Monday's NFL Week 2 preseason primer and odds: Giants at Browns
The curse of crappy Monday Night Football matchups reaches the preseason as ESPN showcases the Browns hosting Odell Beckham and the Giants. The last Week 2 preseason games on the schedule should determine who will win the starting quarterback job in Cleveland.
Find out how long each team plans to play its starters and which QBs will take the field after the first teamers are pulled.
New York Giants at Cleveland Browns (+1, 38)
About the Giants
In his second year as Giants head coach, Ben McAdoo is sticking to his preseason plan from a year ago. His starters sat the first week of the preseason but will take the field against the Browns on Monday.
“We’d like to give [Giants QB Eli Manning] a good chunk of playing time, into the second quarter,” McAdoo told reporters.
Manning saw 19 snaps in Week 2 of the preseason last year before getting the hook. He played one series into the second quarter in what ended up being a 21-0 loss to the Buffalo Bills.
Geno Smith and Josh Johnson are still battling for the No. 2 QB job behind Manning on the depth chart. Johnson started last week but Smith is expected to take the field immediately after Manning completes his cameo appearance. Johnson will take the final snaps of the game once Smith’s night is over.
The Giants are now 2-3 straight up and 1-3-1 against the spread in the preseason under McAdoo.
All G-Men starters are good to go with the exception of cornerback Eli Apple. The second year defensive back out of Ohio State has been ruled out because of a sore ankle.
About the Browns
The Cleveland Browns’ coaching staff is hungry for wins. The team went 1-15 in the regular season and 0-4 in the preseason a year ago. The Browns won and covered last week against the New Orleans Saints but that hasn’t quenched head coach Hue Jackson’s thirst for more victories.
“…we are going there to win, there is no question about that,” Jackson told Cleveland reporters about Monday’s matchup with the Giants. “There is a score being kept and if there is, you want to win.”
Cleveland will start Brock Osweiler at quarterback with rookie DeShone Kizer next in line. The Browns want Osweiler to win the job so that he’ll be the Week 1 starter but the veteran hasn’t been outperforming Kizer in the preseason.
Osweiler completed just six of his 14 pass attempts last week against the Saints for 42 yards, whereas Kizer went 11-for-18 for 18 yards and one TD pass.
Cody Kessler was the front-runner to win the starting job when training camp opened but he’s looked so shaky he’s fallen all the way to No. 3 on the depth chart. He’ll take the field after Kizer on Monday against the Giants.
All-Pro left tackle Joe Thomas will not play for the Browns on Monday.
Line moves
The Browns opened as 1.5-point home favorites but now stand as 1-point underdogs. The total opened at 39.5 and now sits at 38.