Jarvis Landry's homecoming with his home-state Saints has not gone as planned. (USA Today)
Cleveland Browns scouting report: New Orleans Saints
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Editor's note: Tony Grossi is an analyst on the Cleveland Browns for TheLandOnDemand.com and 850 ESPN Cleveland. He has covered the Browns since 1984.
Browns v. New Orleans Saints
Saturday, 1 p.m., in FirstEnergy Stadium
Record: 5-9.
Last game: Defeated Atlanta Falcons, 21-18, Dec. 18, in New Orleans.
Coach: Dennis Allen, 5-9, first year; 13-37 overall.
Series record: Browns lead, 13-5.
Last meeting: Saints won, 21-18, Sept. 16, 2018, in New Orleans.
League rankings: Offense is 17th overall (21st rushing, 12th passing), defense is 11th overall (23rd rushing, seventh passing) and turnover differential is minus-12.
Things to watch
1. An unexpected off-season coaching change and injuries to some of their star, core players derailed the Saints’ hopes of serious contention for their division title. Despite no team in the NFC South above .500, the Saints’ chances are a slim 7 percent because of two losses to division-leader Tampa Bay. The second one on Dec. 5 was a crusher. Two late touchdown passes by Tom Brady erased a 16-3 New Orleans lead with three minutes to go. The Saints lost a ton of leadership through the resignation of coach Sean Payton and retirement of franchise QB Drew Brees. Replacement coach Dennis Allen, the former defensive coordinator, hasn’t been able to fill that void.
2. The season started with James Winston hooking up for two TDs with receiver Michael Thomas in a close win v. division rival Atlanta. Both dropped out of the picture after the third game. Winston was replaced after tossing five interceptions in Games 2 and 3. Thomas suffered a toe injury in Game 3 and hasn’t been active since. By season’s end, Thomas will have missed 39 of a possible 50 games the past three years.
3. Allen leans on veteran quarterback Andy Dalton to limit mistakes and operate a conservative offense. Impressive rookie Chris Olave (63 receptions, 949 yards, 3 TD) has taken over as the No. 1 receiver. Allen has picked up Payton’s penchant for using triple-threat Taysom Hill as an offensive spark. Hill has two touchdowns passing, five rushing and two receiving while playing roughly 30 percent of the offense snaps at tight end and quarterback.
4. Running back Alvin Kamara (641 yards, 1 TD, 3.9 average; 53 receptions, 2 TD) hasn’t been the dynamic playmaker of past seasons. Constant injuries on the offensive line are the biggest reason why. Their last game was the first with the original starting five intact since the first month of the season. The projection at the beginning was for No. 19 overall pick Trevor Penning to man one of the starting tackle positions by now, but a Lis franc injury in preseason set him back until last week.
5. On paper, the defense was the strength of the roster with playmakers at every level. But each has had setbacks and the result is a unit that ranks 32nd in interceptions (three), total takeaways (10) and turnover differential (minus-12). Defensive end Marcus Davenport hasn’t taken the step up expected in his contract year, four-time Pro Bowl cornerback Marshon Lattimore has missed the past nine games with an abdominal injury, and safeties Tyrann Mathieu and Marcus Maye have have not been difference-makers. Veteran Pro Bowl players such as defensive end Cameron Jordan, 33, and linebaker Demario Davis, 33, are solid but past their peaks.
Did you know … ?
1. The Saints are 0-3 against AFC North teams, losing, 30-26 to the Bengals; 27-13 to the Ravens; and 20-10 to the Steelers.
2. Sean Payton, who resigned as the Saints’ winningest coach after his 16th season to take a break from the coaching grind, is expected to return to coaching in 2023. The question is where. While Payton left on good terms and considers Saints GM Mickey Loomis his best friend in the NFL, a return to the Saints would create a dicey situation with Dennis Allen, whom the organization likes. Payton is under contract with the Saints through 2024, so any team hiring him would have to meet the Saints’ demand in draft-choice compensation. The Saints are hoping for a bidding war and retrieve a No. 1 pick in 2023. They traded theirs last year to the Eagles for the 19th overall pick used on Penning.
3. The Saints are fourth in most penalties and lead the NFL with 24 false starts.
4. The surprise success story of the Saints has been Rashid Shaheed, an undrafted free agent from Weber State. Upon being elevated from the Saints’ practice squad for Game 6, Shaheed scored on a 44-yard run on his first touch. The next game, he had a 53-yard touchdown catch. Shaheed averages 21.3 yards on 15 receptions and is the team’s dual return specialist (10.9 punt return average, 22.4 kickoff return).
5. Jarvis Landry, who signed for $6 million with his home-state Saints after the Browns cut him, missed five games with an ankle injury and is on pace for career lows in receptions (25), yards (272) and touchdowns (one). Landry did not miss a game in his first six NFL seasons. He has missed 11 of his last 47.
6. The Saints were one of four finalists in the Deshaun Watson sweepstakes in March. They declined to offer him a fully guaranteed contract.
Small world: Wide receiver Jarvis Landry (2018-21) and linebacker Demario Davis (2016) played for the Browns … Offensive coordinator Pete Carmichael was Browns tight ends coach in 2000 … Area scout Jon Sandusky was Browns player personnel director from 2010-14 … Pro scout Tosan Eyetsemitan was a Browns scouting assistant from 2017-21 … Head trainer Shone Gibson was Browns assistant trainer from 2018-19.
