The New York Giants got their first win of the NFL season in Week 3, defeating the Cleveland Browns 21-15. This was a welcome change for the Giants and their fans, who have seen the squad lose a lot of games in the last few years. Despite the victory, the Giants need to pump the brakes on getting too excited. There's plenty still to fix on this team, and let's take a look at a few overreactions from the team's victory over Cleveland.
Overreaction #1
The Giants offense has found its stride

The Giants have struggled to score since Brian Daboll has been head coach. Before this season, Daboll decided to essentially take over play-calling duties, because he wanted more of a role in the team's offense.
While the Giants got some points against Cleveland, there's still plenty to work on as the team moves forward. The Giants defeated the Browns in Week 3, despite not scoring a single point in the second half. The team did manage 340 total yards of offense, which is a step in the right direction.
The Giants still have issues to fix though in both the passing and running game. The team averaged a little more than 4 yards a play, which will not win many games in the NFL. The team also went just 4-for-14 in third down conversion opportunities, which is again too low for the offense to keep pace with some of the most high-powered teams in the NFL.
Penalties are causing some of the problems. The team got flagged nine times against the Browns, for 68 total yards. On more than one occasion, a penalty stifled what could have been a promising drive. The penalties are something that must be cleaned up immediately for the Giants.
That leads to the second overreaction about this victory.
Article Continues BelowOverreaction #2
Giants defense is good enough to win every game
New York did an excellent job on defense against Cleveland. The defensive unit was truly the key to the team's victory. For example, the Giants just did a stellar job at stopping the run game against the Browns. Cleveland gained just 69 rushing yards and turned the ball over twice on fumbles.
While the rush defense is excellent, the pass defense is not as strong. The team has given up a total of 630 passing yards this season, which is in the middle of the pack in the league. The team ranks 18th this season in passing yards allowed, per NFL stats, so there's room to grow for this unit.
The Giants unfortunately didn't win the turnover battle, as they also lost two fumbles. The team needs to make the most of the turnovers they force against opposing teams, especially when their defense is giving up only 217 total yards of offense like they did to the Browns. New York was able to hang on for a six point victory, despite winning the time of possession battle by more than seven minutes, and forcing two turnovers.
The Giants are near the bottom of the NFL this season in scoring. The team has managed just six touchdowns, with only 10 other teams doing worse than that. New York is tied with four other clubs with six TDs, so the offense has to continue to step it up and help the defense. New York's defense is a great group, but they can't win 10 to 12 games this year by doing it all themselves.
New York next plays the Dallas Cowboys Thursday in a key NFC East matchup.