Browns vs Saints: 3 players who can change Week 11’s outcome

Derek Carr, Alvin Kamara among the big names for Browns vs Saints

After a much-needed bye week, the Cleveland Browns will return to the football field this Sunday. Considering how the latter part of their schedule is, Cleveland will look to gain some momentum and finish the season on a positive note. The Browns will make a trip down to the Bayou to take on the New Orleans Saints.

After a 2-0 start to start the year, there was a sense of belief that the Saints were trending towards being a serious contender in the NFC. So much for that. Injuries at key positions and a seven-game-losing streak led to the Saints firing head coach Dennis Allen after the team lost to the Carolina Panthers after Week 9.

Interim head coach Darren Rizzi got his first win over the Atlanta Falcons but make no mistake, this team is not good.

Offensively, this is an average unit, however, they have been plagued by injuries.

As far as the receiving corps goes, it’s depleted. Wide receivers Chris Olave, Rashid Shaheed and rookie Bub Means are all on injured reserve. If I told you Marquez Valdes-Scantling would be the main guy in the receiver room going into Week 11, you wouldn’t believe me. Undrafted rookies Mason Tipton (Akron Archbishop Hoban grad) and Jermaine Jackson are on the active roster but Dante Pettis and Equanimeous St Brown will be called up from the practice squad.

Running back Alvin Kamara has been effective and the offensive line has gone through their fair share of injuries as well. Average but the unit is inconsistent.

As far as the defense goes, it has a new look to it.

The cornerback room is young after the team traded away former Ohio State and Glenville HS grad Marshon Lattimore to the Washington Commanders. The unit still has noticeable veterans on the team. Linebacker Demario Davis (he played in Cleveland at one point), defensive end Cam Jordan and safety Tyrann Mathieu come to mind.

Ohio State standouts defensive end Chase Young and linebacker Pete Werner are also there.

From a statistical standpoint, the unit is ranked towards the lower half of the league. Despite the noticeable names, the unit is on the older side and hasn’t been great. It’s also led by former Browns defensive coordinator Joe Woods.

Overall, not a great unit.

Here are the 3 players to watch for in this upcoming matchup:

QB Derek Carr

When Derek Carr signed with the New Orleans Saints last season, many believed that he would be the quarterback that the Saints were missing. Safe to say, the Saints are probably still looking for a quarterback that they are missing. Going back to the 2-0 start, Carr was playing with confidence and looked rejuvenated under new offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak.

However, when teams figured out the offense and how to limit it Carr had his struggles. The Saints offense fell off a cliff when Carr went down with an oblique injury and missed time and it was obvious. Carr can push the ball down the field and give his receivers a chance to make a play as well as playing with anticipation:

Despite how Carr has looked, the Browns defense will have to be prepared for what Carr can do. One of the biggest issues the Browns secondary struggled with is the big play explosives, which Carr can look to generate when given enough time. Take away the deep ball, force him to make mistakes and you have a chance.

RB Alvin Kamara

In terms of skill positions, running back Alvin Kamara is the best weapon that the Saints have right now. Before the season started, Kamara was hopeful that the Saints would offer him a new contract considering how the running back market did a mini reset. It didn’t detract his play and Kamara got off to a solid start to the season. He ended up getting that contract extension (despite the Saints salary cap situation):

As far as his on-the-field production goes, Kamara is still effective as a runner and still a threat in the passing game. When he has the ball in his hands, he can find a way to generate explosive plays and keep the Saints offense on track:

The Browns run defense hasn’t been a problem but containing Kamara in both the passing and run game can help Cleveland have a chance to come out with a win.

CB Alontae Taylor

When the Saints traded cornerback Marshon Lattimore to the Washington Commanders, the torch was officially passed to cornerback Alontae Taylor. Taylor, the 2022 2nd-round pick out of Tennessee is unofficially the leader in that cornerback room. Taylor primarily lined up at the slot but due to injuries and Lattimore being traded, Taylor is now primed to start on the outside on a full-time basis.

Watching tape of Taylor and the one thing that I noticed is how sticky he is in coverage and how effective he is in terms of cornerback blitzes:

Considering how thin the secondary is, Taylor is likely going to have his blitz packages dialed back and be more focused on shadowing the opposing team’s receivers more times than not. Taylor is someone who the Browns should keep a close eye on. He’s sticky in coverage and can make plays when given the opportunity.