Giants record seven sacks, edge Browns 29-26

East Rutherford, NJ - The New York Giants recorded seven sacks and scored touchdowns on three of their four red-zone trips in a 29-26 victory over the Cleveland Browns in Week 15.

New York prevailed despite finishing with fewer offensive yards and losing the turnover comparison. Cleveland produced 342 offensive yards to the Giants' 321, while the Browns intercepted Shedeur Sanders twice and did not turn the ball over. The Giants, however, finished with 19 first downs to Cleveland's 13 and converted 4 of 11 third downs. The Browns went 0-for-9 on third down.

The red-zone numbers offered another sharp contrast. New York scored three touchdowns in four trips inside the 20. Cleveland made five red-zone trips but finished with no touchdowns and two field goals on those possessions.

Sanders completed 21 of 39 passes for 235 yards and two touchdowns. His two interceptions lowered his passer rating to 67.7, but the Giants still came away with the three-point result. Malik Nabers was his leading receiver, catching eight passes for 84 yards and a touchdown, while Theo Johnson added four receptions for 50 yards and another score.

"There are things I have to clean up, especially giving the ball away twice," Sanders said. "But we had production in the red zone, and the result is what we needed. You can appreciate the win and still be honest about where you have to improve."

Cam Skattebo supplied New York's ground production with a game-high 78 yards and a touchdown on 19 carries. His longest run covered 15 yards, also the longest rush by either team. The Giants finished with 86 rushing yards overall, complementing Sanders' work through the air without relying on a single breakaway run.

"It wasn't about one huge carry," Skattebo said. "It was about staying with it, taking the yards that were available and making sure the offense had something dependable on the ground."

Cleveland received the game's most productive passing performance from Tua Tagovailoa. He completed 14 of 24 attempts for a game-high 298 yards and one touchdown, finishing with a 116.3 passer rating. His longest completion went for 94 yards.

Denzel Boston was the Browns' leading receiver and the game's top pass catcher by yardage. He turned three receptions into 139 yards and a touchdown, with his 94-yard catch standing as the game-long reception. Harold Fannin Jr added four catches for 88 yards, giving Cleveland another productive option in the passing game.

The Browns also ran for 93 yards. Quinshon Judkins handled most of that workload, matching Skattebo with 19 attempts and finishing with 74 yards. Cleveland's offensive totals exceeded New York's in both passing yards and overall yardage, but its third-down and red-zone results remained among the defining statistical differences in the three-point loss.

"You don't feel good about the yardage when the scoreboard says you lost," Tagovailoa said. "We didn't convert a third down, and we didn't finish those red-zone trips with touchdowns. Those are numbers we have to own."

The defenses produced in distinctly different ways. New York accumulated seven sacks without an interception, while Cleveland recorded no sacks but intercepted Sanders twice. Emmanuel McNeil-Warren returned one interception seven yards, and Kenny Moore II recorded the other with a 34-yard return.

Both teams entered the game at 5-8 and carrying one-game losing streaks. The narrow victory sent the Giants forward with a win after a game in which Cleveland held the yardage advantage and protected the football, while New York posted the better third-down rate and substantially stronger touchdown production in the red zone.

Up Next

The New York Giants will travel to face the Detroit Lions in Week 16 looking to build on the 29-26 victory, while the Cleveland Browns will remain on the road to visit the Baltimore Ravens.