New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones (8) throws the ball as head coach Joe Judge looks on during OTA practice at the Quest Diagnostics Training Center on Friday, June 4, 2021, in East Rutherford. Credit: Danielle Parhizkaran/NorthJersey.com via Imagn Content Services, LLC
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The New York Giants and Cleveland Browns will face each other on Sunday at 1 p.m. ET at FirstEnergy Stadium in a Week 2 preseason showdown that should feature the most reps for both teams’ core players.
These two adversaries have participated in spirited joint practices this week, and at the end of one of the practices, there was a scuffle between Giants receiver Sterling Shepard and Browns and Browns cornerback Troy Hill.
It’s unknown how long the starters from either team will play on Sunday. But quarterback Daniel Jones is expected to see his first action of the preseason. However, the Giants have already ruled out Saquon Barkley, Kenny Golladay, Kadarius Toney and Kyle Rudolph, which makes Jones’ journey a little tougher.
Although several starters won’t play, there are several key contributors in particular who will have something to prove against the Browns. Here are the Giants that will have something to prove on Sunday.
See where the Giants and Browns rate in our latest NFL power rankings
Last week against the Jets, the Giants’ starting offensive line struggled early. This week, they’ll face an even more difficult challenge against the Browns’ defensive front seven, which has All-Pro Myles Garrett, Jadeveon Clowney, and defensive tackle Malik Jackson among others.
Right guard Will Hernandez has had a strong training camp, but the key matchup to watch for is how tackles Andrew Thomas and Matt Peart are able to handle the Browns edge-rushers.
How the Giants perform against the Browns defensive front will be a good barometer to see if they fix their issues from last week, and how they’ll fare against the Broncos in the season opener.
It’s been well documented how important this season is for third-year quarterback Daniel Jones. So far he’s had an up-and-down training camp, and that inconsistency surfaced again at joint practices with Cleveland.
Although he’ll be without several of his playmakers, it’s important that Jones plays well against a good Browns defense to help build his confidence. More importantly, it’s imperative that Jones does not turn the ball over.
The only concern regarding the Giants defense is if they can consistently generate a pass rush on the edge. The responsibility of this will fall heavily on outside linebackers Lorenzo Carter, Oshane Ximines, and rookie Azeez Ojulari.
The Browns have one of the best offensive lines in the league, led by tackles Jack Conklin and Jedrick Wills Jr. The trio of Carter, Ximines, and Ojulari have reportedly looked impressive this week at practice. Now it’s time to see if they can have the same success in a game against Conklin and Wills.
It’s important for teams to have a capable backup QB, as they’re one injury away from being the most important player on the team. With Jones having missed games in each of his first two seasons due to injury, it’s vital that Mike Glennon be ready in case the young signal-caller goes down again.
In his Giants debut, Glennon completed three of seven passes for just 20 yards. Unlike Jones, Glennon is not a mobile quarterback, so the only way he can be effective is to be an accurate pocket passer. If he has another subpar game throwing the ball, the Giants may bring in another quarterback to compete with him to be Jones’s backup.
With the Giants not expecting to give Saquon Barkley a heavy workload at the start of the season, the position battle to be second on the depth chart is a crucial one for Big Blue.
As of right now, Devontae Booker is listed behind Barkley on the depth chart, but Corey Clement is giving him a push. Last week against the Jets, Clement had an impressive showing carrying the ball five times for 32 yards. But he did have a critical fumble inside the Jets five-yard line that ended a scoring threat.
A surefire way not to see playing time is if you’re unable to hold onto the ball. Clement must show the speed and power he demonstrated last week, and show that he can hold onto the ball. If he can, then he has a chance to supplant Booker as Barkley’s primary backup.
We believe the Giants will carry at least six wide receivers when they announce their 53-man roster. There are five receivers that are almost certain locks to make the final roster and they are Sterling Shepard, Kenny Golladay, Darius Slayton, Kadarius Toney, and John Ross.
One of the receivers on the outside of the projected final roster is former West Virginia receiver David Sills V. Sills has been impressive in training camp, and last week against the Jets he caught three passes for 49 yards.
At 6-foot-3 and 211 pounds, he has the ideal size that teams like to have on their receiving corps. But with Sills not expected to contribute as a kick returner, he must have another productive outing as a pass catcher if he’s going to make the team.