During their Week 9 matchup on Sunday, the New Orleans Saints and Cleveland Browns will both be teams looking to revive their rushing attacks against weak run defenses.
Both rushing offenses are averaging less than 100 rushing yards per game with the Browns putting up 97.6 per contest so far this year (No. 24 in the NFL) and the Saints averaging just 86 per game (No. 28).
However, each defense has surrendered over 120 yards per game, with the Browns ranked as the No. 24 rushing defense in the league allowing 126.9 yards per matchup. The Saints’ defense surrenders 139.4 per game and ranks as the No. 29 team.
The Saints have made some changes to their approach in the hopes that they can rebound against the Browns’ porous front which has surrendered 200, 141, and 134 yards on the ground in three of their last four contests.
That would appear to be a great opportunity for New Orleans, whic brought back one of their most productive runners from last season in running back Audric Estime.
New Orleans moved on from Run Game Coordinator T.J. Paganetti following the bye week and head coach Kellen Moore acknowledged changes would be on the way both schematically and fundamentally.
Timing up those shifts, with facing a struggling defense, could help the team immediately see returns on their decisions.
With backs Kendre Miller, Alvin Kamara and C.J. Donaldson also expected to be available on Sunday, all eyes will be on the team’s pregame list of inactive players to see if Estime will immediately get a chance to contribute. Or will the Saints continue to utilize their same trio since key free agency acquisition Travis Etienne Jr. has been sidelined with a hamstring injury.
Meanwhile, the Browns will turn to their workhorse back and 2025 second-rounder Quinshon Judkins to carry the load against a Saints’ front that has allowed four running backs to gain more than 100 rushing yards in only seven games.
Which team is able to find their “get right” opportunity on the ground against vulnerable defenses could come down broken tackles. Neither team has found much success creating yards before contact, but the Browns rank No. 10 in the league in yards after contact, gaining 3.18 yards after contact per carry this season.
For the Saints to come out on the right side of things defensively, it may come down to secure tackling above all else.
