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New York Giants vs Cleveland Browns: 5 Players To Watch

By Kenneth Teape

Nov 20, 2016; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; New York Giants head coach Ben McAdoo coaches against the Chicago Bears during the fourth quarter at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 20, 2016; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; New York Giants head coach Ben McAdoo coaches against the Chicago Bears during the fourth quarter at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports /
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New York Giants vs Cleveland Browns: 5 Players To Watch
Nov 20, 2016; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; New York Giants defensive end Olivier Vernon (54) hits Chicago Bears quarterback Jay Cutler (6) after a pass for a personal foul during the first quarter at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports /

Olivier Vernon

We have discussed a couple of times on this site that Vernon’s impact goes beyond the numbers on the stat sheet. He is a top defensive end according to Pro Football Focus against the run and as a pass-rusher. He does the dirty work inside and can set the edge against the run so his teammates can clean things up.

But there are people that would like to see Vernon show up more in the scorebook to see that the Giants’ offseason investment is working out. There won’t be many better chances for Vernon to pad his sack numbers than against the Browns.

Outside of Joe Thomas, one of the best left tackles in the history of the NFL, the Browns offensive line is a disaster. They have given up an NFL-worst 38 sacks on the season; whoever is under center has been getting battered. The quarterback position has been a revolving door for the Browns this season, and it looks like Josh McCown will get another shot this week against the Giants.

Vernon will be worth keeping an eye on as he sets the tone along with Jason Pierre-Paul along the defensive line and is getting healthier. If Pierre-Paul is unable to play, he missed practice Wednesday because of a knee ailment, even more pressure will fall upon Vernon’s shoulders.

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