Cleveland's offense did it all with Nick Harris, a fifth-round rookie center, playing almost every snap at right guard in the first extensive game action of his career. Veteran Chris Hubbard, who was filling in for an injured Wyatt Teller, was lost on the game's first series to a knee injury, thrusting the former Washington star into action against one of the NFL's biggest and toughest defensive lines.
"I know Nick is going to battle. I am not surprised," Stefanski said. "I have not watched the tape, but I am not surprised that he can go in there and battle and fight. He is a very smart player, being able to play center and guard for us. Not surprised that he is ready to go when we need him."
Cleveland's defense, six days removed from surrendering a season-worst 47 points, allowed just two field goals and limited the Giants, who were without starting QB Daniel Jones, to 288 yards on 54 plays.
"Very few teams go 16-0 in this league. It is how you respond to those losses that matters," Stefanski said. "It is how you respond to a bad play that matters. Those are things we have been talking about throughout the season. I just think it speaks to the character of the players we have."
The Giants, who fell to 5-9 on the season, came into Sunday night's game with one of the NFL's best red zone defenses, but it was the Browns' that shined brightly during the first half.
Tested three times on the Giants' first three possessions, the Browns surrendered just three points. That came on New York's second drive, giving it a brief 3-0 lead with 4:12 left in the first quarter. The Graham Gano field goal was sandwiched between two fourth-down stops by the Browns, as they forced an incompletion on a fake field goal pass and stuffed Wayne Gallman on a fourth-and-1 run from the 5-yard line.
Sheldon Richardson, who made the initial contact to stuff Gallman, exited the game with a neck injury in the second half. X-Rays were negative, Stefanski said.
Cleveland, meanwhile, made the most of its trips inside Giants territory, scoring back-to-back touchdowns on methodical, time-consuming possessions.
Mayfield's 2-yard touchdown pass to Hooper put the Browns on top, 7-3, at the 12:46 mark in the second quarter and capped a 13-play, 75-yard drive that took 6:41 off the clock. Mayfield's 2-yard touchdown pass to Landry with 21 seconds left in the half capped a 10-play, 95-yard drive and extended the Browns lead to 13-3 at the half.
"We knew from film study that they are a big zone team, especially with a couple of guys out in the secondary that they were going to have to play a little bit more zone coverage and rely on their front," Mayfield said. "We had our guys in the right spots. Just that one play at a time mentality, those long drives and continuing to overcome penalties or eliminating negative plays, I am very proud of our guys for hanging in there."
Mayfield was 17-of-19 for 172 yards and the two scores in the first half, good for a quarterback rating of 139.5.
The Browns are back in action at the same stadium next Sunday when they face the New York Jets.
"Getting the one win a week is hard. We understand that," Stefanski said. "Our focus will forever remain right there. Proud of the guys how they battled tonight, but we have to come back and do it next week. It is just the nature of this beast."
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