New Orleans Saints vs. Cleveland Browns: Full Report Card Grades for New Orleans
For the second time in two weeks, the New Orleans Saints dropped a close contest on the road in the final seconds, this time falling to the Cleveland Browns 26-24 on Sunday.
The loss puts the Saints in an 0-2 hole, which is especially surprising after numerous prognosticators tapped Sean Payton’s squad as a potential challenger to the Seattle Seahawks for NFC supremacy heading into the season.
New Orleans got off to a dreadful start in the contest, as Cleveland’s offensive and defensive fronts established control of the line of scrimmage in the first quarter.
Saints quarterback Drew Brees further complicated New Orleans’ problems in the second stanza with an interception to Tashaun Gipson that was returned for a touchdown.
Down 16-3, the Saints offense finally got rolling, as Brees connected with Jimmy Graham for a nine-yard scoring strike just before halftime. New Orleans scored on its next two possessions in the second half and led 24-23 with just under three minutes remaining.
Pinned inside its 5-yard line, Cleveland drove into Saints territory, needing only a field goal to win. A blown coverage by the New Orleans secondary then allowed Brian Hoyer to connect with a wide-open Andrew Hawkins for a 27-yard completion, and Billy Cundiff subsequently nailed the game-winning kick.
The Saints defense was exposed for the second straight week, as the previously 0-1 Browns rang up 397 total yards.
Continue reading to see report card grades for each Saints position unit, complete with a final grade on the last slide.
Quarterback
1 of 10
Drew Brees got off to an awful start in this one, as Cleveland’s defense blanketed New Orleans’ receivers for the better part of the first quarter.
The Saints finally showed some offensive life midway through the second quarter and got on the scoreboard with a field goal, but on their next possession, disaster struck.
A Brees pass intended for Jimmy Graham sailed high and was picked off by safety Tashaun Gipson, who raced past would-be New Orleans tacklers 62 yards for a score.
Brees then started to resemble a Pro Bowl quarterback, and he led the Saints on three consecutive touchdown drives. His pass protection was much improved during the three scoring marches, and he repeatedly connected with Graham for big first downs.
His final numbers for the game were respectable, as he completed 27 of 40 passes for 237 yards and two touchdowns. An interception returned for a score is not typically easy to overcome, however, and Brees’ pick-six ultimately proved costly to his team.
Grade: C-
Running Back
2 of 10
Mark Ingram led all rushers in the contest, as he rumbled for 83 yards and a touchdown on just 11 carries. He added 21 yards in the passing game and finished the game with over 100 yards of offense.
The fourth-year back is steadily gaining confidence with each outing, and he’s never looked more impressive in a Saints uniform than he did on Sunday. Payton’s failure to get Ingram more touches is puzzling, especially when considering his average of 7.5 yards per carry on Sunday.
Pierre Thomas, meanwhile, contributed to both the ground and air attacks for the Saints and finished with six touches for 32 yards.
Austin Johnson pounded out a first down on a carry from the fullback position, and he was also effective when given opportunities as a lead blocker.
Khiry Robinson, while not as impressive as Ingram, was effective as a between-the-tackles runner, but he did lose a fumble, which brings the group's grade down a notch.
Grade: B+
Wide Receiver and Tight End
3 of 10
Once the Saints' air attack finally lifted off the ground in the second quarter, Jimmy Graham was the focal point.
The 6’7” tight end was an extremely tough matchup for Cleveland corners and safeties, including All-Pro cover man Joe Haden. Graham finished with 10 catches for 118 yards and two touchdowns, and he delivered a performance worthy of an “A.”
On the other hand, the Saints wideouts weren’t nearly as reliable. Cleveland’s secondary often blanketed the group, as Brees struggled to find open receivers for much of the first half. Rookie Brandin Cooks, who burst onto the scene with 77 yards a week ago, was rather quiet on Sunday, although he did rip off a 28-yard run on a reverse.
Robert Meachem and Kenny Stills hauled in three balls each, but Meachem dropped a would-be touchdown catch on a back-shoulder throw.
The usually steady Marques Colston was nowhere to be found on Sunday and finished the game without a catch.
Grade: B
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Offensive Line
4 of 10
The New Orleans offensive line, like all the other Saints’ position units, got off to a bad start on Sunday, but the group picked up its play as the game wore on.
Early in the first quarter, the Saints suffered a major pass-protection breakdown, as Browns linebacker Paul Kruger delivered a bone-jarring hit on Brees for a sack that nearly resulted in a safety.
Later on in the first half, center Jonathan Goodwin botched a snap from the shotgun that put the Saints in a 3rd-and-long situation that ultimately resulted in a punt.
