Asked about the Browns' improvement over the past 12 games, Hue Jackson didn't flinch.
The Cleveland coach has been frustrated beyond belief by the team's 0-12 record, calling it one of the hardest things he's ever experienced, but he remained adamant about the young Browns' continued growth and development.
"I see some young players. I see some guys shedding blocks. They are making tackles. I see some guys at the point of attack doing certain things, gap blocking a little bit better than where we were. I see some of our receivers still emerging," Jackson said. "But it is not enough. It is not enough to win at this level. We just have to keep working at it. That starts with me and it kind of trickles down everywhere else, but I have to get it fixed."
Here were the five who impressed Sunday against the Giants.
The Browns play the New York Giants in Week 12.
WR Terrelle Pryor Sr. walks the field during pregame warmups.
Head Coach Hue Jackson signs autographs for fans before the Browns vs. Giants game.
Head Coach Hue Jackson, left, talks with New York Giants Head Coach Ben McAdoo, right, during pregame warmups.
WR Corey Coleman runs on the field during warmups.
QB Josh McCown walks the field during pregame warmups.
QB Josh McCown warms up.
Head Coach Hue Jackson watches players warm up.
QB Robert Griffin III, right, talks with New York Giants WR Odell Beckham Jr., left, during pregame warmups.
WR Terrelle Pryor Sr. catches the ball during warmups.
QB Josh McCown warms up.
The Cleveland Browns defense runs out of the tunnel.
WR Terrelle Pryor Sr. runs out of the tunnel before the Browns vs. Giants game.
LB Corey Lemonier sacks New York Giants QB Eli Manning.
QB Josh McCown looks to pass.
DB Briean Boddy-Calhoun (20) reacts after making a tackle.
RB Isaiah Crowell runs the ball.
DB Joe Haden breaks up a pass intended for New York Giants WR Odell Beckham Jr.
RB Duke Johnson Jr. tries to avoid a tackle.
QB Josh McCown takes a snap in the first half.
LB Jamie Collins Sr. in action against the Giants.
DB Briean Boddy-Calhoun waits for the snap.
RB Isaiah Crowell runs with the ball.
OL John Greco gets set at the line of scrimmage.
WR Ricardo Louis, left, and LB Joe Schobert, right, go in for a tackle.
LB Jamie Collins Sr. waits for the snap.
DB Joe Haden in action against the Giants.
WR Terrelle Pryor Sr. runs a route.
WR Terrelle Pryor Sr. makes a catch in the first half.
WR Terrelle Pryor Sr. tries to avoid a tackle.
RB Duke Johnson Jr. throws the ball during the first half.
QB Josh McCown talks with Head Coach Hue Jackson on the sideline during the first half.
QB Josh McCown looks to pass.
Head Coach Hue Jackson, left, watches the game during the first half.
DB Joe Haden defends New York Giants WR Odell Beckham Jr.
DB Jamar Taylor defends New York Giants WR Roger Lewis.
RB Duke Johnson Jr. stiff arms New York Giants CB Janoris Jenkins.
C Cam Erving in action against the Giants.
K Cody Parkey makes a field goal in the first half.
LB Jamie Collins Sr. pushes back New York Giants TE Will Tye.
The Browns defense gets set at the line of scrimmage.
WR Ricardo Louis returns a punt in the first half.
DL Jamie Meder (98) makes a tackle.
OL Joe Thomas in action against the Giants.
LB Dominque Alexander celebrates after recovering a fumble.
RB Isaiah Crowell runs with the ball.
WR Terrelle Pryor Sr. avoids a tackle.
QB Josh McCown looks to pass.
LB Christian Kirksey (58) makes a tackle.
DL Xavier Cooper makes a tackle.
WR Terrelle Pryor Sr. on the field in the first half.
QB Josh McCown, left, hands the ball off to RB Isaiah Crowell, right.
QB Josh McCown takes a snap in the first half.
