Browns @ Saints: 2 Steps Backwards...

The Browns are coming off a tough defeat to their division rivals in Pittsburgh. And in losing this game, they forfeit their division lead to the Steelers, who now sit at 6-2. Not a great day for Deshaun Watson, as he had 324 yards on 27/39 passes, but he was sacked 8 times for 41 yards. I’m sure some of those were not Watson’s fault, but you’re going to have trouble with that kind of pressure on your QB. Their run game absolutely stopped working, as they finished with just 34 yards on 15 attempts. It was nice to see Harold Fannin Jr. have a nice day, as he finished with 10 catches and 154 yards. But none of these stats resulted in points. I would hope they bounce back against the Saints, but this is a pretty evenly matched game.

         The Saints are coming off their bye after losing a tight one to the Steelers in Paris. This was a sloppy game all around from both teams, but the Saints looked like they were just kicking the ball around. They had zero ground game, which is no surprise from the 5^th worst rushing team in the league, but a combined 14 carries for 11 yards from your RBs is nowhere near acceptable. Shough played alright, nothing to write home about, but he finished with 212 yards, 1 TD, and 1 INT. The Saints just feel like a team without a true identity, and it’s showing in these games. I would imagine their strength lies in the pass game, but that hasn’t really shown itself in the last few weeks. I think I’ll take the Browns in this close game, but I’m of the thought this game can truly go either way.