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Players to watch this weekend in Cleveland

PLAYERS-TO-WATCH-WEEK-3

The Giants are traveling to Cleveland this weekend to take on the Browns for their first inter-conference matchup of the 2024 campaign.

While the Giants are still in search of their first win of the season following a last-second loss to the Washington Commanders, the Browns seek their second consecutive victory after they defeated the Jaguars in Jacksonville last weekend.

Sunday's game will represent the 53rd matchup all-time between the two franchises going all the way back to 1950. The Browns own a 28-22-2 lead in the series.

After the game, the Giants will have a quick turnaround as they prepare to welcome the Dallas Cowboys to MetLife Stadium for a Thursday night showdown.

With all of that said, here are players to watch in the Week 3 matchup against the Browns.

RB Devin Singletary

After a quiet Giants debut in Week 1, Singletary put together a strong performance against the Commanders. The veteran carried the ball 16 times for 95 yards, good for an average of 5.9 yards per carry, and scored the team's first touchdown of the season. It wasn't a perfect performance for the 27-year-old back as he did lose a fumble. However, there is no denying that Singletary looks spry in his sixth NFL season.

Against the Commanders, he forced an impressive 10 missed tackles, gained 57 yards after contact, and had four separate runs of 10+ yards. Not only did he thrive in the run game, but he also performed well in pass protection as Singletary did not allow a single pressure on his 13 pass block snaps. Heading into Week 3, he is averaging 5.1 yards per attempt, 3.5 yards after contact per attempt, and has also caught five receptions, all while forcing the most missed tackles per touch in the NFL.

"I thought our O-line did a really nice job of kind of getting a hat for a hat, working some nice double teams," assistant head coach/offensive coordinator Mike Kafka told reporters Thursday about the run game in Week 2. "Our running backs were trusting the holes and hitting them. Motor, there's some really good examples of him just trusting and then making some things happen, across the line of scrimmage as well. I thought we were efficient; he averaged almost six yards a carry and did a nice job there."

While the Browns have a stout defense, the area to attack is on the ground. Cleveland has surrendered over 100 yards to both the Cowboys and Jaguars this season, with an average of 114.5 rushing yards allowed per game. They have also given up an average of 5.0 yards per carry this season, tied with the 49ers for the seventh-highest in the league, in addition to two rushing touchdowns. In last week's win over the Jaguars, the Browns allowed Travis Etienne and D'Earnest Johnson to combine for 78 yards and a touchdown on 18 rush attempts. Quarterback Daniel Jones also has an opportunity to contribute here as the Browns allowed Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence to run for 45 yards on two carries last week.

WR Malik Nabers

It took only two games into his NFL career for Nabers to have one of those breakout performances LSU fans grew accustomed to seeing last year. The No. 6 overall pick caught 10 passes for 127 yards and a touchdown in Week 2. His 69.2 percent target rate (targeted on 18 of his 28 routes run) was the highest by any wide receiver who ran at least 15 routes since 2016.

"He's done a really good job," quarterback Daniel Jones told reporters Wednesday. "Came in and played well. I think in matchup situations where he's one-on-one with a guy, he's won and made explosive plays for us time and time again. He's done a good job and been a big help to us so far."

Heading into Week 3, Nabers ranks fourth in the NFL in receiving yards (193) and tied for second in both receptions (15) and targets (25). His five receptions of 20+ yards leads the league, which shouldn't come as much of a surprise after he led the nation in plays of 10+ yards, 20+ yards, and 30+ yards at LSU last year.

As if all of those stats weren't enough, Nabers also has the league's highest target share (39.1 percent), the second-highest air yards share (57.9 percent), and the third-most yards after the catch among wide receivers (109). He also ranks third among all pass catchers with a 12.5 total EPA (Expected Points Added), while nine of his catches have resulted in a first down, tied for the third-most in the NFL.

"It just gives me confidence," Nabers said about his breakout performance. "It shows that I can go out here and compete. So, just going out there and trying to do the same thing every week."

After going up against a struggling Commanders defense last week, Nabers is faced with a tough challenge this weekend. The Browns have an elite pass defense, led by three-time Pro Bowl cornerback Denzel Ward. The talented corner has allowed just three receptions on 11 targets for 66 yards this season while totaling four pass breakups on only 38 coverage snaps. After playing 11 total snaps in Week 2, Ward was listed as a full participant on Wednesday's injury report.

OT Andrew Thomas

Thomas' 2023 campaign was derailed before it really started due to a hamstring injury suffered on the first drive of the season opener. It wasn't until the final month or so of the season that we saw the left tackle return to his true 2022 form, and while we're only two games into the season, Thomas appears to be fully back to the second-team All-Pro tackle we saw two seasons ago.

