Written by Thomas Moore

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The Cleveland Browns return to action on Sunday, heading to the Big Apple (well, the swamps of New Jersey) to take on the New York Giants.

The Browns are looking to avoid their first 0-5 start since the expansion year of 1999.

The Opposition

New York’s record: 2-2
Offensive rank: 7th overall/2nd passing/23rd rushing
Defensive rank: 22nd overall/20th passing/22nd rushing
All-time record: Browns lead, 26-19-2
Last meeting: Browns won, 35-14, during the 2008 season
The line: Browns (+9)

What to Watch For

Browns running back Trent Richardson threw down the challenge this week, not only for the Giants rush defense, which is giving up 4.5 yards per carry and 118.3 yards per game, but also for his own offensive line.

“If we put a hat on a number, just cover them up, I think we can get yards on them,” Richardson said earlier in the week on a conference call with New York media. “I know they’re going to throw everything they can at us. I’m pretty sure they’re going to game plan on our running game, and so we’ve got to make sure we open up the passing game so we can get some good runs in.”

The Giants have struggled against the run this year, especially against backs that can get to the edge. Last week against Philadelphia, the Eagles ran for 191 yards, with 132 coming on runs around the right or left end.

“We’ve got to run some outside zone, and we’ve really got to cover up (Jason Pierre-Paul) and (Justin Tuck),” Richardson said. “Both of those guys can bull rush and use their power and quickness. I think that if we cover the edges and run our hardest – don’t be doing all this juking and stuff like that, one move and go – I think we can have pretty good success in the running game.”

Giants defensive end Osi Umenyiora answered back, saying that “If (Trent) looks on tape and he thinks he sees some candy, come try and get it.”

Sounds like a really good plan, actually. Until you realize that since rushing for 109 yards against Cincinnati, Richardson has only 26 rushing attempts total in the last two games.

Is anyone in Berea paying attention to this?

“All those guys, whether it’s receivers or running backs, they’d love the ball every single time,” offensive coordinator Brad Childress said. “Unfortunately there’s only one. The quarterback would love to throw it every time and the running back would like to carry it every time. I don’t sense a frustration (from Trent) only from the standpoint he’d like to do more and you kind of appreciate that attitude.”

Taking a ground and pound approach to the game may also be in the best interests of Browns quarterback Brandon Weeden.

While the Giants have only recorded eight sacks this season, 5.5 have come from their defensive line and the Browns will be short-handed at wide receiver. Mohamed Massaquoi and Travis Benjamin are both listed as doubtful with hamstring injuries, and while Josh Cribbs says he is going to play, we have to wonder just how much on-field action he should really see after suffering a concussion against Baltimore.

If Massaquoi and Benjamin can’t go, rookie Josh Gordon could get his first start of the year and see considerable playing time.

Whoever is on the field, Weeden is prepared to keep taking chances downfield after hitting his first long pass of the season against the Ravens.

“Hitting that big one was big for us, but it’s gonna take more than one,” Weeden said. “We’re gonna have to complete more than one big one to really get the respect down the field.”

If Weeden can hit a few deep passes, that should open up space for Richardson in the running game.

Ironically, the Browns may want the Giants to bring a lot of pressure at Weeden. According to ProFootballFocus.com, Weeden has thrown two touchdowns and three interceptions when he is under pressure, compared to one touchdown and four interceptions when the defense lays off.

Against the Ravens, who blitzed 49 percent of the time, Weeden had 322 passing yards and that total would have been higher without all the drops.

Go figure.

Defensively, the Browns could be catching a break as the Giants will be without wide receivers Hakeem Nicks and Ramses Barden, and offensive linemen David Diehl and Chris Snee are questionable with injuries.

The Giants still have Eli Manning at quarterback, of course, and he has thrown for more than 1,300 yards and seven touchdowns this season. No matter who lines up at wide receiver, Manning will be an issue for a pass defense that is giving up 286 yards per game and is ranked 28th in the NFL.

“He’s got a tremendous grasp of their offense,” defensive coordinator Dick Jauron said of Manning. “He’s calm. You can rattle any quarterback, obviously, if you hit him enough, it doesn’t matter who they are. It’s just not normal not to get a little bit affected by it, but he throws a nice ball in the face of pressure, standing there and deliver it, and deliver it accurately. We’ve seen him do it time and again on video that we’ve watched.”

Not helping matters in the secondary is the fact that starting safety T.J. Ward is recovering from surgery for a broken thumb and will try to play on Sunday with a cast that covers up onto his arm.

“I can’t grab,” Ward said. “I don’t have a thumb (not literally). I have a few fingers free. I’ll go out there and try to play as normal as I can ... (but) it’s going to be kind of hard.”

A Historical Perspective on the Browns and Giants

The Giants used to be one of the Browns biggest rivals. The teams played each other twice a year from 1950, when the Browns joined the NFL, until 1970, when the Browns moved to the newly created AFC. Since then, the teams have only met eight times.

The Prediction

On paper, pretty much everyone is chalking this game up to the Giants. They are the defending Super Bowl champions, the Browns are 0-4, no sweat.

But there are matchups that the Browns could potentially exploit and the Giants are known to leg an egg or two each season (see their two losses to the Redskins last year).

Of course, the Giants are one of the league’s top teams and the Browns still haven’t figured out how to win. Facing another top defense is great for Weeden’s learning curve, but no so great for the won-loss record.

But if the Browns could somehow find a way to win on Sunday, that could set them up for a nice stretch as they then face the Bengals (who haven’t beaten a team with a winning record in what seems like forever) and Indianapolis. What say you about that, coach?

“I think it’s important, I think it’s really important.” coach Pat Shurmur said about the Browns possibly picking up their first win of the season. “Teams that find a way to win, fight, battle, scratch, however you want to call it, find a way to win, then the confidence going into the next week is easier. Not that you prepare any less hard, but the confidence that you did it helps drive you into the next one so it’s very important.”

Still, taking the Browns on the road against a team that can rush the passer like the Giants just doesn’t feel like a good play. So we’ll take the Giants to cover with a late field goal as the Browns fall to 0-5 after another close loss.

Record this year picking the Browns: 0-3-1