WR Terrelle Pryor Sr. is tackled.
QB Josh McCown avoids a tackle as he runs with the ball.
The Browns defense tackles New York Giants RB Rashad Jennings.
QB Josh McCown throws the ball.
WR Terrelle Pryor Sr. evades New York Giants S Landon Collins.
WR Terrelle Pryor Sr. is tackled.
DB Briean Boddy-Calhoun breaks up a pass intended for New York Giants WR Roger Lewis.
RB Isaiah Crowell runs with the ball.
LB Christian Kirksey makes a tackle.
DB Ed Reynolds II in action against the Giants.
The Browns defense makes a tackle.
DB Ibraheim Campbell, left, and LB Dominique Alexander, right, wait for the snap.
WR Terrelle Pryor Sr. runs the ball.
DB Marcus Burley in action against the Giants.
DB Briean Boddy-Calhoun breaks up a pass intended for New York Giants WR Roger Lewis.
WR Ricardo Louis returns a punt in the second half.
RB Duke Johnson Jr. runs with the ball.
QB Josh McCown in action against the Giants.
Head Coach Hue Jackson watches the game from the sideline.
WR Corey Coleman catches a touchdown in the second half.
WR Corey Coleman celebrates after making a touchdown.
C Cam Erving lifts WR Corey Coleman into the air in celebration after Coleman's touchdown.
LB Corey Lemonier - Until Sunday, Lemonier hadn't been active for a game since the Browns' Week 6 loss at Tennessee. Against the Giants and with a limited amount of snaps, Lemonier made an impact on the game, picking up his second sack of the season -- the Browns' only of the game -- in the first quarter and knocking down a pass in the second quarter. The arrival of Jamie Collins Sr. has led to less snaps for outside linebackers/pass rushers such as Lemonier, Tyrone Holmes and Cam Johnson. Lemonier has handled it well and didn't let the opportunity pass him by Sunday.
DB Jamar Taylor - You probably didn't think much about Taylor during Sunday's game. That's typically a good thing when you play the position he does. With Tramon Williams Sr. sidelined for a second consecutive week, Taylor handled most of Williams' responsibilities in the slot. The primary player Taylor marked, rookie Sterling Shepard, didn't receive even a single target on the 51 snaps he played. Taylor has been pushing through a nagging groin injury that limited him to 10 snaps against the Cowboys, kept him on the sidelines Week 10 at Baltimore and limited him in practice over the past two weeks. He looked the part of a healthy, reliable cornerback Sunday who has been a true bright spot in a young Cleveland secondary.
DB Briean Boddy-Calhoun - Targeted early and often by Eli Manning, Boddy-Calhoun was up to the task, knocking down a number of deep balls and registering a tackle for loss along the way. The undrafted rookie has maintained a role on the Browns defense ever since he registered a pick-six Week 3 against the Dolphins. "My coaches have a lot of trust in me and we had great preparation throughout the week," Boddy-Calhoun said. "We have two great guys on the other side in Jamar and Joe (Haden), so I knew that I was going to get targeted a lot today."
WR Terrelle Pryor Sr. - What more can be said about one of the NFL's best stories this season? Pryor had one of his best games of the year Sunday, hauling in six catches for 131 yards against one of the best secondaries in the league. His 54-yard catch early in the fourth quarter was his longest of the season. On the year, Pryor is eighth in the NFL with 855 receiving yards and 12th with 62 receptions. As Jackson said after the game, he's continuing to improve as the season progresses, and that bodes well for the next four games and beyond.
TE Seth DeValve - The fourth-round rookie was singled out by Jackson after the game for the improvement he's made that goes beyond the career-high three catches for 39 yards he had Sunday. "I saw Seth DeValve get better today," Jackson said. "It is not just because he caught the ball. It is just certain things he did in the passing game." DeValve played a season-high 20 snaps and continues to show more and more comfort in the Browns offense after dealing with multiple injuries during training camp and the first half of the season.
