The New Orleans Saints return home to host the Cleveland Browns in Week 9 fresh off a bye week and with some potential reinforcements in tow. No matter how the potential reinforcements play out, the team is going to have to win some key matchups to put itself in position not just to win Sunday but also to potentially re-establish itself as a contender in a hapless NFC South.
The most important of those matchups will happen in the trenches and will be driven by one of the Saints’ most consistent playmakers: edge rusher Chase Young.
Saints edge rusher Chase Young vs. Browns left tackle Spencer Fano
The Browns have allowed the sixth-highest pressure percentage in the NFL so far this year on offense.
Controversial Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson has been pressured on the second-most dropbacks in the league and has paid for it in the process.
His 72.1% completion percentage drops to 50.6% when under duress. He’s thrown two of his three interceptions on the season while pressured, and his passer rating plummets from 103.8 to 63.1, showing a lack of composure in chaotic situations.
Young, tied for third in the league with seven sacks, can be a real difference-maker by beating Cleveland’s young and impressive tackle, Spencer Fano.
Fano has allowed 22 pressures on the season so far, tied for the eighth-most across the league.
This could be the matchup that keeps the Saints alive despite some struggles on the defensive side. Young won’t do it alone, though.
Pressure from fellow edge rusher Carl Granderson and linebacker Kaden Elliss can help the defense.
Meanwhile, physical cornerbacks Kool-Aid McKinstry and Martin Emerson Jr. have the ability to throw off timing and rhythm for the Browns’ passing game by getting their hands on receivers at the line of scrimmage. That’s something the Saints’ defense has embraced since turning to Emerson to start over second-year cornerback Quincy Riley.
Disrupting Watson in the pocket is going to be the second-biggest key of the game behind limiting running back Quinshon Judkins in the run game, forcing the Browns to lean on the passing attack.
If Young can have his usual impact against a more one-dimensional offense, he could win the matchup that decides the game.
