The Saints got what they needed on Sunday: a third win, a victory over the Browns, and the top spot in the NFC South.
It wasn’t clean. It wasn’t the kind of performance that makes anyone forget the issues that have followed New Orleans all season. But after the bye, the Saints at least left with something to build on.
The biggest lift came from Audric Estime. Just two weeks ago, the Saints’ running game was stuck in the mud, with the backs combining for 11 rushing yards on 14 carries.
That problem was loud before the bye, and it had been a season-long issue. New Orleans then got a break by bringing Estime back on waivers, and he made the most of his first game back.
He finished with 72 yards on 15 carries, averaged 4.8 yards per attempt, and scored a touchdown.
With Travis Etienne’s return still on the horizon, Estime appears to have carved out a meaningful role for now. He looks like the back who can handle most of the work until Etienne is ready.
Carl Granderson was another major bright spot. Chase Young has drawn plenty of attention with 8 sacks in 8 games, but Granderson has taken advantage of the space that creates and pushed his own total to 7.5 sacks. Against Cleveland, he added 2 sacks and 2 tackles for loss, and he was one of the most disruptive players on the field.
There was also a little extra edge to his day. Granderson went into the week with motivation after a viral video showed Shedeur Sanders seemingly laughing when asked a question about the Saints’ defense.
Sanders later said he wasn’t laughing at the Saints’ defense, but the moment still gave New Orleans something to latch onto. Granderson said he took it personally, and if he keeps producing like this, the Saints could finish with two of the top three sack leaders.
The secondary, though, didn’t have the same kind of afternoon. On paper, this was a favorable matchup for New Orleans with Sanders making his first start of the 2026 season after being the 2025 fifth-round pick and a second-year quarterback. The pass rush did its part, but the back end didn’t make enough plays when it mattered most.
That showed up in a few key moments: Denzel Boston missing Kool-Aid McKinstry, and then Julian Blackmon and Martin Emerson Jr. failing to finish the tackle on KC Concepcion after a big catch that turned into a touchdown. Against Tetairoa McMillan, the Saints simply didn’t get the kind of stops they needed from the secondary.
The turnover battle was the other major blemish. New Orleans had a real chance to turn this into a more comfortable win, but instead it lost two fumbles and didn’t force any turnovers at all. Jordyn Tyson’s first reception ended in a fumble three yards from the end zone, and Barion Brown hurt the Saints by running backward before coughing it up himself.
That’s the part that keeps hanging over New Orleans. The Saints are now -6 in the turnover battle this season, and that number keeps sliding the wrong way.
In Other News...
Saints Just Opened A Huge Opportunity For Christen Miller
The Saints made a notable move on the defensive line by dealing Davon Godchaux to Jacksonville, a transaction that clears a bit more room in New Orleans front. It was a straightforward roster decision on the surface, with the Jaguars looking for help up front and the Saints willing to part with a veteran piece as they reshape the interior of their defense.
For Christen Miller, the timing could hardly be better. The rookie defensive tackle has been waiting for a larger role, and this trade opens the door for more snaps as the Saints sort out their rotation. What he does with that opportunity will be worth watching, especially for a team that is still trying to identify which young defenders can earn bigger responsibilities going forward. [Read more 🡒]
Saints Just Created A New Question Up Front In The Division Race
On the eve of the NFL trade deadline, New Orleans made a notable move up front by dealing defensive tackle Davon Godchaux to the Jacksonville Jaguars. The return is a conditional sixth-round pick in the 2028 NFL draft, with the type of future asset that can shift depending on how Jacksonvilles draft inventory looks down the line.
For the Saints, the deal opens a fresh question about how they want to handle the interior of their defense as the division race tightens. Godchaux had appeared in eight games for New Orleans this season after arriving in a 2025 trade from the New England Patriots, and moving him now suggests the front office is willing to make another adjustment rather than wait for the deadline to pass quietly. [Read more 🡒]
Panthers Still Have A Real NFC South Chance For One Reason
The NFC South has become a race defined as much by survival as by momentum, with every team in the division sitting below .500 and the standings still crowded enough to keep just about everyone interested. Carolina and New Orleans have been the two clubs closest to the top of the pile, and the Saints have the edge for now because of divisional results, which makes every head-to-head meeting feel a little bigger than a normal midseason game.
That is why the upcoming Saints-Panthers matchup carries so much weight for New Orleans, especially in a division where no one has separated from the pack and even the broader power rankings still have the NFC South clustered near the bottom of the league. The Buccaneers are listed highest among the division teams, with the Falcons, Saints and Panthers following, but the real story remains the same: there is still a path here, and the next stretch will go a long way toward showing who can actually take it. [Read more 🡒]