For QB Jameis Winston, the Browns' Week 11 game against the Saints will be a homecoming of sorts, as the quarterback spent four seasons in New Orleans from 2020-23.
Because of his time with the Saints, Winston is quite familiar with the cornerstones of the Saints defense in LB Demario Davis and DE Cameron Jordan.
"Demario Davis and Cam Jordan are some of the best teammates and leaders that I've been around," Winston said on Wednesday. "And just speaking on Demario, Demario has helped me out so much just as a man, practicing against him every single day, walking in faith in Christ with him. So, I know the spirit that he functions from, so I know he's definitely one of the leaders of this team. And I know Cam Jordan, highest energy – you think I got high energy – the highest energy that can even be imagined and he also applies that energy on the field."
Davis, a first-team All-Pro selection in 2019, has 66 total tackles this season, including one sack. Jordan, an eight-time Pro Bowler, has a sack and two forced fumbles through the first 10 games of the season.
Despite the threat that Davis and Jordan pose in the pass rush, the Saints have the 27th-lowest quarterback pressure rate in the NFL at 30.3 percent. However, the Browns are aware of the difficulty the Saints defense will present when they travel to New Orleans.
"They're really good. They play together as a unit, they're always around the ball and they play fast and play hard. So, it'll be a good challenge for us," RB Nick Chubb said.
Check out photos of the team working to prepare for their game this week against the New Orleans Saints at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus
Wide receiver Jerry Jeudy (3) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on November 13, 2024.
Cornerback Martin Emerson Jr. (23) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on November 14, 2024.
Quarterback Jameis Winston (5) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on November 14, 2024.
Defensive end Ogbo Okoronkwo (54) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on November 14, 2024.
Defensive end Myles Garrett (95) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on November 13, 2024.
Safety Rodney McLeod Jr. (12) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on November 14, 2024.
Defensive tackle Dalvin Tomlinson (94) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on November 14, 2024.
Cornerback Greg Newsome II (0) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on November 13, 2024.
Safety Ronnie Hickman Jr. (33) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on November 14, 2024.
Tight end David Njoku (85) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on November 14, 2024.
Safety Ronnie Hickman Jr. (33) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on November 14, 2024.
Linebacker Jordan Hicks (58) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on November 14, 2024.
Defensive tackle Maurice Hurst II (90) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on November 14, 2024.
Defensive end Myles Garrett (95) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on November 13, 2024.
Safety Ronnie Hickman Jr. (33) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on November 14, 2024.
Linebacker Devin Bush (30) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on November 14, 2024.
Offensive tackle Roy Mbaeteka (61) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on November 14, 2024.
Cornerback Cameron Mitchell (29) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on November 13, 2024.
Wide receiver James Proche II (11) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on November 14, 2024.
Linebacker Jordan Hicks (58) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on November 13, 2024.
Quarterback Jameis Winston (5) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on November 14, 2024.
Safety Grant Delpit (9) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on November 14, 2024.
Defensive tackle Maurice Hurst II (90) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on November 13, 2024.
Safety Juan Thornhill (1) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on November 13, 2024.
Safety Grant Delpit (9) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on November 14, 2024.
Quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson (17) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on November 13, 2024.
Linebacker Nathaniel Watson (40) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on November 13, 2024.
Quarterback Bailey Zappe (2) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on November 14, 2024.
Safety Ronnie Hickman Jr. (33) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on November 14, 2024.
Defensive tackle Shelby Harris (93) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on November 14, 2024.
Safety Trey Dean (28) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on November 14, 2024.
Running back Nick Chubb (24) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on November 13, 2024.
Quarterback Jameis Winston (5) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on November 13, 2024.
Linebacker Khaleke Hudson (39) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on November 14, 2024.
Head Coach Kevin Stefanski during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on November 14, 2024.
Linebacker Nathaniel Watson (40) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on November 13, 2024.
Defensive end Myles Garrett (95) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on November 13, 2024.
Safety Chris Edmonds (41) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on November 14, 2024.
Wide receiver Jamari Thrash (80) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on November 14, 2024.
A football during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on November 14, 2024.
Head Coach Kevin Stefanski during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on November 13, 2024.
Tight end Blake Whiteheart (86) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on November 14, 2024.
Linebacker Winston Reid (59) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on November 13, 2024.
Wide receiver Cedric Tillman (19) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on November 13, 2024.
Running back Jerome Ford (34) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on November 13, 2024.
