The Cleveland Browns are officially sinking, now sitting at a painful 5-4-0 record after a brutal one-point overtime loss to the New Orleans Saints. This team went from a strong 5-2-0 start to a gut-wrenching two-game skid, and frankly, the biggest gut punch here is that they refused four points in the contest. Seriously, you do the math. A one-point loss after turning down four points? It’s the kind of decision that haunts you all season long.
The Call That Screwed Everything Up
This wasn’t just any loss, this was a self-inflicted wound against a Saints team that isn’t even good. And let’s not forget the New York Jets, another team they *should* have defeated, who also got the better of them last week. Good teams take care of business, plain and simple. Instead, the Browns are now going in reverse, plummeting from a promising record to one that feels like a total setback. The whole lead-up to this Saints game was supposed to be a crossroads, and they definitely chose the wrong path, turning a potentially crucial win into a crippling two-game losing streak.
Shedeur’s Wild Ride and the Guys Who Showed Up
The game itself was a wild one, especially with backup QB Shedeur Sanders making his first start. The good news? He had a full week of first-team reps, getting the offensive line and receivers familiar with him. The bad news? That first half against the Saints must have been rough, because the article says he only dusted off the cobwebs at intermission. But credit where it’s due, Sanders played well in the final three periods. He stopped leaving the pocket too early, found his receivers, and stayed calm under pressure. That 60-yard strike to Denzel Boston in the third quarter? Clutch. His run on a third-and-four late in the game kept a crucial drive alive, and he even hit Harold Fannin for a touchdown earlier in the fourth, getting blasted as he threw but still finding his tight end.
Despite the heartbreaking loss, some guys absolutely balled out. Linebacker Carson Schwesinger is an absolute warrior. Injured or not, he just gives it everything, every game. He made a huge play punching the ball on the one-yard line, shutting down a Saints scoring chance. He racked up seven total tackles in the first half alone, and bagged a sack of Saints QB Tyler Shough on their first drive. Later, he tackled Shough short of a first down on a third-and-six. He finished with an insane 15 tackles, two sacks, two QB hits, and two tackles for loss. And how about K Andre Szmyt? The dude is money. He nailed a 41-yarder, a 31-yarder, and then the game-tying 51-yard field goal with eight seconds left in regulation. He was also perfect on PATs, scoring 10 of Cleveland’s 22 points. Then there’s rookie WR Denzel Boston. Quiet first half, yeah, but he exploded in the second. That 60-yard gain to the Saints’ three-yard line in the third quarter, beating CB Kool-Aid McKinstry, was massive. In overtime, he picked up a 15-yard gain on second-and-14, then another eight yards to get the Browns to midfield. He led all receivers with 98 yards on six catches from seven targets.
What a frustrating turn of events. To play so hard, to have players step up like Schwesinger, Szmyt, and Boston, and then lose by a single point after a head-scratching decision to turn down four points early on… it’s a tough pill to swallow. This team started 5-2-0 and now they’re 5-4-0, staring down a two-game losing streak after failing to beat teams they *should* beat. They’ve got to figure out how to stop this slide, and fast.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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