The New Orleans Saints will host the Cleveland Browns this Sunday, their first meeting in two years. The matchup, highlighted by Sheduer Sanders' first start of the season, will be decided in the trenches. Specifically, how the Saints' offensive line will deal with the Browns' defensive line.
Heading into week nine, Cleveland's D-line is among the best in the NFL with a 38.3% pressure rate. Even worse for New Orleans is that they have to focus on several players, not just one. From one edge to the other, it's really been a team effort for the Browns this year. Players like edge Isaiah McGuire, defensive tackle Mason Graham, and defensive tackle Malkieh Collins are constantly disrupting the backfield.
Graham and McGuire are even ranked in the top five in their positions across the league in terms of run-stop win rate, at 42% and 31%, respectively. It's a tough challenge for the Saints on paper that's for sure, and the offensive line will have to step up. However, it's not a losing battle, and the O-line still has a shot to help win the game.
The Saints have several ways to stop the Browns pass rush
New Orleans will have to hope that firing coordinator T.J. Paganetti was the right move because establishing the run is a way they could go about battling the Browns' D-line. Though there's some individual stars, they aren't great in that department as a team. They currently sport a league-low 55.2% success rate against rushing plays.
The Saints could, most importantly, start winning on early downs just in general, with the Saints having another league-low success rate of 58.3%. Either way, both of those tactics would prevent the rushers from pinning their ears back and playing bully ball.
One of the more direct ways the Saints could deal with the Browns' D-line is to put more blockers on the field, either by using more 12/13 personnel or by keeping the running back in the backfield as an extra blocker. If they want to stick with the 11-personnel formation, have that one tight end assist one of the tackles as a chip block before moving on to whatever else the play requires. However they decide to roll out on the field on Sunday, they have to have an extra blocker on standby.
New Orleans could also call plays that'll have quarterback Tyler Shough get the ball out quicker, slows down the rush or something that gets him on the move. Play actions, bootlegs, you name it, whatever the Saints can do to get Shough a clean pocket to work from, should be on the menu this weekend.
If the Saints can manage to put a cap on the opposing pass rush, that not only ups the chance of a W but also sets the tone moving forward. Hopefully they'll figure something out, or else they'll risk a second-straight loss.
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