The Giants grabbed their first win of 2024 with a 21-15 road victory over Cleveland on September 22. Rookie Malik Nabers hauled in eight catches for 78 yards and both New York touchdowns, while Daniel Jones threw for 236 yards without an interception. Deshaun Watson completed 21 of 37 passes for 196 yards but absorbed eight sacks as Cleveland’s offensive line crumbled.
Game’s Defining Numbers:
- Malik Nabers: Youngest WR ever with 2 TD in one game
- Deshaun Watson: Career-high 8 sacks, 17 total knockdowns
- Giants defense: 9 different players recorded sacks, most since 2014
- Time of possession: New York controlled ball 33:56 to Cleveland’s 26:04
Table of Contents
Complete Player Statistics Breakdown
New York outgained Cleveland 340-217 while holding Watson to 5.3 yards per attempt.
Team Statistics
| Category | New York | Cleveland |
|---|---|---|
| Final Score | 21 | 15 |
| Total Yards | 340 | 217 |
| First Downs | 21 | 16 |
| Passing Yards | 228 | 148 |
| Rushing Yards | 112 | 69 |
| Turnovers | 2 | 2 |
| Time of Possession | 33:56 | 26:04 |
| Third Down | 4/14 (28.6%) | 4/14 (28.6%) |
| Fourth Down | 1/1 (100%) | 1/3 (33.3%) |
| Sacks Allowed | 2 | 8 |
| Penalties | 9-68 | 5-48 |
Quarterback Performance
New York Passing
| Player | Comp/Att | Yards | TD | INT | Sacks | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daniel Jones | 24/34 | 236 | 2 | 0 | 2-8 | 109.4 |
| Malik Nabers | 0/1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 39.6 |
| Team | 24/35 | 236 | 2 | 0 | 2-8 | 106.4 |
Cleveland Passing
| Player | Comp/Att | Yards | TD | INT | Sacks | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deshaun Watson | 21/37 | 196 | 2 | 0 | 8-48 | 89.5 |
| Team | 21/37 | 196 | 2 | 0 | 8-48 | 89.5 |
Jones completed 70.6% of his passes compared to Watson’s 56.8%. The eight sacks Watson took marked a career high and the most allowed by Cleveland since 2016.
Rushing Statistics
New York Ground Game
| Player | Carries | Yards | Avg | Long | TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Devin Singletary | 16 | 65 | 4.1 | 43 | 1 |
| Tyrone Tracy Jr. | 5 | 23 | 4.6 | 6 | 0 |
| Daniel Jones | 8 | 20 | 2.5 | 8 | 0 |
| Malik Nabers | 2 | 4 | 2.0 | 2 | 0 |
| Eric Gray | 1 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 |
| Team | 32 | 112 | 3.5 | 43 | 1 |
Cleveland Ground Game
| Player | Carries | Yards | Avg | Long | TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jerome Ford | 10 | 37 | 3.7 | 12 | 0 |
| Deshaun Watson | 4 | 26 | 6.5 | 14 | 0 |
| D’Onta Foreman | 2 | 5 | 2.5 | 3 | 0 |
| Jameis Winston | 2 | 1 | 0.5 | 1 | 0 |
| Team | 18 | 69 | 3.8 | 14 | 0 |
Singletary’s 43-yard run late in the fourth quarter sealed the win. He smartly slid down at the one instead of scoring, allowing Jones to kneel out the clock.
Receiving Leaders
New York Pass Catchers
| Player | Targets | Rec | Yards | Avg | Long | TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Malik Nabers | 12 | 8 | 78 | 9.8 | 28 | 2 |
| Wan’Dale Robinson | 8 | 7 | 61 | 8.7 | 20 | 0 |
| Devin Singletary | 4 | 4 | 43 | 10.8 | 23 | 0 |
| Tyrone Tracy Jr. | 2 | 2 | 17 | 8.5 | 12 | 0 |
| Daniel Bellinger | 1 | 1 | 17 | 17.0 | 17 | 0 |
| Theo Johnson | 3 | 1 | 13 | 13.0 | 13 | 0 |
| Darius Slayton | 2 | 1 | 7 | 7.0 | 7 | 0 |
Cleveland Pass Catchers
| Player | Targets | Rec | Yards | Avg | Long | TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amari Cooper | 12 | 7 | 86 | 12.3 | 24 | 2 |
| Jerome Ford | 4 | 3 | 33 | 11.0 | 24 | 0 |
| Jordan Akins | 7 | 4 | 29 | 7.3 | 10 | 0 |
| Jerry Jeudy | 7 | 4 | 27 | 6.8 | 12 | 0 |
| Elijah Moore | 3 | 2 | 17 | 8.5 | 12 | 0 |
| Cedric Tillman | 2 | 1 | 4 | 4.0 | 4 | 0 |
Nabers received 36.4% of his team’s targets while Cooper saw 34.3% of Cleveland’s passing attack.
