The question we all ask ourselves is what will be the Cleveland Browns look like they’re coming off their bye as they take on the New Orleans Saints?
When DeShaun Watson tore his Achilles midway through the game against the Cincinnati Bengals, the Browns were forced to adjust on the fly when they had to insert both Dorian Thompson-Robinson and Jameis Winston in the starting lineup. Now with a few weeks under his belt and a week off to get comfortable, Winston will be the starter until further notice.
The quarterback isn’t the only thing that has changed throughout the start of the season. Running back Nick Chubb returned from injury, receiver Amari Cooper was traded to Buffalo and two young players, Cedric Tillman and Dawand Jones, were elevated to permanent positions. The offensive coaching staff has had their hands full with constant changes, but as they enter the second half of the season, we should start to see some continuity.
This isn’t meant to be any harm, but a game against the New Orleans Saints should be the right matchup to test what works and what doesn’t. Although it should not be overlooked, the Saints showed new energy after firing their coach and promote Darren Rizzi to lead the team. The losing team can officially pack up and plan a vacation in January, while the winning team can hold out a slim hope of making a late run.
Here are the five clashes that will determine the winner on Sunday:
Nick Chubb vs. Demario Davis
The old people are getting into it. Two legends of their respective franchises are in the twilight of their careers but remain crucial parts of their respective game plans. For Nick Chubb (and Jerome Ford), it’s essential that the Browns can pair a more open offense with a respectable enough running game to keep defenses honest. For the Saints, keeping the Browns one-dimensional will help the defensive backs fend off an aggressive Jameis Winston. THE winner of this match will dictate the pace on that side of the ball.
Nick Chubb was initially forced into a heavier workload early in his return when Jerome Ford was injured around the same time. Ford came back and took most of the snaps last week, but Chubb got more work, so the gaps between these two will be interesting to watch. Demario Davis is as reliable and underrated a linebacker as you will find and, throughout the Saints season, he has remained that consistent force for the defense.
Neither side will back down lightly, so it will be a question of who can best impose their will.
Dawand Jones vs. Cam Jordan and Chase Young
This game should be the litmus test for Browns second-year tackle Dawand Jones. Jones will now settle in at left tackle for the remainder of the season, a move of confidence from the team after backing up both sides of the line the past two seasons and now replacing Jedrick Wills. When fully healthy, Jones is by far the youngest starter in play and can become a key part of the Browns’ retooling or rebuilding in the future if he finishes the season well.
The Saints’ duo of Cam Jordan and Chase Young is a formidable combo that will test Jones in terms of size, speed, power and experience, but they’re also not the toughest matchups to face. Jones will face for the rest of the season. So far, they’ve combined for just four sacks and 16 quarterback hits, most of them coming from Young. If Jones blocks the pass and keeps Winston clean, then he looks like the real deal, but struggling against them would be a worrying sign.
Myles Garrett vs. Taliese Fuaga and Trevor Penning
On the other side of things, the Browns have an ideal matchup in All-Pro passer Myles Garrett and the opportunity to play against a struggling and struggling Saints offensive line. No matter where he lines up, Garrett will face a young offensive tackle who will have few backups unless they sell out to stop him (and they certainly can).
Trevor Penning was a pleasant surprise in a bad season. Penning originally struggled on the left side in his first two seasons, prompting the Saints to draft his replacement in Fuaga. Had long-time starter Ryan Ramcyzk been healthy, Penning would have been demoted to backup, but in this case he was given another chance to start on the opposite side where he made progress.
The Saints had the best of both worlds because Fuaga was also pretty solid as a rookie. Neither should be a real match for Garrett, but it will be far from his easiest assignment. With all the injuries on New Orleans’ interior line, I wouldn’t be surprised to see him blitz inside as well. Much like the previous game, this will be a litmus test for the Saints’ young lineman.
Mohamoud Diabaté vs. Alvin Kamara
It will be a trial by fire for second-year linebacker Mohamoud Diabate, who will be tasked with keeping tabs on one of the league’s most dangerous threats out of the backfield. It’s been business as usual for Alvin Kamara, who the Saints are leaning on more with injuries to Kendre Miller and Chris Olave. Kamara is on pace to break his career high and has already surpassed 1,100 total scrimmage yards. Although he has been the only reliable threat for this offense, he has been difficult for most defenses to contain.
Diabaté has only started three games in his career and will now have multiple responsibilities, including keeping an eye on Kamara. Early returns have been promising as the linebacker replaced Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, but he now faces a different level of player.
We can expect the Saints offense to run through Kamara, so if the Browns can do their part to slow him down, the rest of the offense will struggle to find other opportunities. However, if Kamara does what he is known for, the offense will suddenly open up and allow players like Marquez Valdez-Scantling to become playmakers.
Cedric Tillman vs. Saints secondary
If there’s anywhere Tillman can have his big game, it’s here. You could say he’s already gotten away with it, passing for over 75 yards in his three starts so far. However, if we’re considering a young player to really put his name in the spotlight, an explosive matchup against a sensitive Saints secondary is on the table.
New Orleans moved on from longtime cornerback Marshon Lattimore at the deadline, paving the way for younger players to start in his place. Two second-round picks, Alontae Taylor and Kool-aid McKinstry, took most of those snaps and both should expect to see a lot of Tillman. New Orleans has been a passing funnel, allowing the league’s fourth-most passing yards and ninth-most points per game.
Veteran Tyrann Mathieu hasn’t done much to stop the bleeding and if the pass rush struggles, then opposing quarterbacks have mostly succeeded. I would expect Jameis Winston to have a strong appetite for airing the ball in this game, so it will be up to Tillman to go up and get it.
This article was originally published on Browns Wire: 5 key games to watch in Week 11 against the Saints