Thomas and the rest of the starting offensive line have been on the field for every snap thus far this season, a big improvement from last year's constant rotation up front. The 25-year-old tackle has surrendered just one total pressure on 85 pass block snaps, according to Pro Football Focus. While the pressure did result in a sack, if you watch the replay of the play, it could easily be argued that it wasn't Thomas' fault. Nonetheless, Thomas heads into this weekend's matchup as PFF's No. 1 pass blocking tackle in the NFL.

The left tackle will have his hands full on Sunday as he matches up against Browns defensive end Myles Garrett. After registering 14.0 sacks, 30 quarterback hits and four forced fumbles on his way to the NFL Defensive Player of the Year award last year, Garrett has gotten his 2024 season off to a similarly strong start. The 28-year-old has picked up a strip-sack in each of the first two games, despite dealing with a foot injury that sidelined him for Wednesday's practice. While slowing down Garrett is a tall task for any tackle, Daniel Jones is confident that Thomas is up for the challenge.

"He's a good player, for sure," Jones said about Cleveland's star pass rusher. "He's a good player and has the ability to affect the game from a pass rush standpoint and the run game also. You've got to have a plan, a protection plan. Luckily, we've got AT. AT is an incredible player, and we're very confident in that matchup."

View photos of the Giants on the practice fields ahead of their Week 3 matchup.

OLBs Brian Burns & Kayvon Thibodeaux

Heading into the season, a lot of the conversation surrounding the Giants defense focused on the team's pass rush. Outside linebacker Brian Burns was the team's big offseason acquisition, and pairing him alongside Kayvon Thibodeaux and Dexter Lawrence gave the Giants their most talented defensive line in a long time.

Burns has three total pressures over the first two games while a defensive pass interference call against Dru Phillips last week took what would have been the outside linebacker's first sack as a Giant of the board. On the other end, Thibodeaux has totaled four pressures thus far this season, including three against the Commanders. Both outside linebackers will look to register their first sacks of the season this weekend.

"I think Thibs had a great game," defensive coordinator Shane Bowen said. "I do. I think he made major strides from Week 1 to Week 2. He challenged himself to come out here and work and prepare. You felt the urgency from him after Week 1, and it shows, with a total unit. Go look at last Wednesday, Thursday, Friday's practice and watch KT. Then turn on the tape on Sunday, and it's going to show up. Really, really pleased with him and his approach last week. Burnsy, when we get the opportunities, we've got to take advantage of them. There's a lot of chipping going on. Last week, in some of those situations, we were spying, which they end up having six guys for three (rushers), five guys for three (rushers), whatever that might be.

"So, I think Thibs got a little bit more of those one-on-ones than possibly Burnsy did. But, again, he tried to make the most of it. He showed up there late when we got the defensive penalty, the holding call on Dru (Phillips). Had a sack there that got negated. Just continue with both those guys. Stay on the attack. Stay on the attack. You don't know when all those opportunities are going to come all the time. Make sure we're ready to capitalize on them when they come."

Through the first two games of the season, the Browns have allowed eight sacks, the fourth-highest total in the NFL, in addition to 25 quarterback hits. Now part of that is likely due to injuries along Cleveland's offensive line, as tackles Jack Conklin (knee) and Jedrick Wills (knee) have yet to make their 2024 debuts. Both players were at Wednesday's practice, with Conklin being listed as a full participant while Wills was limited. Dawand Jones, who started the first two games at right tackle, did not practice Wednesday because of his own knee injury.

"We just want to play complimentary football," Thibodeaux told reporters Thursday. "I think when you look at the defense, we got to get stops and the offense is going to continue to do their best to score points. And that's how we're going to come out with one in the end."

S Tyler Nubin

Through the first two games of the season, the Giants have had three players on the field for every defensive snap – linebacker Bobby Okereke, cornerback Tae Banks, and the rookie safety. Nubin has recorded 11 total tackles (eight solo) to start off his NFL career while lining up all over the field. Additionally, the 23-year-old safety has given up just two receptions for 29 yards on 68 coverage snaps.

"Both of those guys care," Bowen said about Nubin and fellow rookie Dru Phillips. "They're passionate about football. They want to learn. They want to get better. They're different in their approach and how they learn, leadership and where they're at really coming into this thing. But, both are valuable pieces to us right now and I think they're doing a good job for being young."

The Browns come into this weekend's matchup with some questions at the tight end position. Starting tight end David Njoku caught four passes for 44 yards before an ankle injury forced him out of the game. Njoku missed Cleveland's Week 2 contest and did not participate in Wednesday's practice, as head coach Kevin Stefanski deemed it "unlikely" that the veteran is able to suit up Sunday. In Njoku's absence, veteran Jordan Akins has caught four passes for 37 yards. Jaguars safeties Andre Cisco and Antonio Johnson each registered five tackles in last week's game against the Browns.

View rare photos of the storied history between the New York Giants and Browns.

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