It’s been a while since the Cleveland Browns visited the New Orleans Saints at the Caesars Superdome. Of the 46 Saints players who were active for that last meeting in 2018, only seven remain on the roster in 2024.
And this game is all that stands between the Saints and a much-needed breather during their Week 12 bye. But there’s the catch — the Browns will be well-rested for this game, having enjoyed their own bye week before making the trip down to New Orleans.
The Saints have won each of their last two games against the Browns, including the 2018 matchup we mentioned earlier and a snowbound 2022 game in Cleveland. Will they make it three in a row? The Browns own a 13-6 lead against the Saints since their first meeting in 1967, and they won five of their last six games with New Orleans before that 2018 defeat, so the Saints can’t let some recent success go to their head.
This might be the year Deshaun Watson finishes knocking off the rust. The Browns won a bidding war with the Saints for Watson’s services back in 2022, Dennis Allen’s first year as head coach, but he hasn’t found much success. He’s missed time with injuries and a suspension and wasn’t available for their loss to the Houston Texans in January’s playoffs, so he has a lot to prove. This midseason game could be a real now-or-never moment with the playoff fields taking shape.
But that’s also true for Allen and the Saints, who haven’t reached the postseason either. Going into the bye week with a win would mean a lot to a Saints team many outside observers are already writing off for 2024.
- Game information: New Orleans Saints vs. Cleveland Browns
- Location: Caesars Superdome, New Orleans, La.
- Date: Nov. 17
- Time: Noon. CT / 1 p.m. ET
- TV Channel: FOX
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