Tell us where you've heard this before:
The Giants' offense failed to get untracked for large periods of time, and except for a few chunk plays, was entirely ineffective. The offensive line struggled in pass protection as Eli Manning was consistently under duress.
The defense was often a step behind, especially in the passing game, where Browns quarterbacks easily found their targets and had little difficulty completing passes.
Sounds like the 2017 season, right?
Try Thursday night's preseason opener, too.
Of course, this is no time to make any sweeping conclusions about an NFL team _ even one coming off a 3-13 debacle that prompted changes at coach and general manager. But Giants first-year coach Pat Shurmur saw plenty of evidence that there is still much work to be done before his team is ready for the regular-season opener against the Jaguars on Sept. 9.
The futility on both sides of the ball was a consistent theme last season, and a rash of injuries, especially at receiver and in the secondary, only compounded the problems. The Giants weren't ready from the start with second-year coach Ben McAdoo, and he didn't even last until the end of the season before being shown the door.
There has been plenty of optimism about a team that has undergone significant changes at many levels, and the return of Odell Beckham Jr. from an ankle injury and the drafting of Penn State running back Saquon Barkley have underscored the fresh-start vibe to this year's training camp. That optimism seems legitimate, and even a lackluster performance in the preseason opener against the Browns shouldn't necessarily diminish the feel-good dynamic.
There is a very, very long way to go between now and the start of the season, and the fact that Manning worked just two series before being removed for backup Davis Webb means it's foolish to assume the worst. Beckham didn't play at all, as the Giants did the right thing in keeping him away from any injury risk.
Barkley electrified the smallish crowd that showed up on a hot and humid evening with his first preseason carry, a 39-yard gain that showed the kind of potential the Giants saw in him to make him the No. 2 overall pick in the draft. But Barkley didn't do much after that, carrying four more times for just 4 yards.
The retooled offensive line was unimpressive in opening holes for Barkley and in protecting Manning, who was 4-for-7 for 26 yards and one sack.
The defense posed even more of a concern, as first-year coordinator James Bettcher's group proved no match for a Browns team coming off an 0-16 season. Starter Tyrod Taylor and rookie Baker Mayfield both had their way with the Giants' defense in the first half, easily finding open receivers.
Taylor hit tight end David Njoku on a perfectly thrown 36-yard pass to the right corner of the end zone in the first quarter, and Mayfield hit Njoku on a 10-yard touchdown by threading the ball between two defenders. Mayfield added a 54-yard touchdown on a slant to rookie receiver Antonio Calloway early in the fourth quarter to put Cleveland ahead 20-10.
Despite the inauspicious start, safety Landon Collins remains undeterred.
"It's going to be amazing because of how aggressive we are, we play aggressive, we have a lot of aggressive people on this defense," Collins said. "This defense, and the task we have for this defense and the guys that's on it, it's going to be amazing."
Amazing is hardly the word to describe Thursday's performance. Manning knows.
"After the first game, you see a lot about things you need to improve on," he said. "There's things guys need to settle down and get comfortable with everything. I think you can see a lot of things we need to improve on."
Agreed.
Entirely.
