Browns vs. Saints Week 9 picks: Lots of people expect New Orleans to get it together against Cleveland
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Browns vs. Saints Week 9 picks: Lots of people expect New Orleans to get it together against Cleveland
New Orleans Saints' US quarterback #06 Tyler Shough (R) reacts during the NFL Paris Game American football match between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the New Orleans Saints at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, near Paris on October 25, 2026, the first-ever regular-season NFL game to be played in France. (Photo by FRANCK FIFE / AFP via Getty Images) | AFP via Getty Images
Chris Pokorny·SB Nation
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3 min read
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The Cleveland Browns take on the New Orleans Saints this Sunday. The Browns are coming off of a bad loss to the Steelers, but it looks like they'll have a change at quarterback this week (forced by injury) withShedeur Sandersbeing under center. The Saints are well-rested, coming off of a bye. Note that some of the picks below were written up before the Browns' quarterback news.
Here is what the national media is saying about the Week 9 game between the Browns and Saints:
Why Brooke picked the Saints: Shedeur Sandersis in line to start for the Browns with Deshaun Watson, who was playing his best ball since 2020, entering concussion protocol earlier this week. The biggest difference with Sanders under center appears to be his willingness to stretch the field, as his 7.1 air yards per target in 2025 are more than Watson's 6.7 mark through eight games this season. Sanders is also working with a better receivers than he did a year ago with rookies Denzel Boston and KC Concepcion earning big roles in Todd Monken's offense. None of that will ultimately matter if the run game is dormant — as it was last week (34 yards) in Pittsburgh. The Saints' defense has been anything but great against the run, allowing 139.4 rush yards per game (29th in the NFL) and have given up north of 100 yards in all but one game in 2026. But I do see this being a get-right game for the Saints on all fronts fresh off the bye. Changes were made to the run game (firingrun-game coordinator T.J. Paganetti, signing RB Audric Estimé) and the kicking ranks (Charlie Smyth is expected to handle kicking duties after Daniel Carlson's release), and the entire roster got a little healthier. First-round receiver Jordyn Tyson returned to practice and could be a boon — if he indeed makes his NFL debut — for Tyler Shough opposite Chris Olave. Getting Kelvin Banks Jr. back along an O-line that has struggled to keep Shough clean in the pocket should also benefit Kellen Moore's unit. Sanders can smile all he wants, but the Saints will get the last laugh Sunday.
The Browns are playing consecutive road games after losing to the Steelers last week. The Saints are coming off a bye, so big advantage there. The Browns were bad on offense against the Steelers, which I think carries over here. The Saints will do enough to win a low-scoring game.
The Browns are quickly regressing to the mean and going into a hostile environment to face a hungry, young team after a bye doesn't bode well. New Orleans will have emphasized the need to execute better at home for both Kellen Moore and Brandon Staley. Tyler Shough gets it done, having more reliable weapons than Deshaun Watson.
Both offenses are struggling. Deshaun Watson has taken a league-high 33 sacks, and the Browns average 97.6 rushing yards per game. New Orleans has been worse on the ground, but a bye week comes at the right time. The Saints are 0-4 S/U this season – and this game is a candidate for a walk-off field goal either way. Tyler Shough needs to avoid the interceptions, but New Orleans wins a coin-flip game.
