Cleveland Browns @ New Orleans Saints
Final Score: Saints 24, Browns 23
Writer: Steven Pintado (@coachstevenp)
Three Up
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Chris Olave — The star receiver put together a great performance, finishing with 98 receiving yards, including several big gains of over 30 yards. Olave was the driving force behind the Saints’ passing offense throughout the game.
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Jordyn Tyson — Despite starting his NFL career with a fumble, Tyson earned more opportunities as the game progressed. It was encouraging to see the rookie back on the field and becoming more involved in the Saints’ offense.
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Browns WRs — Both rookie receivers put together impressive performances, showcasing their individual strengths. Denzel Boston displayed his contested-catch ability, while KC Concepcion showed off his explosiveness and ability to create yards after the catch.
Three Down
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Quinshon Judkins — It was an inefficient day for the young running back, who averaged just 2.9 yards per carry and struggled to get anything going. Judkins also missed a golden opportunity to score when he was stuffed near the goal line.
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Devaughn Vele — The Saints receiver finished with just four targets and was barely involved in the passing game until overtime. His limited opportunities could become a concern with Tyson earning more playing time.
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Alvin Kamara — Kamara continues to lose backfield opportunities to other Saints running backs and didn’t see much involvement until late in the game. His reduced workload remains a concern for his fantasy value moving forward.
Cleveland Browns
Quarterback
Shedeur Sanders: 19/31, 297 Yards, 2 TDs | 10 Carries, 28 Yards
Sanders made his first start of the season, and he wasn’t all that bad. The Browns designed their offense around getting the ball out of Sanders’ hands quickly, which was the bread and butter of his game. However, Sanders struggled significantly under pressure, often failing to escape the pocket or extend plays when defenders closed in. He also got fortunate on several downfield throws that were underthrown, as his receivers made impressive adjustments to bring in the ball. Despite those struggles, Sanders made enough plays to give the Browns a chance to win. Sanders also used his legs to pick up rushing yards and keep drives alive. I’m not sure he did enough to take the starting job away from Deshaun Watson, but he showed that he could manage the offense and keep the Browns competitive.
Running Back
Quinshon Judkins: 15 Carries, 43 Yards | 1 Target, 1 Reception, 2 Yards
It wasn’t the young running back’s best game, as Judkins struggled to find much success against the Saints’ defense. Judkins tried to use his physical running style to pick up tough yards, but New Orleans consistently shut him down for the majority of the game. He did receive a few red zone opportunities, including a crucial fourth-and-goal attempt from the two-yard line, but was stuffed short of the end zone. Judkins’ final numbers could have looked slightly better if a 14-yard run hadn’t been called back due to a penalty. Overall, it was a frustrating performance for Judkins, who struggled to find running lanes despite getting opportunities near the goal line.
Dylan Sampson: 8 Carries, 21 Yards | 6 Targets, 3 Receptions, 27 Yards
Sampson put together a few solid plays in this game, primarily making his impact in the passing game. Sampson caught several checkdown passes, with his best play coming on a 16-yard reception. Early in the game, Sampson appeared to be seeing a similar workload to Judkins, but as the game progressed, the Browns leaned more heavily on Judkins for touches.
Wide Receiver/Tight End
Denzel Boston: 7 Targets, 6 Receptions, 98 Yards
Boston put together a great performance, showing off his impressive contested-catch ability. Boston was primarily used in the intermediate passing game, hauling in several short catches of around 7 yards throughout the game. His most impressive play came on a 60-yard reception when he went up over his defender to secure the ball before picking up additional yards after the catch. Boston nearly turned the play into a touchdown but was tackled before reaching the end zone. Overall, Boston showcased his ability to win contested catches and make big plays downfield.
KC Concepcion: 6 Targets, 4 Receptions, 85 Yards, TD | 1 Carry, 3 Yards
Concepcion put together a really solid performance in this game. It was clear early on that the Browns wanted Sanders to get the ball out quickly, which benefited Concepcion in the short passing game. Concepcion suffered an injury in the 3rd quarter and had to be carried off the field, but he managed to return and make another catch. His biggest play came in the 4th quarter when Sanders delivered a slightly underthrown pass that Concepcion hauled in before weaving through defenders for an impressive 64-yard touchdown. His only real negative came late in the fourth quarter when he dropped a crucial pass along the sideline. Overall, Concepcion was one of the Browns’ most impressive offensive players in this game.
Harold Fannin Jr.: 2 Targets, 2 Receptions, 42 Yards, TD
Fannin was held out of the box score completely in regulation. That changed in overtime when Fannin caught a short dump-off pass and turned it into an impressive 39-yard touchdown to give the Browns a chance to win. On his way to the end zone, Fannin showed off his physicality by fighting off two Saints defenders and breaking free for the score.
