Monday Night Football Live-Blog Week Six: Giants-Browns 1st Half

Another exciting matchup this week....oh, what am I saying? We all know how this one is going to go, but I'm still at 100% over the past two years, so we're stopping now. It's Eli and the Giants and ummm.....Braylon Edwards(?) and the Browns.....on Monday Night Football!

See you around 8pm or so with some quotes from Countdown as we get ready for kickoff at 8:30pm. Oh and FYI....John Madden is actually taking a game off this coming Sunday. Not entirely sure of all the details, but it will be the first contest he's missed in 476 games. More on that tomorrow morning.

Can this also serve as an open thread for Game 4 of the NLCS? I'll be watching the baseball game and flipping to the football game during commercials... (Via JFein)

Yes..yes it can. I'll flip back and forth at times just like last week. Just keep myself, and the rest of us, updated.

"This is what I call a trap game."- Emmitt Smith

Yes, Emmitt. You and every other person in the world.

"I know all the prognosticators had that other team, I won't even mention their name right now, winning the NFC East."- Osi Umenyiora

Amen Osi. Amen.

"Eli Manning he has a big brother you know, Archie. Peyton's injury?"- Chris Berman
"Cooper! You talking about Cooper?"- Chris Mortensen

What the hell just happened there?

Looks like Kellen Winslow will be out with a testicle tonight. (Via Dan)

Yeah that's not a good thing. Have you heard that Tony Romo got injured too? My friend told me, but I can't find information on it ANYWHERE!

"A lot of the issues of the Dallas Cowboys yesterday having pressure on Tony Romo, came from the outside pressure."- Emmitt Smith

I'm so confused.

"In 1492, Christopher Columbus....in the ultimate road game. Where was he going? I don't know, but winning in front of hostile crowd....not easy."- Chris Berman

Ridiculous.

"We think Eli is taller and handsomer now that he's won the Super Bowl. Imagine what would've happened if [Jaws] won the Super Bowl." - Tony Kornheiser (Via SS)

Ugh....well no chin music to Rollins to start Game Four of the NLCS, so I'm going to stick with Football. Kickoff is just a few minutes away. See you then.

Picks:

Steve: Browns
Emmitt: Giants
Stu: Giants
Ditka: Giants
Key: Giants
Cris: Giants
TJ: Giants
Boomer: Giants

"Even if Cleveland sails the Nina, the Pinta and the Santa Maria can the Browns win tonight."- Chris Berman

"How did Eli get to be the first pick? If his name was Schwartz he would have went in the sixth round."- Tony Kornheiser

JINX! Okay....here comes the kickoff. Over/Under of the times the name "Eli" is said is set at 43.
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8:40- Browns ball to start and they'll get it at their own 20 after Cribbs drops it through the endzone. Out comes Derek Anderson, and if we don't see Brady Quinn at some point tonight....I'd be surprised.

1st down...incomplete and a penalty on the Browns is declined.

"Penalty on the Browns. That's a shock....they only have nine a game."- Mike Tirico

2nd down and Lewis goes for six. 3rd and 4....HUGE GAINER for Braylon Edwards on the slant 40+ yards and the Browns are in business. Lewis follows that with an eight yard run and a five yarder for the first. Cleveland ball at the Giants' 12....make that 17....false start. Lewis for two on first down and an aborted snap on second down will make it 3rd and 15 from the 17....

Anderson hits Stallworth over the middle but that's nowhere near enough. Phil Dawson FG attempt....

Good.....3-0 Browns, but that drive stalled out awfully quick

"Thanks for Coughlin and Crennel, or I would be the third oldest coach in the NFL."- Tony Kornheiser (Via 49er16)

Damn I missed that one. What does that even mean?

8:52- Giants ball at their own 28 after they almost broke one on the kickoff. Jacobs goes for seven and he's already hitting Cleveland's LBs hard. Eli then hits Steve Smith for ten and a first down.

Romeo Crennel looks like the bad coaching offspring of Andy Reid and Art Shell. (Via Lammy)

Throw in a little Charlie Weis and I think you have it. Jacobs again for six. Eli hits some guy named Michael Matthews and they're into Browns' territory. Hey an incomplete pass! 2nd and 10 from the Browns' 36....

"He's like a medieval battering ram trying to bring down a fort." - Tony Kornheiser on Jacobs (Via SS)

Eli audibles and Jacobs gets about four on a run. 3rd and 6....

PICKED OFF!!!! Pool leaps in front of Burress near the goal line and brings it all the way back out to the 30.

Anybody else notice in the closeup shot of Eli, he's finallay getting his first bad teenage moustache! Good for him! (Via Lammy)

Oh I need a pick of that. Cribbs in the Wildcat and he runs for a first down near the 40. Great option play there. Lewis gets four on a screen and gets another couple on a run. 3rd and about 2....Lewis up the middle and he has it! Nice run there with a quick counter.

False start on first down, and an incomplete TE screen on first first down. Stallworth picks up 12 on 2nd on another slant and that's seemingly all CLE is running at this point. 3rd and 3....

Great move by the TE Heiden! He crossed over a defender and is into Giants' territory. Lewis for three on first down.

