The latest Cleveland Browns news and notes from around the NFL in the Saturday Dawg Chow.
The Cleveland Browns do not have a lengthy history against their opponent this week in the New Orleans Saints.
The two teams have only played 19 times since their first meeting in 1967, a game where wide receiver Paul Warfield caught a pair of touchdown passes in a 42-7 win at Tulane Stadium that saw the home fans pelt the expansion Saints with beer cans and whiskey bottles.
All told the Browns will take an 8-3 mark against the Saints as the road team into the game, with two wins in particular standing out:
- The 1999 meeting that saw the expansion Browns pick up their first victory when quarterback Tim Couch connected with wide receiver Kevin Johnson on a 56-yard pass at the buzzer
- The 2010 matchup when the Browns beat the defending Super Bowl champion Saints thanks in part to a 68-yard run by punter Reggie Hodges on a fake punt, and a pair of interception returns for touchdowns by linebacker David Bowens.
While we wait to find out what the latest edition of the series brings, let’s get caught up on all the latest news about the Browns and notes from around the NFL in today’s edition of the Saturday Dawg Chow.
Dawgs By Nature:
- Browns Week 11 rooting guide: Top of NFL draft up in the air still (Jared Mueller) – Last week, heading into the Cleveland Browns bye week, there were nine teams with just two victories and fighting for NFL draft positioning. This week we are already down to just five teams fighting it out for the top spot in the 2025 NFL draft.
- Browns vs. Saints: Week 11 Need to Know (Thomas Moore) – The Cleveland Browns put the bye week in the rearview mirror on Sunday as they head south to take on the New Orleans Saints. Here is everything you need to know about the game.
- Browns fans think Cleveland’s defense is more likely to regress than improve to finish out the season (Chris Pokorny) – Every week during the season, Cleveland Browns fans vote in SB Nation Reacts to express their confidence level in the team or their thoughts on other topics.
- Pro Bowl: Former Browns, Patriots backup getting surprise consideration (Jared Mueller) – The number of former Cleveland Browns that litter the NFL is growing. At one point, it was a big story when a former Browns player was getting playing time much less starting for other teams. Cleveland’s struggles were that deep. Now, despite an emotional 2024 season that sees the Browns playing out pointless games, former players are all over the NFL with a few key starters.
- Sunday is the 2024 CFL Grey Cup: Browns have an important Canadian connection (Barry Shuck) – The Winnipeg Blue Bombers of the Canadian Football League (CFL) will compete in their fifth straight Grey Cup this Sunday as they meet the Toronto Argonauts in the league championship game with a kickoff at 6 p.m. With the game on everyone’s mind, the Cleveland Browns have a connection to the CFL.
Cleveland Browns:
- Why Sunday’s game against the Saints will be extra special for Browns’ safety Grant Delpit (cleveland.com) – Grant Delpit has history at the Superdome. Some of the 26-year-old Browns safety’s fondest childhood memories are of attending Saints’ games as a young boy, thanks to the season tickets of his maternal grandparents — Louis Lester Eames Jr., who died in July 2023 and whom Delpit referred to as “Papa,” and Leila Eames.
- ‘He’s never not been in my corner’: Dawand Jones says bond strong with Jedrick Wills Jr. (Beacon Journal) – Dawand Jones and Jedrick Wills Jr. have lockers right next to each other in the Browns facility. It’s been like that since Jones came in the league a year ago. The two have been linked the last few weeks because of where they are, or aren’t, on the field. Sunday’s game at the New Orleans Saints will be Jones’ third consecutive start at left tackle, which had pretty much been Wills’ domain the last four-plus seasons when he’s been healthy.
- Jameis Winston returning to New Orleans, calls time there pivotal in his career (Browns Zone) – Jameis Winston needed New Orleans. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers had drafted the Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback with the No. 1 pick in 2015 but gave up on him after the boom-or-bust 2019 season, turning to Tom Brady. Winston was left to pick up the pieces and signed a one-year, $1.1 million contract with the Saints to back up future Hall of Famer Drew Brees and learn from coach Sean Payton. Winston cites that decision as a turning point in his career and will return to the Big Easy on Sunday as the starter as the Browns try to salvage the season following the bye week.
- Interview with the Enemy: Cleveland Browns (Canal Street Chronicles) – This week, the New Orleans Saints will face the Cleveland Browns in Week 11 of the 2024 regular season. Chris Pokorny of Dawgs by Nature joins us to preview Sunday afternoon’s matchup.
NFL:
- How to break a young quarterback in three easy steps (The Ringer) – NFL teams are breaking quarterbacks faster than they can build them up—most notably in Chicago, where Caleb Williams is struggling and the Chicago Bears have few answers. What are the common threads from these situations? And how can teams fix their mistakes before it’s too late?
- Inside Colts QB Anthony Richardson’s benching, return (ESPN) – After eliciting “oohs” and “ahhs” from the crowd at Lucas Oil Stadium, Anthony Richardson wanted to add an exclamation point to his 2023 NFL combine workout.
- ‘It feels like a playoff game’: The stakes are high for Steelers-Ravens Part 1 (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette) – No Pittsburgh Steelers player other than Ben Roethlisberger has played in more games against the Baltimore Ravens than Cam Heyward. Sunday will be his 28th go ‘round in this rock ‘em, sock ‘em series, while 20 of his teammates will be experiencing it for the first time. His advice to the newcomers is pretty straightforward: Buckle your chin strap.