New Orleans must take advantage of these matchup’s to continue adding to the win column.
The New Orleans Saints are looking to add to the win column after an exhilarating win against their division rivals. However, a homecoming for an old foe stands in the Saints way.
Saints secondary vs. Jameis Winston
The New Orleans Saints are more than familiar with quarterback Jameis Winston. The gunslinger started his first five seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers before signing with New Orleans for four seasons. Winston threw 99 interceptions during his time in the NFC South and has become notorious for his turnover problems.
During his first start after taking over for the injured Deshaun Watson, Winston threw three touchdowns without any turnover leading the Cleveland offense to their first game over 20 points. The gunslinger would struggle the next week, throwing just one touchdown and three interceptions. The Saints’ defense must disrupt the veteran quarterback and take the ball away.
Marquez Valdes-Scantling vs. Denzel Ward
Marquez Valdes-Scantling exploded onto the scene for the Saints in their win over the Atlanta Falcons when he caught three passes for 102 yards and two touchdowns. New Orleans desperately needed a receiver to step up as they lost their two young stars to injury for the year. While the veteran receiver’s successful week 10 performance was great for the Saints offense, the veteran receiver has a bigger task on Sunday. Browns’ cornerback Denzel Ward is one of the top cornerbacks in the league. On top of having one of the best corners, Cleveland won’t be caught by surprise by the presence of Valdes-Scantling with a week of film to prepare.
Saints young tackles vs. Myles Garrett
A nice surprise for New Orleans in the 2024 season has been the positive development of tackle Trevor Penning. Penning has struggled to begin his career but has progressed positively throughout the season, including earning a 90+ overall grade against the Atlanta Falcons per Pro Football Focus. The Saints also drafted promising rookie tackle Taliese Fuaga in the offseason and he’s been a rising star for the offense. Despite the success of their young stars this season, New Orleans will face a different monster in pass rusher Myles Garrett. Garrett has accumulated seven sacks on the season to add to his career total of 95.5 over his eight seasons. The dominant pass rusher has a path to becoming a first-ballot Hall of Famer due to his success and will be facing two young tackles for the Saints.
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