(
)
When it is brought up that the Browns are desperate to win a game, the Giants counter by insisting they are the more desperate team.
When the possibility of overlooking a team that has yet to win this season is posed, the Giants look at you funny and say, turn on the tape if you think the Browns are no good.
“This ain’t a slouch team. This team could easily be 4-0,’’ Justin Tuck, said on cue. “I think we’re gonna have to play our best game. This is a talented football team. They had Philly beat, they had Baltimore beat, they had four good teams beat, if you took one or two plays away in those games. I fully expect this to be a dogfight.’’
The Giants were in a very different kind of dogfight last week, losing in agonizing fashion to the Eagles in the closing seconds. It doesn’t take an NFL scholar to realize today’s home game is a dip into the shallow end before the treacherous waters of the schedule come flowing back in. It is not possible to be a “good’’ 0-4, so the Browns losing by one, seven, 10 and seven points only means they are competitive enough to lose with dignity.
It is not as if the Giants haven’t been this way before. The day before Halloween in 2011, the Dolphins came into MetLife Stadium with an 0-6 record, took a 14-3 lead and led 17-10 heading into the fourth quarter before Victor Cruz caught a touchdown pass with less than six minutes remaining to allow the Giants to avoid further embarrassment by winning 20-17. The longer the Browns hang around today, the more restless the Giants and their fans will grow.
“We definitely get antsy,’’ Tuck admitted, “because you allow yourself to seep back to that topic of them being 0-4 and we’re supposed to run over this football team.’’
A look inside the game:
BEST BATTLE
Browns RB Trent Richardson vs. Giants LB Chase Blackburn. Of course it’s not a one-on-one duel here, but Richardson is one of the most complete backs to come into the league in years, and Blackburn spearheads a run defense that has been lousy in two games and excellent in two others.
THE KIDS ARE (NOT) ALL RIGHT
Youth may be served, but not yet in Cleveland. The Browns have 15 rookies on their roster and the average age of their 22 starters is 24.86 years. That’s the youngest starting lineup in the NFL since 2000. Of the 53 players on the roster, 27 are rookies or in their first or second seasons.
COPYCAT LEAGUE
It probably took the Browns assistant coaches about two minutes after popping in the tape of the Giants-Eagles game to get excited about unleashing Richardson against the Giants. Richardson is a very different runner than LeSean McCoy, but there’s no doubt the Browns will look to exploit the perimeter, as the Giants in the second half were unable to prevent cut-backs from turning into huge chunks of yardage.
In case you were wondering, Richardson noticed.
“Oh yeah, if we put our hat on a number, just cover them up, I think we can get good yardage on them,’’ Richardson said.
THE REPLACEMENTS, AGAIN
So much of how the Giants attack is based on the matchup advantages they create on the outside, but those advantages are hampered severely without Hakeem Nicks, who is out for the third consecutive game. They have gotten production from Ramses Barden, but he’s out with a concussion. Domenik Hixon has been steady and Victor Cruz is tied for the NFL lead with 32 receptions. Now it’s time for rookie Rueben Randle — whose work ethic was a talking point this week — to turn all that talent into production.
“You do reach a point, if you keep losing them, that’s the point of no return,’’ offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride said of playing without key receivers. “I don’t think we’ve reached that point, but we’re going to have certainly another challenge and some other guys we haven’t had to depend on a lot are going to have to play a lot this week.’’
FUN AND GAMES
Defensive coordinator Perry Fewell didn’t sound very sympathetic after being told Jason Pierre-Paul (1 1⁄2 sacks) said this season hasn’t been as much fun for him.
“I’m not playing like I was last year,’’ Pierre-Paul said. “Last year I was just running around like a big kid. But I will be doing it Sunday.’’
Fewell said the best way to have fun is to dominate the guy across from you, a challenge JPP seems to accept.
“I just got to come out and do better,’’ he said.
WEEDEN-WACKERS?
Brandon Weeden turns 29 next week and as the oldest rookie in captivity, he has had a rough first season. Thrust immediately in as a starter, Weeden has completed just 54 percent of his passes, with three touchdowns and seven interceptions. If the Giants cannot take advantage of him something is wrong.
“He’s still making some mistakes that we’ve picked up on the film. Hopefully he will continue to make those mistakes this week,’’ Tuck said. “He’s not your normal rookie quarterback where you think you can capitalize on a lot of stuff but he has some things we can capitalize on, hopefully we’ll be able to.’’
PAUL’S PICK
Browns have been close, but that doesn’t mean they are on the brink of a victory. They just don’t have enough weapons, and QB Brandon Weeden will feel some heat — especially if RB Trent Richardson is at least held in check. This would be the week for the Giants’ inconsistent ground game to ease the load on QB Eli Manning.
Giants 27 Browns 20
paul.schwartz@nypost.com