New York at Cleveland

The Giants will put their unbeaten record to the test tonight as they take to the road to face a desperate Cleveland team. The Browns got off to a slow start, thanks to sub-par play and some injuries. They got a much needed win before the bye and I look for their offense to make a better showing this week, well rested and prepared after their week off. They will get Eric Steinbach and Ryan Tucker back which should help bolster an offensive line that has been weak. Jamal Lewis has only been able to generate 3.4 ypc without these two guys and their presence should make an immediate impact. Derek Anderson will also have an added target as John Stallworth returns. Kellen Winslow is a possibility tonight. For the Giants, Antonio Pierce may be scratched or at best, banged up. The Giants certainly have not played an overwhelming schedule to start the season. They did beat Washington in the opener. But the team they faced on that day is not the same Skins team that has matured quickly and won four of their last five. Wins over Cincinnati, St. Louis and Seattle don't say a whole lot as those teams are a combined 2-14 on the season! To the contrary, the Browns have faced a much tougher schedule including games versus Dallas, Pittsburgh and Baltimore. Cleveland, after a great 2007 campaign, was projected as a playoff contender enter this season. To put it truthfully, their entire season is on the line tonight. A loss takes the playoff conversation off the table while a win vs. the Giants, on the heels of their win before the bye, could lift this team back into consideration. The players, coaches and fans know this so expect an A+ effort for that reason alone. And, while the preseason usually doesn't mean a whole lot, the fact that the Giants layed 30 unanswered points on Cleveland in their preseason meeting this year could provide even more motivation. "They embarrassed us," Cleveland linebacker Andra Davis said. "So that's going to give us a little extra fire. It could definitely turn the season around to beat the Super Bowl champs and do it on national television. We'll be ready to go." The Dog Pound is a tough place to play, and since the Browns have not had a home game on Monday night since Dec of 2003, look for the building to be electric. I look for the Browns to bring everything they have into this one against the Superbowl Champs. Big dogs off a bye typically perform very well against the spread. With lots of healthy parts, and motivation, look for a different Browns team to show up tonight.