The Browns’ trip to New Orleans comes down to a simple question: which team can survive the run game battle?
Cleveland heads into Sunday’s matchup after getting thumped by the Steelers, while the Saints come in rested off their bye week. The Browns are trying to keep up in a crowded AFC North, where they sit third at 5-3, and they’re finishing a three-game road swing that has already produced one win and one loss.
What has stood out on that trip is how much the Browns’ offense changes when the ground game shows up. In their win, they ran the ball well and produced their best rushing performance of the season.
In the loss, the rushing attack disappeared. That has been the story for much of the year, and it matters even more now with Deshaun Watson in concussion protocol and Shedeur Sanders very likely to start.
#Browns Deshaun Watson (concussion) didn’t practice again today on Thursday of #Saints week. Shedeur Sanders very likely to start.
If Sanders gets the nod, the Browns will need the run game to do some heavy lifting. A functional rushing attack would keep the Saints from loading up the secondary and throwing different looks at the second-year quarterback. It would also help offset the missing piece Watson usually provides with his legs, especially when it comes to extending plays and picking up first downs.
And if Watson somehow does play, the same logic still applies. Cleveland needs to take pressure off him after he absorbed eight sacks last week and took plenty more hits. With the bye week coming, the Browns would love a cleaner afternoon for their quarterback.
The problem is that Cleveland has not exactly been reliable on the ground. The Browns rank 24th in rushing at 92.6 yards per game, with Quinshon Judkins leading the way at 342 yards and Watson adding 217. That’s not enough to force defenses to back off, and New Orleans has been vulnerable in exactly that area.
The Saints are 29th in the league against the run, allowing 139.4 yards per game. Their own offense hasn’t been much better on the ground, either.
New Orleans ranks 28th in rushing with 86 yards per game, led by Kendre Miller’s 159 yards. Travis Etienne has been sidelined by injury, though he may be available after the bye, and Alvin Kamara has only 125 yards, a sign of how much his production has dipped this season.
Cleveland’s defense has its own issues stopping the run, especially away from home. The Browns have played five road games and have given up more than 100 rushing yards in every one of them, averaging 147 yards allowed per game. They just let the Steelers run for 200 yards, and the group has looked worn down.
That challenge is made tougher by injuries, with Mason Graham, Michael Hall Jr., Carson Schwesinger, and Quincy Williams all banged up. Cleveland’s defense is 24th in the NFL against the run, and the front has to be more disciplined about staying in control at the line of scrimmage.
Still, the Saints don’t bring a dominant rushing attack of their own. If both teams struggle to run, the edge shifts toward New Orleans, which ranks 14th in passing at 229 yards per game, eight spots ahead of the Browns.
If Sanders starts, it would be his first start of the season, and his best trait is his accuracy on deep throws. But if Cleveland can’t run the ball, the Saints’ secondary will be waiting.
Sunday in the Superdome sets up as a game where one side has to break the pattern. Both teams have had trouble running it and stopping it, and the Browns’ path to ending the road trip with a win runs straight through control at the line of scrimmage.
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Browns Suddenly Have A Shedeur Sanders Decision Fans Need To Watch
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The situation has also stirred the usual trade chatter around Clevelands crowded quarterback group, but the Browns are not currently looking to move any of their young passers. Sanders, who was once considered by the Ravens, now has a chance to show he belongs in the conversation for more than just depth, and the next stretch of games should tell the team plenty about how it wants to handle that decision. [Read more 🡒]