With no agenda and a win in hand, the New York Giants say some surprising things about the 0-12 Cleveland Browns.

CLEVELAND The Giants see the Browns taking baby steps.

"They've got a good team," eighth-year pro Rashad Jennings said after helping the Giants win 27-13 Sunday. "I kid you not."

The Browns fell to 0-12 and are beat up emotionally heading into the bye.

The Giants don't see them as a hopeless case.

"I can see why they've been in most of their games," said linebacker Kelvin Sheppard, a sixth-year pro out of LSU. "If you actually watch and study them, they've been in the games, and a couple of times they actually jumped out and led by two or three scores.

"If they add a couple of pieces and jell together, those guys can make tremendous strides."

The Giants won't see the Browns again this year and perhaps not for a long time. The fact there was no agenda behind their postgame comments made them more credible.

One Giant threw a rare compliment to Cameron Erving, the former Florida State left tackle who has struggled as the Browns' center. It was defensive tackle Damon Harrison, a fifth-year pro who spent most of the day in hand-to-hand combat against Erving.

"That's a really good young center," Harrison said. "Over time, I think he'll turn into one of the better centers in this league.

"Now that I've watched him a lot on film and saw him in a game, I think that. He's a big guy, and guys like myself have trouble with the bigger guys."

Harrison spoke from the standpoint of a 350-pound giant who pushes around smaller centers but did not have his way with the 320-pound Erving.

"If he can stay at it and get his technique more consistent, I think he'll be one of the better centers, and that's the honest truth," Harrison said.

The linebacker, Sheppard, looked past the Browns' weak rushing stats: 21 carries, 58 yards.

"Those two running backs, No. 29 and No. 34, are both dynamic backs," he said of Duke Johnson and Isaiah Crowell. "I believe they could go to any team and contribute, if not start.

"They had good tight ends. Of course, there's Gary (Barnidge), but also No. 87. I don't know his name, but he showed something in the receiving game."

No. 87 is rookie fourth-round pick Seth DeValve, who caught three passes for 39 yards.

Safety Eli Apple, a rookie first-round pick from Ohio State, seemed impressed by starting wideouts Corey Coleman and Terrelle Pryor.

"(Coleman) is fast, and he's quick," Apple said.

Pryor helped keep the Browns in the game with a long pass-interference penalty. Apple was the defender who got flagged.

"(Pryor) gave me a little shoulder (bump)," Apple said. "He's a big guy, and he got off a little bit."

Left tackle Ereck Flowers said there had been a lot of practice chatter about Browns nose tackle Danny Shelton. Against a front seven anchored by Shelton, running backs Jennings and Paul Perkins teamed for 24 carries that netted 84 yards, 3.5 per attempt.

"They had some talent out there," Jennings said. "That young boy, Naz (rookie Carl Nassib) got off the edge and was really disruptive.

"They've got a stout, strong guy in 55 (Shelton). They brought in (linebacker Jamie) Collins from New England. He's a weapon. Their DBs came up and hit."

The Giants, 8-3, headed for he bus out of Cleveland and into the heat of a December playoff race. They left behind a few words that might help keep the winless Browns warm during the bye week.

Reach Steve at 330-580-8347 or

steve.doerschuk@cantonrep.com

On Twitter: @sdoerschukREP