On November 17th, 2024, the Cleveland Browns will be traveling to the city of New Orleans to play the Saints. The Browns will be coming off their bye week to what Browns fans hope is a playoff push. The last time these teams played each other it was a frigid Christmas Eve game in 2022 at Cleveland Browns Stadium. The Saints won that game 17-10. This game will probably turn out differently.

The Saints finished their 2023 season with a 9-8 record missing the NFL Playoffs. They were 4-4 at home and 5-4 away. New Orleans had the 13th ranked defense in the NFL and the 14th ranked offense. That would explain the record. I would keep in mind that last year’s stats and rankings will probably have no bearing or impact on this game. However, at this point and time it is all that I can go on looking ahead to this game. The Cleveland Browns had the top ranked defense in the NFL. But the defense did not travel well in 2023. Much of the points given up on the road by the 2023 Cleveland Browns were due to turnovers by the offense. And the Cleveland Browns offense was ranked 26th in the league in 2023. Injuries at quarterback, offensive line, and running back are the main reason for the low ranking. But what can be expected of the Browns coming off the bye week?

A Browns fan can hope that the team stays healthy this year to contend for a division championship. This game can set the tone for the rest of the season. The Cleveland Browns under Kevin Stefanski are 3-1 after a bye week. The Saints are a team stuck in salary cap purgatory. Until they get through that, they will be an 8–9-win team at most. The Browns are expecting to contend in 2024. And to contend they must beat the teams they are supposed to beat. And coming off the bye week in New Orleans the Browns should beat the Saints. If they are true contenders.