Coming off their bye, the New Orleans Saints will also return to the Superdome when they host the Cleveland Browns this Sunday. The Saints are 2-5 as they enter this contest, but have yet to win at home in three tries. They'll take on a 5-3 Browns squad making their third consecutive away trip.
After a top-10 defense in 2025, the Saints have plummeted to the bottom of the NFL with a 28th overall unit. They'll face a lowly Cleveland offense that is 24th in yardage and 29th in points scored. The Browns will also be without starting quarterback Deshaun Watson (concussion), instead going with second-year signal caller Shadeur Sanders. The best way to help an inexperienced quarterback is by running the ball. It's something the Browns have had little
success with in 2026, but that New Orleans is even worse in stopping. Here's how that aspect of Sunday's clash matches up.
Cleveland Browns running game
- 97.6 yards per game (24th)
- 3.9 per carry (24th)
- 6 touchdowns (21st)
Cleveland has rushed for fewer than 100 yards in five of eight contests. They are coming off a season-low 34 rushing yards in a loss to Pittsburgh, just one week after the Steelers held New Orleans to 18 yards on the ground. The Browns have had only 16 runs of 10 yards or longer, ninth fewest in the NFL. Incidentally, the Saints have 12 such runs, third fewest in the league.
Second-year back Quinshon Judkins, a former second round pick, leads the Browns in rushing, but has only 342 yards and a 3.4 average. Judkins has good size with excellent power and underrated burst. His 827 rushing yards in 14 games as a rookie also led Cleveland, and did so by a wide margin. Fellow 2025 draftee Dylan Sampson is one of the backups to Judkins. A fourth round choice, Sampson is smaller than Judkins but a better open field threat. Sampson has only 52 yards so far, playing in just three games because of an early injury.
Former Denver Broncos standout Jaleel McLaughlin has emerged as the primary backup to Judkins. Like Sampson, McLaughlin is better in open space and off-tackle than inside. He has only 72 rushing yards and 11 carries in seven outings so far. Deshaun Watson is actually Cleveland's second leading rusher with 217 yards. With Watson likely sidelined, Shadeur Sanders doesn't present nearly as big a threat with his legs. In eight games as a rookie, Sanders had only 169 yards on the ground.
New Orleans Saints run defense
- 139.4 yards per game (29th)
- 4.8 per carry (26th)
- 11 touchdowns (30th)
- 27 tackles for loss
New Orleans has held only one of seven opponents to under 100 rushing yards. They've been gashed for over 145 on the ground four times, including in three of their last four outings. The Saints have surrendered 24 runs of over 10 yards, among the most in the league.
A hapless defensive front has allowed runners to easily get to the second level. Saints defensive linemen have been routinely manhandled and pushed around with ease. Second round pick Christen Miller hasn't gotten nearly enough playing time and hasn't developed as quickly as hoped at defensive tackle. Khristian Boyd has been a better pass rusher than run defender at the position, while Davon Godchaux has been little more than a small speed bump for the opposition in the middle. At end, legend Cameron Jordan has too often been stymied, with neither Nathan Shepherd or Vernon Broughton getting anywhere near enough penetration to disrupt plays.
Failures of the defensive line has left Saints linebackers exposed, but the linebackers have done little to help their own cause. The return to health of Kaden Elliss is crucial. Elliss missed three games with a calf injury and was still visibly slowed against the Steelers before the bye. He's not only the defensive captain, but has good play awareness and is the team's best run defender. Beside him, Pete Werner is a massive liability because of his poor agility and inability to diagnose plays consistently. For some inexplicable reason, coordinator Brandon Staley will not take playing time away from Werner for Danny Stutsman. A second-year player, Stutsman doesn't have great open field agility either but is a physical downhill defender who lays out thunderous hits.
New Orleans must do a better job at run support in their secondary. This in particular must fall to safeties Justin Reid and Jonas Sanker. Reid has too often taken poor angles to the ball, while Sanker must make his reads at the line of scrimmage faster. The rest of the defensive backfield could assist a struggling defense by being more physical and aggressive in their run support on the edge.
This article originally appeared on Saints Wire: Soft Saints run defense must toughen up vs. Browns rushing offense
