past two weeks have been horrible. If PK Jaret Holmes is healthy, I would have him kick-off. The coverage teams also have to rebound from a poor effort. The last thing the Giants need is to give Cleveland life with good field position or easy scores. It’s time for specials to hold up their side of the bargain in this thing. Dennis Northcutt can be very elusive on punt returns.
With Ron Dixon most likely out, Bashir Levingston will probably return kick-offs. That’s a bit scary because he hasn’t practiced much and he still isn’t completely healthy. The blockers for him and PR Tiki Barber need to do a better job of giving both room to operate.