CLEVELAND — Through weeks of frustration, injuries and a quarterback change that nearly happened, the Cleveland Browns never lost hope in this season.
On Monday night, they may have saved it.
With quarterback Derek Anderson outplaying Eli Manning, Braylon Edwards making big catches and Eric Wright returning an interception 94 yards for a touchdown, the Browns won on a Monday night for the first time since 1993, ending New York’s 11-game road win streak with a 35-14 victory over the defending Super Bowl champions.
Anderson, whose job was in serious jeopardy just a few weeks ago and may have been down to one more loss, threw one of his two touchdown passes to Edwards, who announced his team’s return to the NFL’s prime-time weekday slot by performing a cartwheel and back flip during pregame introductions and then making the Giants look foolish.
In their first four games, the Browns (2-3) had shown no signs of living up to high expectations following a 10-6 season. They had dropped their first two games at home, lost three in a row overall and had only a win over winless Cincinnati so far in 2008.
Now, they have something to brag about.
“This is us,” Anderson said. “These were the guys who made plays all last season.”
Anderson finished 18-for- 29 for 310 yards, Edwards caught five passes for a career-high 154 yards and Jamal Lewis scored on a 4-yard run for the Browns, who handed the Giants (4-1) their first loss, leaving Tennessee as the NFL’s only unbeaten team.
Manning had three passes intercepted and the Giants, so dominant through their first four games, were roughed up by the Browns, who did not punt for the first time since 1995.
Aside from some silly penalties, the Browns were superior to the Giants, who had reeled off 11 straight wins — 12 counting the Super Bowl — outside of New Jersey since Week 1 last season.
“I threw three interceptions,” Manning said. “That’s not the way we win games. You’re going to lose a game every once in a while, but we don’t like the way we played. That’s what’s disappointing.”
