CLEVELAND — An inside look at Sunday’s Giants-Browns NFL Week 3 matchup at Huntington Bank Field:
Marquee matchup
Browns DE Myles Garrett vs. Giants LT Andrew Thomas
Garrett is a physical marvel — he looks like someone created in a lab to fight Rocky Balboa — and has been one of the league’s premier pass-rushers since he arrived in 2017.
He has 90.5 career sacks, including two in two games this season.
Thomas is an elite pass protector, making this a Battle Royale.
Thomas has the technique, temperament and strength to make Garrett work for everything.
“[Thomas is] a heckuva player, and he’ll be able to match up with not only Myles but anybody in the league,’’ tight end Daniel Bellinger said. “Not just as a player but as a leader, too. I think he’s really growing in many different ways.’’ Garrett did not practice this week with a foot injury but will play.
Paul’s pick
Remember the credo for this space: There’s no picking the Giants until they actually win a game.
Have to stick with that.
This is a spot where it might happen.
The Browns want to run it with James Ford and D’Onta Foreman behind a big, but beat up, offensive line.
This has not been a strength of the Giants.
If players other than Malik Nabers get involved, maybe the road team can crack 24 points, which might be enough.
Browns 27, Giants 19
Four downs
On the rebound: By almost any measure, Malik Nabers was a dominant player in his second NFL game.
He had 10 receptions for 127 yards and one touchdown.
This was unprecedented.
At 21 years and 49 days old, Nabers became the youngest player in league history with at least 10 catches, 100 receiving yards and a touchdown in a game.
He had a key drop late in the game and beat himself up over it afterward.
Next up: a tangle with veteran corner Denzel Ward, who is dealing with a shoulder issue. Ward is a tough customer who will use his veteran guile on the rookie.
Taking it to the ground: Devin Singletary found room to maneuver last week and responded by making defenders miss en route to 95 rushing yards, averaging 5.9 yards per attempt — helped buy the fact second-year center John Michael Schmitz looks significantly improved.
“It was fun,’’ Singletary said. “The big guys were getting movement, and I had to do my part and win my one-on-ones, and I was able to do that.’’
The Browns are allowing 5.0 yards per rushing attempt.
“It’s a tough defense,’’ Singletary said. “Those guys fly around.’’
Mystery man: What sort of quarterback is Deshaun Watson?
We know he’s not the phenom from 2020, when he threw 33 touchdown passes, just seven interceptions, amassed an NFL-high 4,823 passing yards and ran for 444 yards for the Texans.
The Browns in the spring of 2022 guaranteed him $230 million, and since then he has played in just 14 games and been awash in sordid personal controversy.
He has not played well in two games this season, but the Giants are wary.
“You never cannot kind of look past anybody in this league,’’ Kayvon Thibodeaux said. “He’s here for a reason. He’s one of the highest-paid quarterbacks for a reason. So definitely not taking anything lightly on him.’’ Thibodeaux then added: “The quarterback is a magician.’’
Dan the builder: At this point, the most encouraging comment someone can make about Daniel Jones is how offensive coordinator Mike Kafka described the quarterback’s performance in Week 2: “I thought he was decisive but still plenty to improve on, but good job.’’
The key word there is “decisive.’’
Too often, “tentative’’ or “uncertain’’ are apt characterizations of a Jones outing.
Now, can he do it against a much better Browns defense from what he went against in Washington?
The season may depend on it.
“Nobody’s happy with where we are, from a record standpoint, but we understand what we need to do to turn it around and catch some momentum,’’ Jones said. “No one’s freaking out.’’
