After a Week 8 bye, the New Orleans Saints regular to action on Sunday when they host the Cleveland Browns
in the Superdome. Entering with a 2-5 record, the Saints are also looking for their first win after three losses in their own building. They'll have to do it against a surprising 5-3 Cleveland team, but one playing their third straight road game and coming off a rout at the hands of the Pittsburgh Steelers.New Orleans has not even closely resembled the defense that ranked ninth overall and fourth against the pass in 2025. Their awful performance against the run is well-documented, but coordinator Brandon Staley's passive scheme and underperforming players on the field has also led to a major plummet against the pass. Cleveland counters
with an offense that ranks only 24th in yardage, 29th in points scored, and will likely be without quarterback Deshaun Watson due to a concussion. Second-year quarterback Shadeur Sanders, after some midweek bulletin board material, gets the start at New Orleans. Here's a look at how Sanders and the Cleveland offense matches up against the Saints.
Cleveland Browns passing game
- 204.3 yards per game (21st)
- 65.9% completion percentage
- 7 touchdowns (27th)
- 3 interceptions (4th)
- 33 sacks
Sanders will see his first extensive action of 2026. The 2025 fifth round choice did play in eight games with seven starts as a rookie. Cleveland went 3-4 in those games, with Sanders completing 56.6% of his throws and averaging only 193 passing yards with 7 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. Sanders doesn't escape the rush as well as Watson, nor can he read coverages nearly as well, but he does have a quick release and throws fairly well on the move.
Sanders will also have better weapons than he did as a rookie. Tight end Harold Fannin is having a magnificent year with 35 receptions, 411 yards, and 3 scores to lead the Browns in all three categories. Rookie wideouts KC Concepcion (1st round) and Denzel Boston (2nd) are developing into a quality tandem. Concepcion is an acrobatic big-play threat who has 33 catches and 352 yards. The bigger and more physical Boston has caught 26 balls for 409 yards and a team-best 3 touchdowns. Jerry Jeudy remains a highly erratic producer with 16 receptions for 171 yards, but is capable of big plays and big games.
Cleveland has backs able to make plays for their passing attack. Starter Quinshon Judkins has pulled in 21 passes for 134 yards. Jaleel McLaughlin and Dylan Sampson have combined for just 13 catches and 108 yards so far, but both can be electric in the open field.
Cleveland struggles to protect their quarterback. Watson has been sacked more than any other quarterback this season. Sanders was sacked 23 times in eight games as a rookie. Both tend to hold the ball longer, sometimes leading to unnecessary sacks, but protection has been a constant issue.
New Orleans Saints pass defense
- 233.3 yards per game (24th)
- 66.1% completion percentage
- 11 touchdowns (21st)
- 4 interceptions (18th)
- 18 sacks
- 38 QB hits
A infuriatingly soft coverage scheme often employed by Staley has resulted in a consistently easy game of pitch-and-catch from quarterback to receiver. Make no mistake, the defenders in coverage must make more plays, but Staley's philosophy has not taken advantage of the abilities of the defensive backs or allowed their pass rush time to create more disruption.
Cornerback Kool-Aid McKinstry has been erratic at times, but has generally been the Saints best defensive back. This is especially true on the rare occasions when New Orleans plays some man, as McKinstry has a team-high 6 passes broken up. Veteran Martin Emerson Jr., a former Browns starter, has 4 pass breakups and a team-best 2 interceptions, both in a win against the Giants. Second-year corner Quincy Riley has struggled of late, but has impressive coverage skills. The fact that a quality trio of corners like McKinstry, Emerson, and Riley have only a combined 13 passes broken up highlights the shortcomings of Staley's scheme.
New Orleans needs far better play from their safeties. Jonas Sanker has been mostly awful in coverage as a replacement for Alontae Taylor, leading one to wonder why Staley won't use Emerson or Riley more in that role. Justin Reid, formerly a reliable veteran, has been horrid in both his coverage and tackling angles. Only Julian Blackmon (2 interceptions) has had a quietly solid year with good range and anticipation.
Few teams have fared worse against tight ends than the Saints. Part of the reason why is the already noted issues from Sanker, but another major reason is the putrid coverage abilities of Pete Werner at linebacker. It hasn't been a complicated strategy from opponents when Werner is in coverage: identify where, exploit it, get first down. Fellow linebacker Danny Stutsman isn't much better athletically, making the return to health of Kaden Elliss absolutely critical. The defensive captain, Elliss missed three games with a calf injury and was clearly hobbled against Pittsburgh before the bye. Elliss is the team's best coverage linebacker but is also an effective blitzer. With him now healthy, the Saints could also use Werner or Stutsman on blitzes while dropping Elliss in coverage for some different looks as well as much-needed interior pressure.
New Orleans gets virtually zero pressure from their defensive linemen. Tackle Khristian Boyd has had a few moments but that's been it. The Saints are counting on 16-year veteran Cameron Jordan to have at least a minor resurgence as he closes out a legendary career. Outside of that possibility, Nathan Shepherd and Vernon Broughton need to show something from a defensive line that's been collectively a waste of roster space.
Edge rushers Chase Young and Carl Granderson have been the only bright spots for this defense. Granderson has 5.5 sacks on the year, with 1.5 in each of the last three games. Even better is the production from Young, who might be a mid-season Defensive Player of the Year candidate if the Saints had a better record. Young has 16.5 sacks in his last 17 games, including 7 sacks with 14 pressures so far this year. Chase Young has undoubtedly been the team's defensive MVP, with Granderson's recent play giving the Saints a disruptive edge pair. It's here that New Orleans looks to have a significant advantage against Shadeur Sanders and the Browns, possibly not only leading to big sacks but also critical turnovers if the secondary plays more aggressively.
This article originally appeared on Saints Wire: Saints must cause havoc against Shadeur Sanders and Browns passing game
