The game will air live on WKYC Channel 3.
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — Is it a must-win? Maybe not technically, but a victory for the Browns would certainly go a long way.
Cleveland is in East Rutherford, New Jersey to battle the New York Giants on NBC’s “Sunday Night Football.” The game will air live on WKYC Channel 3, with kickoff set for 8:20 p.m.
The Browns have not won on “SNF” since 2003, when the production was still on ESPN. However, unlike that contest 17 years ago against the Pittsburgh Steelers, tonight’s matchup has major playoff implications, as Cleveland comes in at 9-4 and in control of the AFC’s top wild card spot.
The Giants’ season has been a different story, with a record of 5-8 and continued growing pains under first-year head coach Joe Judge. Yet all is not lost: A win over the Browns would put the G-Men back into first place of the weak NFC East.
What follows is a drive-by-drive live blog of the action, with the latest plays and updates closest to the top. Stay tuned for updates and analysis all night long on 3News and WKYC.com.
3RD QUARTER
12:02: Dexter Lawrence sacks Baker Mayfield on second down and eventually forces a Browns punt. Jamie Gillan boots it 47 yards to the Giants 14, where New York will start on offense in the second half.
2ND QUARTER
0:21: 10 plays, 95 yards, touchdown Browns: Baker Mayfield finds Jarvis Landry for a 2-yard touchdown, but Cody Parkey’s extra point clanks off the right upright after a taunting penalty pushed him back 15 yards. Still, Cleveland leads 13-3 at halftime.
Quick injury update: Chris Hubbard will not return after hurting his knee in the first quarter.
5:16: Another long drive leads to another Giants red zone trip, but once again, the G-Men are stopped on fourth down as Wayne Gallman Jr. is stopped by Karl Joseph and Sheldrick Redwine. It’ll be first down Browns on their own 5-yard line.
12:31: The Browns answer back with an impressive drive capped off by a 2-yard touchdown pass from Baker Mayfield to Austin Hooper. Cleveland takes a 7-3 lead.
1ST QUARTER
4:12: A pitch-and-catch from Colt McCoy to Darius Slayton sets up a 37-yard field goal by Graham Gano. The Giants take an early 3-0 lead.
More bad news for the Browns, as right guard Chris Hubbard is questionable to return after injuring his knee on the opening drive.
7:05: The Browns stall on the New York 42, and Baker Mayfield’s fourth-down pass is deflected by at the line of scrimmage. The Giants take over looking to make up for the early missed opportunity.
11:36: The Giants get a nice kickoff return from Dion Lewis and drive toward the goal line, but choose to try a trick play on fourth down from the Browns 8 rather than try a field goal. Punter Riley Dixon’s pass sails high, and Cleveland takes over.
PREGAME
Besides former Browns head coach Freddie Kitchens filling in for the Giants as acting offensive coordinator, former Cleveland quarterback Colt McCoy will reportedly start for New York under center with Daniel Jones still injured.
On the Browns side, Mack Wilson is a healthy scratch at linebacker. The second-year Alabama product has just 32 tackles this year.