Saints vs. Browns: What to Watch For

Both the Saints and Browns need to produce a win on Saturday, and are hoping for an early Christmas gift of cheer in Week 16. However, it will come down to who executes the best.

Author:
John Hendrix
Publish date:
Dec 22, 2022 10:15 AM EST

In this story:

New Orleans Saints

The Saints (5-9) and Browns (6-8) meet at FirstEnergy Stadium on Saturday as part of a very full day of NFL Week 16 games before Christmas. Both teams are trying to keep their playoff hopes alive, with them both being 12th in their respective conference. Here's some things we're paying close attention to leading up to the game.

What to Watch For

THE WEATHER: It's going to be a dominant storyline going into the game, and for good reason. There's a Winter Storm warning in the area overnight, which is why the team will be leaving Thursday after practice. Snow, wind, and extremely low temperatures will be featured in this game. The wind might be the most significant when it comes to throws and kicks, and naturally someone like Andy Dalton is very familiar with the Ohio cold weather. However, he's not the only one.

THE GUARD PLAN: Calvin Throckmorton looks to start in place of Cesar Ruiz, who landed on injured reserve this week due to a Lisfranc injury he suffered late in the game against the Falcons. The Saints could also use a rotation like they have before with rookie Lewis Kidd, but either way it's a big loss for the New Orleans offense, who will simply have to find a way to execute without Ruiz. This looks to be a game where it'll be won in the trenches, and Baltimore put up nearly 200 rushing yards on the Browns last week, but still lost.

USATSI_19382050_168388561_lowres — Nov 7, 2022; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; New Orleans Saints cornerback Alontae Taylor (27) breaks up a pass intended for Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Demarcus Robinson (10) during the first half at Caesars Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports

CORNER LOOKS: Marshon Lattimore looks like he's been a bit more active at practice, which might be a good sign of him returning to the field. It's obviously been a disappointing season for the team's top corner, who got hurt on a fluke play that he shouldn't have been guarding against in the first place. The interesting part is if Lattimore does go, who starts on the other side? Alontae Taylor has been playing excellent, and he's been someone that can't be kept off the field. However, Paulson Adebo has also played well, very similar to the player we saw in training camp. As Dennis Allen said on Wednesday during his conference call with the media, it's a good problem to have.

RECEIVER AVAILABILITY: Jarvis Landry (ankle) was a recent addition to the injury report, and rookie Chris Olave (hamstring) hasn't practiced the first two days. Of course, it goes without saying that Tuesday's report was an estimated one, but the first look at the team saw the team without two of their top receiving threats. Thursday is a huge day for both, as well as Pete Werner, who has been out with a hamstring injury after making his return against the Falcons.