The Cleveland Browns (5-3) travel to the Caesars Superdome on Sunday to face the New Orleans Saints (2-5) in a Week 10 matchup that carries more weight for Cleveland’s AFC North standing than for New Orleans’ faded playoff hopes. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. ET on CBS. The biggest question heading into this Browns vs Saints preview is whether Cleveland’s defense, which has carried the team through its 5-3 start, can contain a Saints offense that has struggled to protect the football all season.
Cleveland Browns Vs New Orleans Saints Game Information
- Date: Sunday, Nov. 8
- Time: 1 p.m. ET
- Venue: Caesars Superdome, New Orleans, LA
- TV: CBS
- Weather: 64°F, 2% chance of precipitation
Is Deshaun Watson Going To Play?
Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson is listed as questionable with a concussion, according to the official injury report. Watson has completed 163 of 249 passes for 1,806 yards with seven touchdowns and three interceptions this season. If Watson is cleared, he is expected to start under center for Cleveland.
The Browns also list wide receiver Denzel Boston (calf), tight end Harold Fannin Jr. (groin), linebacker Quincy Williams (hamstring) and safety Emmanuel McNeil-Warren (hip) as questionable. Fannin leads Cleveland in receiving with 35 catches for 411 yards and three touchdowns, so his availability matters for whoever is at quarterback.
How Banged Up Is New Orleans’ Backfield?
The Saints enter with their own questions at running back. Alvin Kamara is listed as questionable with a back injury, and CJ Donaldson is questionable with a shoulder injury. Kendre Miller leads New Orleans in rushing with 57 carries for 159 yards and two touchdowns this season, a workload that could grow if Kamara is limited.
New Orleans has also placed left tackle Kelvin Banks Jr. on injured reserve following ankle surgery and wide receiver Jordyn Tyson on injured reserve with a hamstring strain. Safety Justin Reid is questionable with a concussion.
Can New Orleans’ Offense Find Consistency?
Saints quarterback Tyler Shough has thrown for 1,721 yards with 13 touchdowns and six interceptions on 183-of-273 passing this season, and he is expected to start Sunday. Wide receiver Chris Olave leads the team with 49 catches for 636 yards and two touchdowns. New Orleans has lost four of its last five games, with its lone win in that stretch a 34-27 road victory over the New York Giants on Oct. 18. The Saints’ most recent outing was a 16-10 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers on Oct. 25.
Cleveland Browns Outlook
Cleveland sits at 5-3 and third in the AFC North, built largely on defense rather than offensive volume. The Browns rank among the league’s more frequently sacked offenses, having allowed 33 sacks through eight games, a figure that stands out given Watson’s questionable status entering Sunday. Cleveland’s offense has managed just 17.4 points per game and a 32.35% third-down conversion rate, numbers that put pressure on the defense, which has produced 21 sacks and a takeaway total of 10 giveaways against 11 lost.
The Browns are coming off a 27-6 loss at Pittsburgh on Nov. 1, their first defeat in three games, following wins over the Steelers, Ravens and Titans in the stretch before that. Quinshon Judkins has carried the ground game with 101 attempts for 342 yards and three touchdowns.
New Orleans Saints Outlook
New Orleans is 2-5 and last in the NFC South, having dropped four of its last five games. The Saints have scored 23.1 points per game, outpacing Cleveland offensively, but their minus-4 turnover differential and 13 giveaways through seven games have undercut that production. New Orleans converts third downs at a 43.43% clip, well above Cleveland’s rate, and its 95.45% red zone scoring rate ranks as a team strength.
The defense has allowed opponents to average 23.1 points a game as well, reflecting a unit that has kept most games competitive without closing them out. New Orleans’ only win since late September came against the Giants on the road.
Key Matchup: Browns Pass Rush Vs Saints Offensive Line
Cleveland’s defense has recorded 21 sacks through eight games, while New Orleans’ offensive line has allowed 15 sacks and now must replace left tackle Kelvin Banks Jr., who went on injured reserve after ankle surgery. That void on the edge comes at a difficult time, with Shough already working behind a line that has given up 113 sack yards this season. If Cleveland’s pass rush gets consistent pressure, it could force the kind of mistakes that have led to New Orleans’ 13 giveaways this season, a number that already ranks as one of the more significant red flags in the Saints’ statistical profile.
Players To Watch
Harold Fannin Jr., TE, Browns
Fannin leads Cleveland with 35 receptions, 411 yards and three touchdowns, but he is listed as questionable with a groin injury heading into Sunday.
Chris Olave, WR, Saints
Olave paces the Saints with 49 catches for 636 yards and will be a primary target for Shough regardless of who else is available at receiver with Jordyn Tyson on injured reserve.
Alvin Kamara, RB, Saints
Kamara is questionable with a back injury. His snap count, if he plays, will shape how New Orleans distributes carries alongside Kendre Miller.
What To Watch
Cleveland holds the fourth spot in the AFC North at 5-3 but trails Pittsburgh, Cincinnati and sits ahead of only Baltimore in a tightly bunched division. A win would keep the Browns within striking distance of the top of the North. For New Orleans, already last in the NFC South at 2-5, the game offers a chance to build consistency after alternating wins and losses for most of the season. Both quarterback situations bear watching through pregame warmups given the questionable tags on Watson and the absence of Banks up front for New Orleans.
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