Ups and downs from Saints vs. Browns

Things are starting to look up for the New Orleans Saints as they improved to 4-7 after a dominant win over the Cleveland Browns. The Saints have looked drastically different after their seven-game losing streak and the firing of former head coach Dennis Allen. There is an excitement in the locker room that the team hasn’t experienced in months. New Orleans has turned what was looking like a battle for the first overall pick into a hunt for the playoffs due to an underwhelming division.

Up: Taysom Hill

Taysom Hill has an insane performance every season that makes you stop and appreciate the one-in-a-million type of player he is. On Sunday Hill went for 138 yards and 3 touchdowns on 7 carries while adding 8 receptions for 50 yards. The veteran Swiss army knife was unstoppable and can be credited for single-handedly winning the game for the Saints offense, which is in desperate need of players to step up and make plays after the loss of their two starting wide receivers due to injury. Despite being 34 years old, Hill continues to get better and prove he’s earned the contract with New Orleans.

Up: Klint Kubiak

After an exhilarating first two weeks, the Klint Kubiak train began to lose steam as the Saints offense failed to score at least 25 points more than once during their seven-game losing streak. The offense’s personnel looked different every week as players rotated on and off the injury report, including a rotating offensive line carousel that looked different every week. Despite these injuries being a big problem for the offense, Klint Kubiak’s playcalling wasn’t at its best. Whenever the team entered the fourth quarter with a lead the offense played as if they were trying not to lose rather than trying to win. New Orleans put an end to that drought on Sunday when they scored 35 points against the Browns including 21 in the fourth quarter. The playcalling felt fresh and role players continued to step up and make big contributions to the team’s success.

Down: The Secondary

The Saints’ secondary has struggled all season in pass coverage and the issue continued on Sunday after they allowed quarterback Jameis Winston to throw for 395 yards and two scores. Although the lack of pass rush effectiveness against the Browns plays a major part in the team’s inability to stop the pass, many plays highlight the holes in the secondary. In the third quarter the Browns scored a wide-open 30-yard touchdown after wide receiver Elijah Moore ran past cornerback Alontae Taylor, who passed Moore off expecting safety help over top. However, there was no safety help and Moore reeled in the pass from Winston to tie the game up at 14.

The Saints secondary is starting two young corners on the outside that they hope is a glimpse of their future after they shipped off veteran cornerback Marshon Lattimore to the Washington Commanders before the trade deadline after positive performances from third-year cornerback Alontae Taylor and rookie Kool-Aid McKinstry. While the team likes the players they have in the room they aren’t getting the promising performances they were hoping for after trading a cornerstone of their defense.

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