NFL News & Analysis

NYG-CLE grades: Jason Pierre-Paul stars in Giants' victory

New York Giants 27, Cleveland Browns 13

Here are the top-graded players and biggest takeaways from the Giants' 27-13 Week 12 win over the Browns:

New York Giants

Quarterback grade: Eli Manning, 47.7

Manning picks his spots in win

Eli Manning completed 15 of his 27 pass attempts for 194 yards and three touchdowns in this one, but he was just 1-for-8 on passes of 20 yards or more downfield, for 37 yards, and he was 1-for-7 on passes under pressure for just 15 yards (although that one completion went for a touchdown). Manning had some accuracy issues on the day, but he also had some clutch passes, including a beautiful end-zone fade for a touchdown.

Top offensive grades:

OT Bobby Hart, 81.7

WR Odell Beckham Jr., 80.7

C  Weston Richburg, 78.0

TE Will Tye, 77.8

RB Rashad Jennings, 73.3

Giants offense makes enough plays in win

The Giants' offense didn't have a perfect day, but they did make some explosive plays to help secure the win. Odell Beckham Jr. had a big day, with his six receptions on 11 targets for 96 yards and two touchdowns helping to spark the Giants offense. Bobby Hart showed he is progressing, as the athletic tackle allowed only one pressure in pass protection, securing the edge and giving time for Manning to throw.

Top defensive grades:

DE Jason Pierre-Paul, 87.3

S Andrew Adams, 81.2

DT Johnathan Hankins, 79.6

CB Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, 78.5

DT Damon Harrison, 78.0 

Giants’ defense pressures Browns QB Josh McCown

DE Jason Pierre-Paul played his best game of the year on Sunday, finishing with three sacks, two QB hurries, and seven total stops. He also returned a fumble for a touchdown. Defensive tackles Johnathan Hankins and Damon Harrison solidified the middle of the defense, as Harrison was stout and strong in the run game with three stops, while Hankins produced as a pass-rusher with two sacks. In addition to the six sacks the Giants were able to produce, they finished with six QB hits and twelve QB hurries.

Cleveland Browns

Quarterback grade: Josh McCown, 38.1

McCown struggles in defeat

The Cleveland offense struggled to put anything substantial together against the Giants, despite a couple of drives where they were serviceable moving the ball. McCown  failed to produce under pressure, as he finished with a 38.5 completion percentage and only 45 yards on pass attempts under pressure. The deciding play of the game was a McCown strip sack by Jason Pierre-Paul on an attempted shovel pass.

Top offensive grades:

LT Joe Thomas, 78.8

WR Rashard Higgins, 74.6

LG Spencer Drango, 72.8

WR Terrelle Pryor, 72.4

TE Randall Telfor, 67.6

Pressure dooms Browns offense

The Giants defensive front’s abilty to wreak havoc was the demise of the Browns. Joe Thomas and rookie Spencer Drango were solid pass protectors on the left side of the line, but still struggled at times with the Giants' quickness on the defensive line. Thomas surrendered three QB hurries and Drango gave up one sack, one QB hit, and one QB hurry, but both players held their own enough to be among the top Cleveland offensive grades. FB Dan Vitale only had 12 snaps, but he performed well in the running game, finishing with an 86.4 run-block grade. Rookie WR Rashard Higgins saw limited action as well but was able to produce at the end of the game, and WR Terrelle Pryor was one of the few consistent threats for the Browns' offense despite his dropped pass.

Top defensive grades:

CB Briean Boddy-Calhoun, 87.1

CB Jamar Taylor, 78.4

ED Corey Lemonier, 75.1

LB Chris Kirksey, 74.2     

ED Emmanuel Ogbah, 74.0

Pair of Browns cornerbacks perform well in loss

Briean Boddy-Calhoun had a solid day for the Browns. He was targeted seven times and gave up just two receptions for 37 yards and a touchdown. Boddy-Calhoun also did his part in the Browns defensive run fits, as he had two tackles and was responsible for two stops. Manning stayed away from throwing into Jamar Taylor’s coverage, as he was targeted only once for seven yards. Up front for the Browns, Emmanuel Ogbah had two hits and two hurries as a pass-rusher, and Corey Lemonier had a sack and hurry to go along with a batted pass.

PFF Game-Ball Winner: Giants DE Jason Pierre-Paul

PFF’s player grading process includes multiple reviews, which may change the grade initially published in order to increase its accuracy. Learn more about how we grade and access grades for every player through each week of the NFL season by subscribing to Player Grades.

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