NFL Spin Zone’s Dan Parzych names five teams on upset alert in Week 2 and includes the New Orleans Saints as his top team, who will host the Cleveland Browns
Week 2 of the 2018 NFL Season pits the rebuilding Cleveland Browns against the offensively gifted New Orleans Saints. On paper, this looks like a one-sided game
New Orleans is coming off an 11-5 campaign in which they won their NFC South division. The Browns were the second team in NFL history to go 0-16 in a season.
However, 2018 is a new season and both are entering this game in search of their first win. Cleveland fought their way to a tie with the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Saints were upset by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 1 during a 48-40 loss.
More from Dawg Pound Daily
- How the Browns could maximize Nick Chubb in 2023
- Can Deshaun Watson get to Patrick Mahomes level for Cleveland Browns?
- 3 Cleveland Browns who should see an expanded role in 2023 and 1 who should not
- Is Marcus Davenport on the Browns radar in 2023?
- 5 Free agents from Super Bowl LVII Cleveland Browns should target
According to Dan Parzych of NFL Spin Zone, the Saints could be in danger of once again being on the wrong side of an upset. Parzych picked five NFL teams to be on upset alert in Week 2 and the No. 1 team that could find themselves with an unexpected loss is the Saints.
"“A few weeks ago, the thought of the Browns defeating the Saints on the road seemed laughable to even consider. As football fans know, this isn’t so crazy to consider after all when looking at how much fight Cleveland played with in Week 1 after nearly knocking off Pittsburgh, meaning New Orleans can’t afford to take a light approach in this one.” — Parzych, NFL Spin Zone"
The key point Parzych makes is the fight shown by the Browns. Should they be able to upset the Saints, it would have nothing to do with how New Orleans played in Week 1 — because even in defeat they dropped 40 points which shows how dangerous their offense can be.
Instead, Cleveland’s ability to get a road win against a recent playoff team will come down to their effort. Despite a shaky start on offense, that unit kept fighting through and tied the game when it looked like hope was lost.
Even more impressive was the play of the defense. The offense for the Browns struggled with many short drives — which kept the defense on the field more than they wanted to be.
That’s dangerous for a unit that’s already struggling with depth concerns. On top of those concerns, starting defensive end Emmanuel Ogbah was lost to injury early on, making them thinner up front.
The fact that they continued to play so hard and force turnovers is a testament to their mental toughness. For that, the Saints do need to beware of the potential for an upset. This young, hungry Browns team is coming after them.