Shedeur Sanders is inevitably going to attract attention. The Cleveland Browns knew it when they drafted him. Even after taking a backseat to Deshaun Watson this season, Sanders has generated more than his fair share of buzz.
Now that he's set to start against the New Orleans Saints due to Watson's concussion, all eyes are on Sanders.
But the second-year quarterback isn't the key to Cleveland's success in Week 9. The Browns' best path to picking up a much-needed win starts with leaning into the running game. If Cleveland is going to keep pace in the race for the AFC North title, Sanders can't be put in the spotlight.
Browns must take the weight off Shedeur Sanders' shoulders to beat Saints
Cleveland's rushing attack hasn't been particularly effective this season. The Browns rank 23rd in yards per carry, 25th in rushing success rate, and 26th in EPA per rush. Quinshon Judkins has lost the efficiency he enjoyed in his rookie season.
If there's a get-right opportunity anywhere on the calendar for the running game, it's this weekend. The Saints have struggled mightily to stop the run this season.
They're the only team allowing positive EPA per rush, and they've allowed the highest rushing success rate in the league. They don't have the interior defensive linemen to win at the line of scrimmage, and their linebackers aren't filling gaps effectively.
The Browns have to take advantage. Instead of forcing Sanders to win the game for them, they should focus on running the ball at a high rate, especially on early downs. That way, they'll stay ahead of the sticks and limit situations that force Sanders to play hero ball.
The rushing attack may not be thriving at the moment, but it's Cleveland's best tool to beat New Orleans.
Todd Monken needs to shift Browns' offensive identity against Saints
With Watson at quarterback, the Browns have leaned into a spread-out, shotgun offense. They line up under center less than any other NFL team, and they use 11 personnel at the league's third-highest rate.
Todd Monken needs to shift those tendencies in Week 9. The Saints' run defense is weak in every area, but it specifically struggles against under-center runs. Per Ryan Paganetti, New Orleans ranks near the bottom of the league in every statistical category against under-center runs.
NFL teams defending under center runs through week 8: pic.twitter.com/KxThyvwC7r
— Ryan Paganetti (@RyanPaganetti) November 4, 2026
Cleveland doesn't need to completely flip its offensive tendencies for one week, but Monken should be tweaking his play-calling a bit to account for New Orleans' biggest weaknesses. A few more under-center runs and an increased rate of heavy personnel groupings could go a long way toward pushing this team to its sixth win.
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