Other Observations
Wide receiver Travis Rudolph, cornerback William Gay, cornerback Curtis Riley, cornerback Donte Deayon, tight end Ryan O’Malley and linebacker Thurston Armbrister all did not dress for the game because of injury.
Roger Lewis, who finished third on the team with 416 receiving yards last season, clearly is not a favorite under new head coach Pat Shurmur’s coaching staff. He did not receive
a snap until after Sterling Shepard, Latimer, Hunter Sharp, Kalif Raymond and Russell Shepard all entered the game. The third-year player is in danger of not making the 53-man roster.
Sharp has a solid chance to make the cut because of his potential value on special teams. He was the Giants’ starting punt and kick returner, fielding one kickoff for 42 yards in the first half. He also caught two passes for 16 yards but had two drops, including a wide-open screen pass from Webb.
Injuries in the secondary opened up more opportunities for players such as safety Andrew Adams, who had a team-high five tackles in the first half. As a core special teams player the last two seasons, he remains in good shape to land on the 53-man roster.
Darian Thompson started at free safety for the injured Riley, who was listed on the team’s unofficial depth chart as the starter.
Browns tight end David Njoku had a monster first half, hauling in two touchdowns for 46 yards. Tight ends torched the Giants’ defense last season with a touchdown in an NFL-record 10 straight games.
Njoku’s first score was a throw by Tyrod Taylor against the Giants’ firstteam defense. Inside linebacker Alec Ogletree got beat in coverage for 36 yards up the seam.
The other came on a 10yard pass by No. 1 overall pick Baker Mayfield, who completed 4-of-11 passes in the first half for 70 yards.
The first backups who began trickling in during the Giants’ fourth defensive series included safety Michael Thomas, cornerback B.W. Webb, cornerback Leonard Johnson, cornerback Chris Lewis-Harris, linebacker Mark Herzlich, linebacker Lorenzo Carter, linebacker Ray-Ray Armstrong, linebacker Romeo Okwara, defensive lineman Josh Mauro and defensive lineman Robert Thomas.