3 Saints the Cleveland Browns should watch out for in Week 16
Sunday’s Week 16 game at FirstEnergy Stadium is shaping up to be a throwback defensive struggle, with snow and bitter cold projected for Sunday in Cleveland, so much so that Deshaun Watson may be wishing that he had signed with the New Orleans Saints instead of the Cleveland Browns. The only problem with that is that he would still be in Cleveland for this game.
Entering mid-week, the Browns are a -2.5 point favorite over the Saints. The over/under is only 32.5 points as of Wednesday, December 22. 32.5 points?
That’s one of the lowest projected totals in recent memory. The Browns are usually a threat to give up that many points in one half. What that means is that the experts believe that both teams are going to have a hard time moving the ball in icy cold weather. The problem is compounded by key injuries to offensive players on both teams.
Even with the low score being predicted, there are plenty of players to watch out for on the New Orleans roster, with these three sitting atop the list.
3 Saints the Cleveland Browns should watch out for in Week 16
3. Demario Davis, LB
Former Cleveland Browns linebacker Demario Davis will be gunning for Nick Chubb and will also be turned loose on occasion to blitz Deshaun Watson. The star linebacker was traded by then-GM Sashi Brown for a defensive back named Calvin Pryor of the New York Jets after the 2016 season by genius general manager Sashi Brown.
Pryor had been a number one draft pick for the Jets, but just because the Jets draft someone in the first round does not mean they can play football. They wound up waiving him at the end of training camp, and he played in two games for the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Davis probably was traded because he was too good and threatened the plan for the Browns to qualify for the No. 1 overall pick in the draft. After leading the NFL in solo tackles in 2017 with 97, he moved on to the New Orleans Saints, where he was selected First-Team All-Pro once, and Second-Team All-Pro twice.
Since leaving Cleveland, he has 27.5 sacks, and 669 tackles, including 67 for loss. This guy will probably make the Saints Hall of Fame when he hangs ‘em up. He shows no sign of slowing up at age 33 and will be the primary defensive weapon against Chubb and Kareem Hunt.
This season, he’s on his way to another 100-tackle season with 89, including nine behind the line of scrimmage. In addition, he leads the Saints with 6.5 sacks, very unusual for a middle linebacker. In fact, when was the last time a 33-year-old middle linebacker led his team in sacks?
Every time Browns fans see Davis’ name among the stat leaders in the NFL, we get that sinking feeling in our stomachs because he was given away for nothing.