EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — Romeo Crennel’s miserable mood this morning might be matched by that of the suits at ESPN headquarters.
Crennel has four days and two practices to get the Browns ready for the Detroit Lions and the “all-important” third preseason game. The regular season follows less than two weeks later.
ESPN is obligated by its NFL contract to broadcast three Browns games on Monday night during the regular season.
A blowout isn’t good for a coach’s sanity or a network’s ratings. Although the final score was Giants 37, Browns 34, New York led 30-3 after the first 15:55.
In their first Monday night game in five seasons — and their first-ever game in brown pants — the Browns clearly weren’t ready for prime time, or the defending Super Bowl champs.
“The first quarter was basically the game,” Crennel said. “Thirty-to-3.Unbelievable.”
After Phil Dawson nailed a
56-yard field goal in the swirling winds of the Meadowlands, the Giants scored 30 straight in the next 11 minutes. As bad as that sounds, it looked worse.
The Browns also lost quarterback Derek Anderson and safety Brodney Pool to concussions and kick returner Joshua Cribbs with an ankle injury.
“D.A. was hit in the head a little bit,” Crennel said. “We’ll see how he is tomorrow.”
The Browns were penalized six times for 98 yards in the first quarter, including a 53-yard pass interference on cornerback Eric Wright, who quickly surrendered an
11-yard touchdown to Domenik Hixon.
Mike Adams ran over the punt returner before he had a chance to catch the ball for a 15-yard penalty, and linebacker Andra Davis swung and missed with a punch for another 15-yarder.
The pair of mistakes set up another New York score, as Hixon got behind the secondary for his second touchdown in two drives, a 24-yard post as safety Sean Jones slipped and fell in the end zone.
After the Browns’ third straight three-and-out on offense, which included a pass interference on tight end Kellen Winslow — who had a third-down drop earlier — Dave Zastudil punted the ball off the back of rookie running back Travis Thomas. The ball bounced out the side of the end zone for a Giants safety.
Thomas, subbing for a temporarily injured Jason Wright, was pushed back into Zastudil by former Browns running back Reuben Droughns.
On Zastudil’s ensuing free kick, Hixon returned it 82 yards for a touchdown, as cornerback A.J. Davis missed the last good shot at a tackle. Hixon is good friends with former Browns quarterback Charlie Frye, a teammate at Akron.
Even when the Browns appeared to stem the tide, they found a way to screw it up.
Syndric Steptoe returned the kickoff 90 yards to the 9-yard line, but Anderson and Jamal Lewis couldn’t connect on a handoff, and safety James Butler returned it 95 yards for a touchdown and 30-3 lead.
The majority of the Browns starters played the entire first half.
Brady Quinn replaced Anderson early in the second quarter after defensive end Osi Umenyiora drove Anderson into the turf on a sack. Quinn led a mini-rally with a lot of help from Steptoe, who probably won himself a roster spot.
Steptoe played as the third receiver with Braylon Edwards at home with a cut foot. Steptoe scored on a 7-yard lateral to cut the lead to 30-10 and caught a 44-yard touchdown from Quinn in the third quarter when New York defensive back Kevin Dockery had the underthrown ball pop out of his hands inside the 5-yard line.
Steptoe added kickoff returns of 40 and 90 yards in the first half.
Quinn went 7-of-12 for 124 yards and a touchdown.
Cleveland’s reserve cornerbacks have been questioned since the beginning of training camp, but it was the starter Wright who looked like he didn’t belong Monday night.
He was beaten by speedster Sinorice Moss – the Giants were without their top three receivers — on the interference penalty, but Eli Manning underthrew the pass and Wright didn’t need to grab Moss. Then Wright allowed Hixon to run right by him into the right corner of the end zone for the 11-yard touchdown.
Wright cut the lead to 30-17 when he intercepted an Anthony Wright wobbler and returned in 15 yards for a touchdown with 1:54 left in the first half. Adams blitzed from the right side and nailed Wright, forcing the bad pass.

Contact Scott Petrak at 329-7253 or spetrak@chroniclet.com.

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