Saints vs. Browns position-by-position analysis uncovers an advantage for New Orleans

The New Orleans Saints (3-7) will host the Cleveland Browns (2-7) on Sunday and it's set to be an exciting matchup between two underperforming teams. The Saints are currently one-point favorites at home over the Browns, and they'll look to win their second consecutive game under interim head coach Darren Rizzi.

On the surface, this looks like a matchup between two equally bad teams. However, a closer look at each roster reveals some advantages for each team. Let’s go position by position to determine who has the upper hand at each spot.

Quarterback

The main storyline at the quarterback position is Jameis Winston returning to New Orleans as the starting quarterback for the Cleveland Browns. Winston replaced an injured Deshaun Watson three weeks ago and has completed 59.6 percent of his passes for 652 yards and a touchdown to interception ratio of 5:3. Winston has shown a nice ability to drive the ball down the field, which is something he showcased in New Orleans as well, but who knows how well that'll bode with Tyrann Mathieu and Alontae Taylor in the secondary.

Under center for the Saints will be Derek Carr, who is 3-4 in starts this season. Although Derek Carr may not be the long term solution in the Big Easy, he's certainly their best option for the time being. Carr has completed 67.4 percent of his passes for 1,494 yards with a very good touchdown to interception ratio of 11:4. The Saints posses their best opportunity to win with number four under center, and without Dennis Allen holding him back, Carr could continue to shine against Cleveland this Sunday.

Derek Carr gets the nod in this position matchup due to a larger sample size, but it will be fun to watch Jameis play against the Saints in the Dome, as he was a fan favorite during his tenure in New Orleans.

Backfield

The backfield for these two teams will play a big role on Sunday, and there's some big names to monitor for both sides.

Let's start with the good guys; Alvin Kamara, Jamaal Williams, and Taysom Hill all take reps in the backfield and it's been arguably the most stable position for the Saints this season. Kamara is on the brink of having the best season of his career and just became the franchise's all-time leader in rushing yards last week.

Taysom Hill is as great of a weapon as anyone on the Saints' offense, but he's not restricted to just lining up in the backfield. Jamaal Williams hasn't had much of a role in the Saints' backfield, but he may just find the endzone this weekend.

Now for the Browns; Nick Chubb, Jerome Ford, and Pierre Strong are the main pieces of the Cleveland backfield and they all play a big role in the team's overall attack. Chubb will be playing in just his third game back from the season-ending knee injury he suffered last season, so he hasn't really gotten back to full strength just yet. The Saints' run defense has been awfulm though, so it wouldn't surprise me if he had a huge game on Sunday fresh off a bye week.

Jerome Ford was the feature back while Chubb was sidelined, and he played well in that role. However, since Chubb's return, Pierre Strong has seen more reps as he's a bit more of a receiving threat than Ford is.

Ultimately, the Saints have a slim advantage in the backfield. The Browns' running backs will likely have a big game on Sunday, but that's not the strength of their team. Alvin Kamara is the life of the Saints' offense, especially with Rashid Shaheed and Chris Olave sidelined, and that’s why he gets the upper hand in this battle.

Pass Catchers

Does it even need to be explained why Cleveland has the advantage for pass catchers? The Browns have Jerry Jeudy (33/418/1), Cedric Tillman (24/264/3), and David Njoku (30/255/2) hauling in the majority of the passes, with other solid assets like Elijah Moore and Jordan Akins getting some work as well. Jameis Winston will have plenty of opportunities to move the ball down the field, especially against a depleted Saints secondary that is without Paulson Adebo and no longer has Marshon Lattimore.

The Saints, on the other hand, seemingly have a new receiving corps every weekend. Marquez Valdes-Scantling (6/140/2), Taysom Hill (10/100/0), Juwan Johnson (22/247/1), and Mason Tipton (14/99/0) are the primary weapons and none of them stand out as the go-to guy. Alvin Kamara will likely see as many targets as the receiving unit will get combined, but it will be interesting to see if Marquez Valdes-Scantling can build off the incredible performance he had last week. Needless to say, the Saints are really missing Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed right now.

The Trenches

Let’s combine the offensive and defensive lines of both the Browns and Saints in this position matchup.

New Orleans: The Saints have had a rough go on the offensive line this season, but seem to be getting their groove back. Erik McCoy seems to be heading back to the field this Sunday to join Cesar Ruiz, Trevor Penning, Taliese Fuaga, and Lucas Patrick in what should be the healthiest the offensive line has looked since Week 2. Trevor Penning is fresh off a week where he was PFF's highest-graded offensive tackle, and rookie first-round pick Taliese Fuaga has held his own on the opposite side.

The defensive line has been rock solid for the saints all season, anchored by Chase Young, Khalen Saunders, Bryan Breese, Cam Jordan, and surprisingly, Payton Turner. Saunders does an exceptional job of clogging the interior of the defensive line to avoid easy run lanes, while Chase Young has lived in the backfield all season.

Cleveland: The Browns have a very experienced offensive line, and they will certainly give the Saints' defensive line fits all game. The Browns' front five include Dawand Jones, Joel Bitonio, Ethan Pocic, Wyatt Teller, and Jack Conklin. This unit is well-oiled, tough to beat, and have lots of good chemistry.

The defensive line has is anchored by Myles Garrett on the outside, and Dalvin Tomlinson on the inside. With as many injuries and shuffled positions the Saints' offensive line has endured, it wouldn't surprise me if those two had a field day in the backfield.

The upper-hand goes to Cleveland in this matchup because it’s not 100% certain Erik McCoy will be back. If he's not, Myles Garrett should be able to wreak havoc against an inexperienced offensive line.

Linebackers

The Saints' strongest position on the defense is their linebacker unit. To Dennis Allen's credit, this is the one position where he did a good job building a strong and cohesive unit that can run with anyone. Anchored by Pete Werner, Demario Davis, and Willie Gay, the Saints' linebacker unit has been incredibly productive and fast. Anfernee Orji has done a nice job as a rotational backer, and overall, the Saints' linebacker unit has been amongst the best in the NFL.

The Browns have a couple of big names in their linebacker room, like Devin Bush and Jordan Hicks, but they've struggled to make tackles on a consistent basis. Maybe it's because they don't have to as often with Myles Garrett being a monster up front, but it just feels like the Devin Bush that the whole league feared in Pittsburgh is irrelevant in Cleveland.

Unless proven otherwise, the Saints have the easy advantage in this matchup.

Secondary

How could you not love the Saints' secondary? Does anyone else notice how it doesn't seem to matter who is in the secondary for the Saints because they are productive no matter what? This secondary is now without Marshon Lattimore and doesn't have Paulson Adebo for the rest of the season, but guys like Alontae Taylor, Kool-Aid McKinstry, and Ugo Amadi have helped fill their roles. Plus, having a Super Bowl champion in Tyrann Mathieu holding down the safety spot with the hard-hitting Will Harris helps take pressure of the corners as well.

The Browns have a very exciting secondary as well with Denzel Ward, Greg Newsome, Martin Emerson, Grant Delpit, and Juan Thornhill. Ward is one of the best corners in the NFL and Grant Delpit has been one of the most consistent tacklers on the Cleveland defense this year. They should fare well against some inexperienced wide receivers this Sunday.

While both groups are talented, the upper hand goes to New Orleans in this matchup for the reason above: it doesn't seem to matter who is on the field in the secondary for New Orleans, they’ll make big plays no matter what. Being able to completely shut down Drake London, Kyle Pitts, and Darnell Mooney last week was eye opening. Cleveland has some speed at wide receiver, so it'll be interesting to see how they fare against receivers they aren't used to facing.

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