Show Down in the Big Easy

Shedeur Sanders Gets the Nod: Browns Head South to Face Saints in Week 9 Battle

Welcome to Week 9, Dawg Pound!

On Sunday, your 5-3 Cleveland Browns head south to New Orleans’ Superdome to clash with the 2-5 Saints. Kickoff is set for 12:00 PM CDT, and the ChicagoLand Browns Backers / Northside Dawg Pound will be packed into Burke’s Public House to cheer Cleveland on to victory!

The headline news hit Friday: Shedeur Sanders gets his first start at QB this season. Deshaun Watson has been placed in concussion protocol following an illegal head hit during last week’s game against Pittsburgh.

That sets up a compelling matchup inside the Superdome: two second-year QBs drafted outside the first round going head-to-head.

Sanders Takes Center Stage

Sunday marks our first extended look at Sanders’ growth since his rookie year.

As a starter last season, Sanders posted a 3-4 record, completing 56.6% of his passes with 7 TDs against 10 interceptions for a league-low 68.1 passer rating. However, he spent this offseason taking valuable first-team reps during training camp.

Sanders brings a completely different dimension to Cleveland’s passing attack:

  • Deep-ball accuracy: Earned an impressive 88.0 PFF grade on passes of 20+ yards in 2025.
  • Pocket presence: Operates more as a classic pocket passer than Watson, using subtle movement to extend plays rather than relying solely on scrambles.
  • Opponent upside: Faces a New Orleans defense ranking 26th in yards per pass allowed and 24th in both passing yards per game and completion percentage.

The key for Sanders will be operating the huddle smoothly and managing pre- and post-snap defensive reads. Last season, his completion rate plunged from 69.0% in a clean pocket down to 41.7% under pressure, dropping his passer rating from 89.8 to a razor-thin 41.9.

To be fair, Sanders stepped in last year with virtually zero first-team reps. Out of 9 receivers on the 2025 roster, only Harold Fannin Jr. and Jerry Jeudy play meaningful snaps this season. He is also operating behind a revamped offensive line.

Midterm Exams for Cleveland’s Offense

Sunday marks the midpoint of the Browns’ 2026 campaign, and both sides of the ball face stiff tests.

Cleveland’s offense currently leads the NFL with a league-high 11.58% sack rate. Watson’s 33 sacks were 10 more than any other QB in football, making pass protection paramount for the pocket-bound Sanders.

According to PFF, LT Spenser Fano logged his lowest pass-blocking grade of the season last week, while LG Zion Johnson recorded his second-lowest. They face a relentless New Orleans pass rush featuring:

  • Chase Young: 7.0 sacks and 4 TFLs
  • Carl Granderson: 5.5 sacks and 5 TFLs
  • Martin Emerson Jr.: Former Browns DB starting at cornerback

Per The Athletic, Cleveland has gone 83 consecutive drives without a touchdown following a sack on the drive. Overall, the Saints rank 11th in sack rate (7.3%).

The ground game must also wake up. Cleveland ranks 23rd in rushing (3.9 yards per carry, under 98 yards per game) after Pittsburgh held the team to 34 rushing yards (2.3 YPC) last week. Fortunately, New Orleans ranks 29th against the run (139.0 yards allowed per game, 11 rushing TDs).

Defensive Keys: Stopping the Interior Run

Cleveland’s defense faces its own critical test against the inside running game. Over the last two weeks, the defense surrendered 264 yards and 4 TDs on 36 carries between the tackles. Fixing this requires strict gap discipline, secure tackling, and fast trap recognition.

Saints QB Tyler Shough brings a physical 6’5″, 225 lbs frame that is difficult to drag down. His season profile shows high efficiency underneath:

  • Passing line: 67.0% completion rate, 6.3 YPA, 13 TDs, 6 INTs (90.9 QB rating).
  • Short-game accuracy: Completes 79.0% of passes 9 yards or under (expect heavy doses of shallow crosses, outs, and swing routes).
  • Dual-threat touch: 4.6 yards per rush with 2 rushing TDs, though he has logged 6 fumbles.
  • Under pressure: Completion rate drops to 50.6% and passer rating falls to 67.3 when pressured without a blitz.

Shough’s top targets include former Ohio State Buckeye Chris Olave (49 receptions, 2 TDs), alongside Devaughn Vele and Juwan Johnson, who have combined for 59 receptions and 6 TDs.

They are joined in the backfield by four-time Pro Bowler Alvin Kamara. In his 10th season, Kamara is one of only six players in NFL history with over 5,000 rushing yards (7,375) and 5,000 receiving yards (5,081). This year he is averaging 3.0 yards per carry with 22 receptions and 3 TDs.

GO BROWNS… GO CAVS!

From the Editor/WebMaster: Thank you for reading and joining us again for this 2026 season – we hope to see you at Burke’s Irish Pub at 5401 N Broadway, Chicago IL for the games! Don’t forget to check out our Merch and our Socials. All Merch proceeds goes to charity!