Linebacker Devin Bush (30) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on November 13, 2024.
Offensive guard Wyatt Teller (77) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on November 13, 2024.
Safety Chris Edmonds (41) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on November 14, 2024.
Quarterback Bailey Zappe (2) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on November 13, 2024.
Linebacker Winston Reid (59) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on November 13, 2024.
Linebacker Mohamoud Diabate (43) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on November 14, 2024.
Linebacker Jordan Hicks (58) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on November 13, 2024.
Quarterback Jameis Winston (5) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on November 14, 2024.
Cornerback Kahlef Hailassie (25) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on November 13, 2024.
Defensive end Myles Garrett (95) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on November 14, 2024.
Linebacker Devin Bush (30) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on November 14, 2024.
Running back Jerome Ford (34) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on November 13, 2024.
Wide receiver Kadarius Toney (87) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on November 13, 2024.
Safety Trey Dean (28) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on November 14, 2024.
Safety Grant Delpit (9) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on November 14, 2024.
Linebacker Jordan Hicks (58) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on November 13, 2024.
Linebacker Nathaniel Watson (40) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on November 14, 2024.
Defensive end Myles Garrett (95) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on November 14, 2024.
Cornerback Martin Emerson Jr. (23) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on November 14, 2024.
Safety Ronnie Hickman Jr. (33) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on November 14, 2024.
Cornerback Greg Newsome II (0) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on November 14, 2024.
Wide receiver Jaelon Darden (16) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on November 14, 2024.
Safety Ronnie Hickman Jr. (33) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on November 14, 2024.
Quarterback Jameis Winston (5) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on November 14, 2024.
Linebacker Jordan Hicks (58) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on November 14, 2024.
Linebacker Winston Reid (59) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on November 14, 2024.
The Saints defense saw a major change in coaching personnel after the firing of head coach and defensive play-caller Dennis Allen after their Week 9 loss to the Panthers. Assistant head coach and special teams coordinator Darren Rizzi took over as the teams' interim head coach and defensive coordinator Joe Woods is now the defensive play-caller.
In his first game calling the defense, Woods and the Saints held the Falcons to just 17 points despite allowing 468 yards of offense. The Falcons scored a touchdown on just one of their three trips to the red zone and the Saints special teams unit – a specialty of Rizzi's – held Falcons K Younghoe Koo to just one field goal on four attempts, including a blocked field goal attempt from DT John Ridgeway III to end the first half.
"Defensively they make you work, very challenging. But from the front, instinctive linebackers, secondary that takes the ball away and then the special teams is excellent," head coach Kevin Stefanski said on Wednesday. "Darren Rizzi does a great job obviously with that group. So, we have our work cut out for us."
Stefanski said that overall, the Saints do not look significantly different in all three phases despite the coaching change and new defensive play caller in Woods.
Woods is a familiar name around CrossCountry Mortgage Campus, as he spent three seasons as the Browns defensive coordinator from 2020-22. Stefanski said that, despite his familiarity with Woods' defensive philosophy, the evolution of the Saints defense is a difficult one to measure with only one game to reference.
"I think you see what they're doing, certainly, but I think it's overrated from an insider knowledge type of perspective," Stefanski said. "Obviously, Joe called it this last time for the first time, so you're seeing how much will it change, how much will it not change."
One area the Saints excelled in this season is forcing turnovers. The Saints have 12 interceptions this season, the fourth-most in the NFL this season. They've added an additional three fumble recoveries.
Eight different Saints players have at least one interception, with CB Paulson Adebo and S Tyrann Mathieu leading the pack with three each.
"Obviously, this [defense], they do a great job at taking the football away," offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey said. "They're aggressive. I think the why behind it is one, they've got schematically, they create some issues in terms of post snap, doing some different things, showing looks and then running out and giving you different looks up front, especially on third down.
"I think the other thing is, they've got players who are effective," Dorsey continued. "They've got aggressive safeties, physical corners that'll come up and press you and get hands on you. And I think that's the scheme of how they do things, it's really what they're taught. They're taught to be aggressive."
In order for Winston to have a successful first game back in New Orleans, limiting turnovers against the Saints' ballhawk defense will be crucial.
Winston did not throw an interception in his debut as the Browns starting quarterback in Week 8 against the Ravens but threw three picks in the Browns' Week 9 loss to the Chargers.
"We have to trust our eyes, trust what we see out there," Dorsey said. "So, I think when you do that as a quarterback and you trust your progressions, everything else takes care of itself."
