Cleveland Browns: Studs and duds from dominant win vs. Giants in Week 15
Cleveland Browns Stud No. 2: Nick Harris, OG
The Browns offensive line was always short-handed coming into this game as guard Wyatt Teller was ruled out. Luckily for Cleveland, they seemed to have a ready-made replacement to step in with veteran swingman Chris Hubbard. Unfortunately, Hubbard was injured early in the first half, which made way for fifth-round rookie Nick Harris to be unexpectedly called into duty.
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What was impressive, though, was how well Harris performed when called upon. The Washington product did allow a sack but it’s not hyperbole to say that was his only mistake on the night. Against a sneaky dangerous Giants defensive line, the rookie more than held his own and played exceptionally well. For coming in and performing at the level he did, Harris deserves quite the shoutout for his role in the crucial win.
Cleveland Browns Dud No. 2: Special Teams
We should start by saying that the criticism of the Browns’ special teams play on Sunday night does not include punter Jamie Gillan, who had another fine game with his work. Outside of The Scottish Hammer, however, the third phase of the game left a lot to be desired.
Not only did Cody Parkey miss an extra point before the game was out of reach for New York that could have been costly but the coverage units were lackluster throughout the night. They allowed the Giants to get big chunks of yards on returns and a more capable offense would’ve been able to take advantage.
There’s no denying how impressive Cleveland looks right now but, for this team to win in the playoffs, little things like kicking and return coverage need to be tightened up.