Defensive Statistics
New York Defensive Leaders
| Player | Pos | Tackles | Solo | Sacks | TFL | QB Hits | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cor’Dale Flott | CB | 10 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Bobby Okereke | ILB | 8 | 1 | 0.5 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Micah McFadden | ILB | 6 | 5 | 0.5 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| Jason Pinnock | S | 6 | 2 | 1.0 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Dexter Lawrence II | DT | 3 | 2 | 2.0 | 1 | 4 | 0 |
| Brian Burns | OLB | 3 | 2 | 1.0 | 1 | 2 | 2 |
| Elijah Chatman | DT | 3 | 2 | 1.0 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Kayvon Thibodeaux | OLB | 3 | 2 | 0.5 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Azeez Ojulari | OLB | 2 | 0 | 1.0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
The eight sacks matched New York’s highest total since December 7, 2014. Official NFL game data shows the Giants became just the fourth team since 1982 to have nine different players record at least half a sack in the same game.
Cleveland Defensive Leaders
| Player | Pos | Tackles | Solo | Sacks | TFL | QB Hits | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grant Delpit | S | 10 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah | LB | 9 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Jordan Hicks | LB | 8 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Martin Emerson Jr. | CB | 7 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Shelby Harris | DT | 6 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Ronnie Hickman | S | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Denzel Ward | CB | 5 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| Myles Garrett | DE | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
Garrett tallied three quarterback hits but no sacks despite battling through foot injuries. The reigning Defensive Player of the Year faced Andrew Thomas all afternoon but couldn’t get home.
Special Teams Performance
Kicking
| Team | Kicker | FG | XP | Long | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Giants | Greg Joseph | 0/1 | 3/3 | 0 | 3 |
| Browns | Dustin Hopkins | 0/1 | 1/1 | 0 | 1 |
Joseph missed a 48-yarder with 3:00 left that could have sealed it. Hopkins missed from 53 yards in the third quarter.
Punting and Returns
| Team | Punter | Punts | Avg | Inside 20 | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Giants | Jamie Gillan | 7 | 51.6 | 2 | 67 |
| Browns | Corey Bojorquez | 6 | 51.0 | 5 | 64 |
Ihmir Smith-Marsette returned two punts for 19 yards for New York. James Proche II handled five returns for 38 yards for Cleveland.
First Half Dominance Sets Up Victory
New York scored all 21 points before halftime. Cleveland didn’t.
The game started disastrously for the Giants. Eric Gray fumbled the opening kickoff, and Tony Brown stripped the ball. Grant Delpit recovered at the Giants’ 24. One play later, Watson hit Amari Cooper for a 24-yard touchdown. Just 11 seconds had elapsed. Cleveland led 7-0.
That early deficit didn’t shake New York. Jones completed 17 of 19 passes in the half, connecting on 12 straight at one point. The Giants responded with a methodical 13-play, 81-yard touchdown drive that consumed 7:44. Singletary punched it in from one yard to tie the game at 7-7.
The second quarter belonged to Jones and Nabers. They connected repeatedly, including a contested 28-yard sideline catch where Nabers outjumped Martin Emerson Jr. The Giants reached the three-yard line, and Jones found Nabers in the end zone to make it 14-7.
Brian Burns changed everything late in the half. He strip-sacked Watson with 38 seconds left. Rookie defensive tackle Elijah Chatman recovered at the Browns’ 30. Jones needed just four plays to strike again, hitting Nabers for a five-yard score with 11 seconds left. New York took a 21-7 lead into the locker room.
Second Half: Defense Takes Over
Cleveland’s offense produced nothing in the third quarter. Zero points. Zero momentum. The Giants’ pass rush kept Watson under constant pressure, recording four more sacks after getting four in the first half.
The Browns scored again midway through the fourth quarter. Watson connected with Cooper for a six-yard touchdown at 11:33. He then hit Jerry Jeudy on the two-point conversion to cut New York’s lead to 21-15.
Cleveland got three more possessions but couldn’t capitalize. Azeez Ojulari recovered a Watson fumble at the New York 46. Dexter Lawrence stuffed Watson short on fourth and one from the Browns’ 29. The final Cleveland drive ended on an incomplete pass with 2:28 left.
Singletary’s 43-yard run ended any comeback hopes. Rather than score and give Cleveland the ball back, he slid at the one-yard line at the two-minute warning. Jones took three knees to end it.
Nabers Makes NFL History in Week 3
Nabers made NFL history in just his third professional game.
The rookie became the youngest wide receiver in NFL history to catch two touchdowns in one game at 21 years and 56 days old. That broke Mike Evans’ record of 21 years and 73 days, set on November 2, 2014. More impressively, he became the first player ever to record at least 20 receptions, 250 receiving yards, and three touchdowns through his first three career games. His 23 catches through three weeks rank second all-time for a rookie, tied with Anquan Boldin (2003) and trailing only Puka Nacua’s 30 in 2023.
