Aug 18, 2008 - 11:18 PM
2 shoutsEAST RUTHERFORD, New Jersey (Ticker) -- The New York Giants were without their top three wide receivers in Monday's preseason game against the Cleveland Browns. Dominik Hixon made sure they were not missed.
Hixon hauled in a pair of touchdown passes and returned a kick 82 yards for another score - all in the first quarter - to spark the reigning Super Bowl champions to a 37-34 defeat of the Browns - a score that hardly reflected New York's dominance.
Making their first appearance at home since their stunning run to the Super Bowl, the Giants looked in midseason form, dismantling the Browns in all phases of the game during a 16-minute clinic.
How dominant was New York? With under a minute having elapsed in the second quarter, the Giants already held a commanding 30-3 cushion.
Less than a minute later, defensive end Osi Umenyiora added insult to injury, driving Browns Pro Bowl quarterback Derek Anderson to the ground and knocking him from the game with a possible concussion.
Giants quarterback Eli Manning finished 4-of-7 for 52 yards and two touchdown passes despite missing starting wideouts Plaxico Burress and Amani Toomer as well as top backup Steve Smith, who were all sidelined by injuries.
Hixon, who was claimed on waivers from Denver last season, more than picked up the slack with four receptions for 63 yards. After the Giants spotted the Browns an early 3-0 lead, Manning flicked a pair of scoring passes to Hixon - for 11 and 24 yards - in a span of 2:26.
New York then showed off the other facets of its game, getting a safety on a blocked punt that led to Hixon's 82-yard return and a 23-3 lead with nine seconds left in the opening quarter.
The defense completed the devastation, when safety James Butler scooped up a fumble by Jamal Lewis and returned it 95 yards for a 30-3 advantage just 55 seconds into the second quarter.
On the next series, Umenyiora leveled Anderson with a hit that bounced his head off the turf, bringing on 2007 first-round pick Brady Quinn, who went 7-of-12 for 124 yards and and a touchdown.
From the Bleachers
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CLEVELAND: 34
NEW YORK: 37
Final
Aug 18 11:18 PM -
NFL
TD CLE
LANCE LEGGETT 8 YD PASS FROM KEN DORSEY
(PHIL DAWSON KICK)
CLEVELAND 34
NY GIANTS 37 2:25 LEFT, 4TH QTR
Aug 18 11:06 PM -
NFL
FG CLE
JASON REDA 44 YD
CLEVELAND 27
NY GIANTS 37 7:07 LEFT, 4TH QTR
Aug 18 10:52 PM -
CLEVELAND: 24
NEW YORK: 37
End of 3rd
Aug 18 10:34 PM -
NFL
TD NYG
AHMAD BRADSHAW 1 YD RUN
(JOSH HUSTON KICK)
CLEVELAND 24
NY GIANTS 37 7:09 LEFT, 3RD QTR
Aug 18 10:13 PM -
NFL
TD CLE
SYNDRIC STEPTOE 44 YD PASS FROM BRADY QUINN
(JASON REDA KICK)
CLEVELAND 24
NY GIANTS 30 12:47 LEFT, 3RD QTR
Aug 18 10:03 PM -
CLEVELAND: 17
NEW YORK: 30
Halftime
Aug 18 9:43 PM -
NFL
TD CLE
ERIC WRIGHT 15 YD INTERCEPTION RETURN
(PHIL DAWSON KICK)
CLEVELAND 17
NY GIANTS 30 1:54 LEFT, 2ND QTR
Aug 18 9:36 PM -
NFL
TD CLE
SYNDRIC STEPTOE 7 YD RUN
(PHIL DAWSON KICK)
CLEVELAND 10
NY GIANTS 30 2:28 LEFT, 2ND QTR
Aug 18 9:29 PM -
-
-
NFL
TD NYG
JAMES BUTLER 94 YD FUMBLE RETURN
(JOSH HUSTON KICK)
CLEVELAND 3
NY GIANTS 30 14:05 LEFT, 2ND QTR
Aug 18 8:59 PM -
CLEVELAND: 3
NEW YORK: 23
End of 1st
Aug 18 8:54 PM -
NFL
TD NYG
DOMENIK HIXON 63 YD KICKOFF RETURN
(JOSH HUSTON KICK)
CLEVELAND 3
NY GIANTS 23 0:09 LEFT, 1ST QTR
Aug 18 8:53 PM -
NFL
SAFETY NYG
BALL THROUGH END ZONE
CLEVELAND 3
NY GIANTS 16 0:21 LEFT, 1ST QTR
Aug 18 8:50 PM -
NFL
TD NYG
DOMENIK HIXON 24 YD PASS FROM ELI MANNING
(JOSH HUSTON KICK)
CLEVELAND 3
NY GIANTS 14 6:11 LEFT, 1ST QTR
Aug 18 8:36 PM -
NFL
TD NYG
DOMENIK HIXON 11 YD PASS FROM ELI MANNING
(JOSH HUSTON KICK)
CLEVELAND 3
NY GIANTS 7 8:47 LEFT, 1ST QTR
Aug 18 8:25 PM -
NFL
FG CLE
PHIL DAWSON 56 YD
CLEVELAND 3
NY GIANTS 0 10:05 LEFT, 1ST QTR
Aug 18 8:14 PM
