SAINTS 20, BROWNS 18
Saints vs Browns: Observations from Jermaine Every
Sep 16, 2018, 2:00 pm
Michael Thomas had another big game. Michael C. Hebert, team website
Another week, another wild and crazy Saints game. This time they were able to pull off a win and avoid going 0-2 for the first time since the 2013 season. Winning at home 21-18 over the hapless Cleveland Browns should feel like a loss, especially since they needed help from the opposing team’s kicker to do so. More on that later. Let’s take a look at some observations from the game:
The Good
- Alvin Kamara is the weapon Sean Payton has been looking for since Darren Sproles left town. He’s the type of running back that makes Payton’s offense tick. Kamara is not only catches the ball and runs routes like a wide receiver, but he breaks tackles as if he’s much larger than his 215-pound frame. Quarterbacks are always labeled as dual-threat. It’s time running backs use the label. He had a total of 99 yards on 19 touches today.
-Michael Thomas now has 28 catches on the season after totaling 12 today. “On Pace Guy” would say he’s on pace for 224 catches for 2,152 yards and 24 touchdowns this season. Perhaps most impressive is the fact that teams know Drew Brees is looking for him. He and Kamara will make regular appearances in this section for years to come.
- Brees is slowly closing in on several all-time passing records. He’s now 814 yards away from the career passing yards mark, and 47 touchdowns away from that career mark. He’ll most likely reach the yardage mark within the next few weeks and the touchdown mark possibly next season. Oh…and his completion percentage this year sits at a whopping 81.25% after going 28 for 35 today.
The Bad
-Fumbling is an issue. Thomas fumbled for ther second game in a row while the team was mounting a drive. Tedd Ginn Jr also fumbled. His came on a third down catch that was five yards short of the first down marker.
- Manti Te’o is a solid tackler and appears to have a good grasp on the defensive calls. However, he is painfully slow. He read and reacted to Carlos Hyde’s touchdown run properly, but was too slow getting there. Athletic playmaking linebackers are something this defense needs. Hopefully Alex Anzalone and Demario Davis can fill that need.
- Ken Crawley got burned for a 47-yard touchdown on fourth and five. The Saints were up 18-12 after gaining control following a Marcus Williams interception and another Thomas touchdown catch. He was too busy looking into the backfield and Antonio Callaway ran right by him. The fact that there was no safety help over the top doesn’t matter. This has been two games in a row he’s been burned deep.
The Ugly
-Three times Brees was sacked from Browns defensive tackle Larry Ogunjobi (although one was wiped out because of illegal contact). Pressure up the middle is a quarterback’s worst nightmare. With Brees, it’s even more critical because of his height. This offensive line had its hands full and will continue to do so if this continues.
-Tyler Lutz missed a 44-yard field goal when the game was tied at three. This came on the heels of stopping the Browns on a fourth down conversion. The Saints continue to compound their issues by not capitalizing on advantageous plays and situations. This was something they did last year when they went on a run to make playoffs.
-Browns kicker Zaine Gonzalez missed two extra points and two field goals, including the potential game-tying 52-yarder. With all of that going on, the Saints still only won by a measly three points when they entered the game as 10-point favorites.
This victory was ugly. A win is a win in the NFL. This isn’t like that weird hockey stat that counts overtime/shootout losses. However, the Saints avoided going 0-2 which bodes well for their playoff hopes. There are several things they need to fix. The defense looked marginally better, but still has issues. There is talent on that side of the ball and Dennis Allen will get it figured out. The offense looked discombobulated. Payton will have to go back to the drawing board, but he has to figure out how to protect Brees better than they did today. Ugly wins should be a tiebreaker stat when determining playoff teams and seeding. Embrace the weird stats.
Most Popular
SportsMap Emails
Are Awesome
Listen Live
Astros keep doing this, and it’s getting hard to ignore
Jun 25, 2025, 10:01 pm
While the rolling Astros have a week of possible World Series preview matchups against the Phillies and Cubs, it’s the Rockets who made the biggest local sports headline with their acquisition of Kevin Durant. What a move! Of course there is risk involved in trading for a guy soon to turn 37 years old and who carries an injury history, but balancing risk vs. reward is a part of the game. This is a fabulous move for the Rockets. It’s understood that there are dissenters to this view. Everyone is entitled to an opinion, including people with the wrong opinion! Let’s dig in.