Jerry Jeudy: 4 Targets, 2 Receptions, 37 Yards
The veteran receiver was quiet for the majority of this game. It wasn’t until the final 28 seconds of the fourth quarter that Jerry Jeudy made his biggest impact, hauling in a 30-yard bomb that helped set up the game-tying field goal. Jeudy also made another important catch in overtime, but his overall involvement in the passing game was limited. He appeared to be no better than 3rd in the pecking order for targets among the team’s pass catchers.
Tylan Wallace: 1 Target, 1 Reception, 6 Yards
Blake Whiteheart: 1 Target
Malachi Corley: 1 Target
New Orleans Saints
Quarterback
Tyler Shough: 21/35, 265 Yards, TD | 10 carries, 51 Yards
Shough was a roller coaster in this game, showing flashes of impressive play while also making several questionable decisions. Despite the ups and downs, Shough battled throughout the game to help lead the Saints to a victory. He was at his best when using his legs to extend plays outside the pocket and pick up rushing yards. Shough connected on several impressive downfield throws, including a 52-yard completion to Barion Brown and a few gains of over 30 yards to Olave. He also nearly had another passing touchdown, but Noah Fant dropped a potential score, forcing the Saints to settle for a field goal. On the negative side, Shough overthrew his receivers several times, missing opportunities for big plays. While it won’t show up in the box score, Shough was fortunate to avoid throwing an interception, as he had 3 separate passes that defenders nearly picked off. It was also clear that his injury was affecting his performance, as he didn’t appear to be 100% healthy. Shough struggled against pressure and took some unnecessary sacks. Overall, it wasn’t a perfect performance, but Shough showed plenty of toughness and made enough plays to help the Saints secure the win.
Running Back
Audric Estime: 15 Carries, 72 Yards, TD | 1 Target, 1 Reception, 5 Yards
Estime only joined the active roster on November 5th, but he ended up leading the Saints in carries and rushing yards. With Kendre Miller being released, Estime got his opportunity to take over as the lead back, and he made the most of it. Estime ran with power throughout the game, breaking tackles and picking up impressive yards after contact. His best run came in the 1st quarter when he broke free for an 18-yard gain. Estime also found the end zone late in the 4th quarter, getting some scoring situations. His red zone opportunities could be a positive sign for his fantasy value moving forward, although his long-term role remains uncertain with the potential return of Travis Etienne Jr.
Alvin Kamara: 6 Carries, 32 Yards | 4 Targets, 3 Receptions, 17 Yards
Kamara was quiet for the majority of this game, with most of his production coming in the 4th quarter and overtime. In the 4th quarter, Kamara became a key contributor in the passing game, catching several dump-off passes and trying to create additional yards after the catch. In overtime, Kamara broke off a crucial 15-yard run that helped set up the Saints’ game-winning touchdown. Overall, Kamara finished with 49 yards on 9 touches but remains the clear passing-down option and change-of-pace back in this offense.
Zamir White: 1 Carry, 5 Yards
Wide Receiver/Tight End
Chris Olave: 12 Targets, 7 Receptions, 98 Yards
Olave was doing everything he could to help the Saints’ offense in this game. He got off to a slow start but came alive late in the second quarter with several catches, including an impressive 36-yard gain on a slot fade route. Olave became even more involved as the game progressed, making several big catches to help move the ball downfield. Late in the 4th quarter, Shough delivered a beautiful throw into tight coverage, connecting with Olave for a 33-yard gain. Olave also had a few opportunities on deep passes that were overthrown, preventing him from putting together an even bigger performance. Despite those missed connections, Olave had himself a great game and was a key part of the Saints’ offense.
Juwan Johnson: 2 Targets, 2 Receptions, 34 Yards, TD
The veteran tight end didn’t see much involvement in this game outside of a few key plays. Johnson made an impressive 19-yard catch, breaking a tackle and picking up additional yards after the catch. He remained quiet for most of the game until overtime, when he caught the game-winning touchdown on a post route. Johnson created separation from his defender and hauled in the pass to seal the victory for the Saints.
Jordyn Tyson: 5 Targets, 4 Receptions, 30 Yards, Fumble (Lost)
The NFL debut of rookie receiver Jordyn Tyson got off to a rough start, as his first catch in the red zone resulted in a fumble. Tyson didn’t see the field until late in the 1st quarter, but his playing time appeared to increase as the game progressed. He bounced back nicely, primarily operating as an underneath receiver in the short passing game. Tyson made several important catches to move the chains and help keep the Saints’ drives alive.
Devaughn Vele: 4 Targets, 2 Receptions, 17 Yards
Devaughn Vele had a quiet day, failing to record his first catch until overtime, when he hauled in a few passes on slant routes. With Tyson potentially seeing an increased snap share moving forward, Vele could see his playing time and opportunities decrease.
Barion Brown: 1 Target, 1 Reception, 52 Yards, Fumble (Lost)
Noah Fant: 2 Targets, 1 Reception, 12 Yards
Bryce Lance: 1 Target