"Wasn't Jamal Lewis, Brandon Jacobs, before Brandon Jacobs was Brandon Jacobs?"- Tony Kornheiser

That was humorous. Another penalty on the Browns...that's four. 2nd and 13 at the 34 and Anderson's pass is batted down. 3rd and 13...and that's a terrible pass that falls incomplete. The Browns are trying a 51-yarder into the wind and that's just a bad idea....No Good.

You know you are having a bad season when a quick screen pass nearly gets intercepted. (Via SS)

Seriously.

End of the first....3-0 Cleveland

Did anyone else see that Cleveland Browns fan wearing the Grateful Dead T-Shirt? (Via 49er16)

No....no I did not. Drats.

How many fucking Brady Quinn camera shots will we see tonight? (Via Silly Tricky)

I'm expecting a ton. You know Kornheiser is just begging for him to come in. He probably has 10 "on-air columns" ready to go just in case.

9:15- Eli hit Boss to get into Browns' territory before the end of that quarter and now Ward runs it for 17 and 3. 2nd and 8 at the Cleveland 15....

Ward down to the 11 and some crazy lady is yelling "Believe-land" at the camera now. Scary. Eli to Smith....first down at the seven....

Jacobs just destroys the entire Cleveland defense and falls into the endzone.....7-3 Giants.

Is Jaws drunk? Stumbling all over the place and stuttering nonstop. (Via SS)

He's running downhill just like Brandon Jacobs.

Anderson on a fake.....GOING DEEEEEP....Edwards has it for 69 yards!!! That was a heck of a throw there and it's all the way to the Giants' four.

9:24- Of course they can't get everyone down the field and they have to call a timeout.

1st down....Anderson to Steptoe and he gets dragged to the ground. The ball was tipped however so that will be incomplete.

"You were a hawk on that."- Jaws to Tirico
"He's being helped by that hunter's moon."- Tony Kornheiser

Lewis cuts back....TOUCHDOWN BROWNS! 10-7 Cleveland with 11+ minutes in the second.

I can't believe TK has gone over one quarter without a Favre reference. (Via BWAlaska)

Shocking.

9:30- Giants ball at the 30 after the Bradshaw return. Wright bats down a screen on first down and the Giants have to call timeout on 2nd with the play clock running down.

Joe Buck, showing his on going love for baseball is discussing the fact that the teams can now bring their own footballs to the games. (Via JFein)

Hahahahaha. Jacobs picks up four after the timeout and it's 3rd and 6 for NY.....Eli throws over the middle to Burress and he's WIDE OPEN! 32 yards, but there's a flag. Illegal block on Hixon, but the play will stand minus 10 yards. Moves it back to the 49. Jacobs up the middle on first down.

"I don't want to make a Terrell Owens comparison here....."- Tony Kornheiser

But you will. 2nd and 6....Eli to Burress and he drops it. Holding on the Giants to boot and that puts the ball almost back to the original spot before the long Burress catch. 2nd and 16....Manning deep to Burress down the left sideline and it's batted away. 3rd and 16...

Screen to Ward but a great play by Cousins drops him behind the line of scrimmage. Giants to punt to Cribbs, but a false start sends them back another five yards before they get to. Browns ball at their own 22.

Looks like ESPN figgered out how to put down/yardage on their graphics. Goddamn, they're GOOD! (Via Hollywood Wags)

They've been on there a few weeks now, but they seem to be showing them a lot more.

9:42- ANOTHER false start on the Browns and Jaws is trying to say that Tony Romo getting hurt for the Cowboys is a good thing. He can't believe his bullshit, can he?

Heiden on second down and there's about 6 minutes left in the quarter. 3rd and 5....Edwards on the slant and he's got the first at the 37. Lewis follows that up with four and the Browns are moving again. That's followed by a 14-yard pass to Heiden and Cleveland is across midfield.

Is Babe Laufenberg still backup QB for Dallas? (Via Mal)

A couple of runs by the Browns that go nowhere, one in the "Flash/Wildcat" offense, and it'll be 3rd and long after an injury timeout. Wow! Anderson hits Steptoe and they've got another first......

ANDERSON TO DINKINS.....Touchdown Cleveland. Right over the middle to his backup tight end and that was a gorgeous pass....

17-7 Browns with 2:15 to go in the half

Guess we won't see Brady Quinn tonight....and hey....right on cue, Tony says the same thing.

9:53- Manning hits Steve Smith and that's the two minute warning. After the timeout the Eli passes to Smith again for a first down and they're at midfield. The Browns blitz, Eli just throws it up to Steve Smith and he catches it. If that was two years ago, that would have been a pick six.

Manning to Smith again....this time for 14 and it's down to the 21. One minute to go....and ohhhhh....Eric Wright just misses and INT. 2nd and 10....fade to Hixon and that's not working. 3rd and 10....

Eric Wright just did his best Booker T impression. (Via Anon)

MANNING SACKED! Fumble and the Browns have it!!! Scratch that....illegal contact on Cleveland and that'll give the Giants a first down with :47 left.

There's a review now to see if the ball came out before the flag. No one on the MNF crew seems to know why. Back from commercial, Ward runs it up the middle inside the ten and it's 2nd and 3. Manning to Hixon for a first down and it's a first and goal at the three....Giants use their last timeout with :17 left....

Manning to Burress....TOUCHDOWN G-MEN! Beautiful fade there and Terry Cousins didn't even have a shot.

17-14 Browns now and that should do it for the half. I'll see you in another thread for some Baseball-Football combo, as we get near the end of each game.