His 28-yard sideline grab over Emerson set up his first touchdown and justified his sixth overall selection in the 2024 draft. Head coach Brian Daboll praised a different play after the game, though. When Jones threw an errant pass that Cleveland nearly intercepted, Nabers broke up the potential turnover himself.
Giants.com reports that defensive play impressed Daboll more than either touchdown. Nabers also took two carries for four yards and attempted one pass after taking a direct snap near the goal line. He became the first Giants wide receiver to throw a pass since Kadarius Toney in November 2021.
Watson Endures Career-Worst Beating
Watson got destroyed. Eight sacks marked his worst day as a professional, and it wasn’t close.
He took an additional nine hits for 17 total knockdowns at Huntington Bank Field. The pass rush produced 48 yards in losses on sacks alone. Cleveland’s offensive line fell apart when injuries struck.
Left tackle Jedrick Wills Jr. left with a knee injury in the third quarter. Wyatt Teller’s knee gave out at right guard. The shuffling got worse when backup tackle James Hudson hurt his shoulder. Joel Bitonio had to move from guard to left tackle, where Burns beat him repeatedly.
Watson’s mobility extended a few drives. He scrambled four times for 26 yards and converted a crucial fourth and one with a quarterback sneak. But the constant pressure prevented any rhythm in the passing game. His 56.8% completion percentage and 5.3 yards per attempt reflected an offense under siege all afternoon.
Pass Rush Clinic From Nine Different Players
Lawrence and eight teammates took turns burying Watson.
The defensive tackle anchored the front with two sacks, one tackle for loss, and four quarterback hits. His presence in the middle freed edge rushers to attack Watson from outside. Burns got his first sack as a Giant and forced the game-changing fumble before halftime. Chatman had both a sack and fumble recovery in the same game, matching Azeez Ojulari’s performance from January 7, 2024.
Jason Pinnock got his third sack of the season from the safety position, already matching his 2023 total. The nine-player sack distribution kept Cleveland’s protection schemes off balance all afternoon. ESPN’s box score data shows the varied pass rush attack made it impossible for the Browns to key on any single rusher.
Defensive coordinator Shane Bowen dialed up blitzes on 57% of Cleveland’s dropbacks, more than double the Giants’ rate in their first two games. Watson went 8 of 18 passing for 92 yards and one touchdown when facing a blitz, getting sacked seven times on those plays.
Defensive Dominance by the Numbers:
- 8 total sacks (most by Giants since 2014)
- 9 different players recorded at least half a sack
- 17 total QB knockdowns (8 sacks + 9 additional hits)
- 57% blitz rate (more than double Weeks 1-2)
- 3.4 yards per play allowed (Cleveland’s worst home output since 2021)
Inside the 20: Giants’ Red Zone Efficiency Wins Game
Inside the 20, New York was clinical. Cleveland wasn’t.
The Giants punched in touchdowns on three of four red zone trips (75%). Cleveland’s offense reached the red zone just once all afternoon, scoring on that lone possession but never threatening again. That 3-to-1 touchdown advantage made the difference in a six-point game.
New York’s red zone scores:
- Singletary’s one-yard plunge (first quarter, 13-play drive)
- Nabers’ three-yard catch (second quarter, 14-play drive)
- Nabers’ five-yard catch (second quarter, four-play drive after fumble recovery)
Their only red zone failure came when they took knees inside the five to end the game. Cleveland managed just 217 total yards and struggled to move the ball consistently against New York’s defensive front. The Browns converted just 28.6% of third downs and went 1 for 3 on fourth down attempts.
What This Game Meant for Both Teams
Three weeks into 2024, this win saved the Giants from disaster.
The road victory kept New York from falling to 0-3 after opening losses to Minnesota and Washington. It set up Thursday’s home game against Dallas after avoiding an 0-3 start. For a team that entered the season with questions about their offense, Jones’ performance and Nabers’ historic start showed the offense could function. Giants fans tracking the team’s NFL season saw legitimate reasons for optimism.
Cleveland dropped to 1-2, and the loss exposed serious offensive line depth problems. The eight sacks allowed continued all season for the Browns. With Wills, Teller, and Hudson all injured, Cleveland needed replacement linemen.
New York outrushed Cleveland 112-69. They won passing efficiency, time of possession, and held the Browns to just 15 points. Cooper matched Nabers statistically with seven catches for 86 yards and two touchdowns, but one receiver couldn’t compensate for eight sacks.
This September 22 contest showed which team could protect its quarterback. The Giants’ pass rush became a nine-player rotation that could attack from anywhere. Cleveland’s protection issues plagued them all year.
Pro Football Reference’s complete game data confirms the Giants held Cleveland to just 3.4 yards per play, their lowest offensive output at home since 2021. That defensive performance, combined with Nabers’ emergence as a legitimate number one receiver, gave New York their blueprint: pressure the quarterback relentlessly while giving Jones a reliable target.
Game statistics verified through official NFL records and team reports from the September 22, 2024 regular season contest at Huntington Bank Field in Cleveland, Ohio. Attendance: 68,016.
