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6 takeaways from the Saints' victory over the Browns

It was ugly, but the New Orleans Saints beat the Cleveland Browns on Sunday at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome.

In the 21-18 victory, the Saints overcame a 12-3 deficit in the fourth quarter, eventually wining with a 44-yard field goal from Wil Lutz with 21 seconds remaining, though the Browns had a chance to tie before Zane Gonzalez’s 52-yard field-goal attempt sailed wide right with 3 seconds remaining.

The Saints improved to 1-1 and avoided starting 0-2 for what would’ve been a fifth straight year, but on Monday, the team will see a lot of issues it needs to correct before a Week 3 matchup with the Falcons.

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1. Michael Thomas is dominant
Michael Thomas set a new NFL record with 28 catches through two games. The previous record was held by Andre Rison, who had 26 catches through two games with the Falcons in 1994.
After having 16 catches in Week 1, Thomas added 12 more in Week 2, and it’s fair to argue that he’s the best wide receiver in the NFL. For much of the game, the other receivers weren’t making any plays, but Thomas continued to dominate the Browns even when it was clear where the ball was going.
On his 12 catches Sunday, Thomas gained 89 yards and scored two touchdowns. The only issue he had was a fumble, the second straight week he’s lost one.

2. Saints need more offense than Thomas, Alvin Kamara
In the first half, the Saints offense showed a level of ineptitude rarely seen in the Sean Payton and Drew Brees era. The group finally started making plays in the fourth quarter as the Saints scored two touchdowns to complete their comeback, but it was still an uncharactertic game for the offense.
Three plays in the first half should’ve resulted in touchdowns, but the Saints still entered the break with just 3 points. On one first-quarter drive, the Saints were down to the 2. Tight end Benjamin Watson was wide open in the end zone, but Brees’ pass was off the mark, though it’s possible Watson was in the wrong spot. Then, on third down, Alvin Kamara ran in for a 2-yard touchdown on a well-designed play, but two holding penalties on Tre’Quan Smith and Josh Hill nullified the score, forcing the Saints to eventually settle for a field goal.
In the second quarter, Brees underthrew Ted Ginn for what would’ve been a sure touchdown. On the next play, Ginn caught a short pass and lost a fumble.
There was a drive in which Brees took a sack on third down and Wil Lutz missed a 44-yard field goal the next play. There was Michael Thomas’ lost fumble, his second already this season. All in all, it was a brutal first half for the Saints offense.
Meanwhile, throughout the game, it seemed like the Saints could only move the ball when it went to Kamara or Thomas. At some point, other players need to step up to help the offense.

3. Defense improved from Week 1
The whole defense played much better this week compared to Week 1, but the linebackers seemed to make the biggest improvement after making few impact plays to open the season.
The Saints leaned more on A.J. Klein against the Browns, and Klein did a good job of diagnosing plays and making tackles when he had the opportunity.
Demario Davis and Manti Te’o were more impactful, too, and with the three starters playing well, the coaches didn’t use Alex Anzalone much in the game after he played the second-most snaps of any linebacker, behind Davis, last week.
Through three quarters, the Browns averaged just 3.8 yards per carry, and scat back Duke Johnson had just two catches for 7 yards, both stats for which the Saints linebackers deserve credit.
Safety Marcus Williams also made the play of the game for the defense, picking off Tyrod Taylor in the fourth quarter to give the Saints the ball in the red zone on a drive that finished with a go-ahead touchdown.
However, Saints cornerback Ken Crawley was a step behind Antonio Callaway when the Browns receiver caught a 47-yard touchdown to tie the game with 1:16 remaining. It was the clear lowlight on an otherwise strong day by the defense.

4. Taysom Hill returns
The Saints found another way to use their versatile backup quarterback Taysom Hill, inserting him into the kickoff returner role.
The Browns’ first three kickoffs were touchbacks, but on the fourth one, Hill showed why the team wanted to give him a shot. Hill sped forward for a 47-yard return to get the Saints to the 40, and that play should certainly provide optimism for him in that role.
It’s actually not that surprising of a move considering Hill is a threat to run as a quarterback because of his speed and vision, two traits that helps players be successful return men. And with Hill already a key member of the special teams units, it made sense to see what else he could do.
Meanwhile, the Saints continued to use Tommylee Lewis on punt returns, but he left the game with an ankle injury. Perhaps Hill will have a chance to returns punts soon.

5. Third-down struggles continue
The Saints offense was just 3-for-12 on third downs. This was a problem throughout the 2017 season, and it’s one the offense desperately needs to fix.
Part of the issue was with the protection as Brees took three sacks on third down. It’s hard to tell how much the problem was with the offensive line or Brees’ recognizing the blitz scheme, but Browns defensive coordinator Gregg Williams clearly found a way to create pressure on third down.

6. Marcus Davenport is developing
The Saints certainly need rookie defensive end Marcus Davenport to be more productive as a pass rusher than he’s been the first two games, but the first-round pick looked really good as a run defender on Sunday.
Davenport had three tackles, but stats aren’t often a good indication of a defensive lineman’s performance. What really impressed was Davenport’s strength and flexibility to make plays on the runner even while still being blocked.
The Saints expect Davenport to eventually become an every-down player, and his ability to already defend the run well is a good indication that he’s developing well.

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