The unit gained some footing in the second quarter, and when Brees’ protection improved, the Saints began to mount scoring drives.
Ingram got rolling in the second half, as Jahri Evans, Ben Grubbs and Co. began to consistently open up sizable running lanes.
There were more issues with protection late in the contest, however, as the Saints offensive front turned in an up-and-down overall performance.
Grade: C
Defensive Line
5 of 10
From a pass-rushing standpoint, the New Orleans defensive line had a poor showing on Sunday.
The subpar performance was the second straight for Cam Jordan, of whom much was expected heading into the season. Jordan did finish with two deflected passes, but he once again failed to make an impact as a pass-rusher.
Only defensive end Akiem Hicks delivered a respectable performance on Sunday, as the second-year starter registered the lone tackle for loss on the New Orleans defensive line.
With the game on the line, however, the Saints were unable to apply pressure on Hoyer, and the Browns signal-caller successfully converted for first downs on far too many occasions.
The group’s run defense was also substandard, as Joe Thomas and the Browns offensive front dominated the line of scrimmage for much of the game.
Grade: D
Linebacker
6 of 10
Like the team’s other defensive position units, the New Orleans linebackers failed to deliver on Sunday in Cleveland.
Of the Saints’ top four tacklers, three of them were defensive backs, which suggests that the Browns offense dominated play near the line of scrimmage.
David Hawthorne led the way with nine stops, but he whiffed on several tackles in the open field. Fellow inside 'backer Curtis Lofton had a quiet game, as he was too often taken out of plays by Cleveland’s effective zone blocking.
Junior Galette recorded a sack, but his overall performance was disappointing for the second straight week. The pass-rushing specialist delivered two hits on the quarterback, although he failed to come through for the Saints on numerous third-down plays.
Parys Haralson and Ramon Humber, meanwhile, failed to make any type of impact whatsoever.
Grade: D
Secondary
7 of 10
To put things mildly, the Saints secondary needs major work.
The group turned in another awful performance on Sunday, as Hoyer continuously found open receivers on crucial downs.
Kenny Vaccaro was the unit's lone semblance of a bright spot, as the hard-hitting safety made some first-down-saving stops. More often than not, however, his efforts were rendered fruitless, as the Browns continuously moved the chains through the air on third downs.
Free safety Jairus Byrd had an average showing, but he wasn't the presence the Saints had envisioned when they inked him to a lucrative free-agent deal this offseason.
Now on to the huge, black and gold elephant in the room. Cornerback Patrick Robinson's play was atrocious for the second straight week, and the former first-round draft pick looked lost in coverage from start to finish on Sunday.
Corey White wasn't much better than Robinson from his nickel spot, and starting corner Keenan Lewis also had a below-average outing, by his standards.
The back-breaker for the Saints secondary was the final play before the game-winning kick, when a total breakdown in coverage allowed the Browns to set up a short field goal.
Grade: F
Special Teams
8 of 10
The Saints' coverage units were serviceable on Sunday, as Cleveland averaged 18.5 yards on two kickoff returns. Cleveland punt returner Travis Benjamin totaled just two yards on his lone punt return.
Punter Thomas Morstead had a quality outing, as he pinned the Browns inside their own 5-yard line on the game's final possession before the Saints defense eventually faltered and surrendered the game-winning kick.
While the kickoff return unit was solid, New Orleans continued its difficulty in generating a punt return game, as Brandin Cooks finished with negative yards on his lone return.
Kicker Shayne Graham nailed all four of his kicks, which included three extra points and a 27-yard field goal.
Grade: B
Coaching
9 of 10
The coaching matchup proved to be a major advantage for Cleveland on Sunday.
Browns coach Mike Pettine and his staff were a step ahead of Sean Payton's staff for most of the game, especially during the crucial closing moments.
Payton's sparse use of Mark Ingram, who obviously had the hot hand in the running game, was particularly alarming.
Brees and the Saints offense appeared unprepared for the looks they were getting from Pettine's defense for most of the first half, and defensive coordinator Rob Ryan's unit was on its heels for much of the game.
New Orleans generally seemed ill-prepared to face the Browns on both sides of the ball, and that ultimately falls on coaching.
Grade: F
Final Grade
10 of 10
There simply aren't many positives to draw from the Saints' performance on Sunday.
The Browns controlled the line of scrimmage for most of the first half, while Hoyer and the Cleveland offense continued to convert on key third-down plays in the second half.
New Orleans looked unprepared in many facets of the game, and Cleveland took advantage of the Saints' glaring ineptitude at the cornerback position.
Making the playoffs after starting 0-2 is a highly difficult task, and the Saints clearly have their work cut out for them in the coming weeks.
Final Grade: D
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