Deshaun Watson’s comeback has been a primary reason for the Cleveland Browns being one of the most surprising teams in the NFL this season.
On Sunday, Shedeur Sanders gets his turn.
Watson returned from a nearly two-year absence due to a ruptured Achilles to lead five fourth-quarter, game-winning drives for the Browns (5-3). But Watson was not cleared from concussion protocol and was listed Friday as questionable, pushing Sanders into the QB1 spot when the Browns visit the New Orleans Saints (2-5) on Sunday.
Head coach Todd Monken was optimistic to begin the week that Watson would be back on the field. But Sanders has taken every rep with the first-team offense.
“It’s not ideal for any player to go through a week and not practice and then go play,” Monken said.
Sanders started Cleveland’s last seven games last season as a rookie fifth-round draft choice and the team went 3-4 in those games.
“Last year I was able to see what I needed to see, feel different things during the games and understand what I needed to get better at,” Sanders said. “Just (have to) go out there and trust my teammates, trust the game plan and do everything I can.”
A fast start is an area of emphasis for the Browns. Those comebacks Watson engineered were necessary because the Browns have made a habit of falling behind early, getting outscored 65-13 in the first quarter.
“Luckily, our guys have continued to fight, I’ll give them that,” Monken said. “But it’s not the optimal way to win.”
The Saints have had similar problems starting games — getting outscored 44-6 in the first quarter — but they haven’t been able to come back as successfully as Cleveland has.
“We’ve got to go out and score points right away,” quarterback Tyler Shough said. “We have to do a better job as a whole offense. I think we’re trending in the right direction.”
New Orleans had its bye last week, during which head coach Kellen Moore fired run game coordinator T.J. Paganetti. The Saints rank 28th in the NFL in rushing offense (86.0 yards per game), and they had just 18 yards on 17 rushes in their last game, a 16-10 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers on Oct. 25 in Paris.
A week earlier, though, they rushed for a season-high 175 yards on 38 carries in a 34-27 road victory against the New York Giants.
“Running the football is always an important aspect,” Moore said. “We’ve got to control the line of scrimmage and be physical running the football. We’ve seen instances of that, but not enough of it.”
Moore, who oversees the offense and calls the plays, said Paganetti’s responsibilities have been distributed within the offensive staff.
New Orleans made another personnel change when it released place-kicker Daniel Carlson, whose 66.7% (8 of 12) conversion rate on field-goal attempts was tied for second-worst in the league this season, on Tuesday.
Moore said Charlie Smyth, who made 12 of 16 field goals (75%) as the team’s kicker for the final six games last season and is on the practice squad, will be the kicker Sunday.
The Saints’ offense should receive a boost when their last two No. 1 draft choices — wide receiver Jordyn Tyson (2026) and left tackle Kelvin Banks Jr. (2025) — return to game action as soon as this week.
Banks (ankle), Tyson (hamstring), cornerback Martin Emerson Jr. (shin) and offensive tackle Asim Richards (thumb) are questionable for the Saints.
Browns defensive tackle Maliek Collins (elbow) is out. Tight end Harold Fannin (groin) is expected to play after being limited at practice to end the week.
–Field Level Media