The Rockets had a wonderful season in winning 52 games before their disappointing first-round playoff loss to the Warriors, but like everyone else in the Western Conference, they were nowhere close to Oklahoma City’s caliber. While they finished second in the West, the Rockets only finished four games ahead of the play-in. That letting the stew simmer with further growth among their young players would yield true championship contention was no given for 2025-26 or beyond.
Kevin Durant is one of the 10 greatest offensive players the NBA has ever seen. Among his current contemporaries only Stephen Curry and Nikola Jokic make that list. For instance, Durant offensively has clearly been better than the late and legendary Kobe Bryant. To view it from a Houston perspective, Durant has been an indisputably greater offensive force than the amazing Hakeem Olajuwon. But this is not a nostalgia trip in which the Rockets are trading for a guy based on what he used to be. While Durant could hit the wall at any point, living in fear that it’s about to happen is no way to live because KD, approaching his 18th NBA season, is still an elite offensive player.
As to the durability concern, Durant played more games (62) this past season than did Fred VanVleet, Jabari Smith, and Tari Eason. The season before he played more games (75) than did VanVleet, Dillon Brooks, and Alperen Sengun. In each of the last two seasons Durant averaged more minutes per game (36.9) than any Rocket. That was stupid and/or desperate of the Suns, the Rockets will be smarter. Not that the workload eroded Durant’s production or efficiency. Over the two seasons he averaged almost 27 points per game while shooting 52 percent from the floor, 42 percent from behind the three-point line, and 85 percent from the free throw line. Awesomeness. The Rockets made the leap to being a very good team despite a frankly crummy half-court offense. The Rockets ranked 21st among the 30 NBA teams in three-point percentage, and dead last in free throw percentage. Amen Thompson has an array of skills and looks poised to be a unique star. Alas, Thompson has no credible jump shot. VanVleet is not a creator, Smith has limited handle. Adding Durant directly addresses the Rockets’ most glaring weakness.
The price the Rockets paid was in the big picture, minimal, unless you think Jalen Green is going to become a bonafide star. Green is still just 23 years old and spectacular athletically, but nothing he has done over four pro seasons suggests he’s on the cusp of greatness. In no season has Green even shot the league average from the floor or from three. His defense has never been as good as it should be given his athleticism. Compared to some other two-guards who made the NBA move one year removed from high school, four seasons into his career Green is waaaaaay behind where Shae Gilgeous-Alexander, Anthony Edwards, and Devin Booker were four seasons in, and now well behind his draft classmate Cade Cunningham. Dillon Brooks was a solid pro in two seasons here and shot a career-best from three in 2024-2025, but he’s being replaced by Kevin Durant! In terms of the draft pick capital sent to Phoenix, five second round picks are essentially meaningless. The Rockets have multiple extra first round picks in the coming years. As for the sole first-rounder dealt away, whichever player the Rockets would have taken 10th Wednesday night would have been rather unlikely to crack the playing rotation.
VanVleet signs extension
Re-signing Fred VanVleet to a two-year, 50 million dollar guarantee is sensible. In a vacuum, VanVleet was substantially overpaid at the over 40 mil he made per season the last two. He’s a middle-of-the-pack starting point guard. But his professionalism and headiness brought major value to the Rockets’ kiddie corps while their payroll was otherwise very low. Ideally, Reed Sheppard makes a leap to look like an NBA lead guard in his second season, after a pretty much zippo of a rookie campaign. Sheppard is supposed to be a lights-out shooter. For the Rockets to max out, they need two sharpshooters on the court to balance Thompson’s presence.
For Astro-centric conversation, join Brandon Strange, Josh Jordan, and me for the Stone Cold ‘Stros podcast which drops each Monday afternoon, with an additional episode now on Thursday. Click here to catch!
_____________________________________________
*Looking to get the word out about your business, products, or services? Consider advertising on SportsMap! It's a great way to get in front of Houston sports fans. Click the link below for more information!