Browns Digest Week 16 Staff Picks

The Browns Digest staff has their picks in for week 16, including the matchup between the Cleveland Browns and New Orleans Saints which will be impacted by winter weather.

The week 16 slate begins with one of the more intriguing Thursday night matchups between two teams that have been pleasant surprises. The Jacksonville Jaguars have six wins, but they've taken down teams like the Dallas Cowboys, Baltimore Ravens and Los Angeles Chargers. Quarterback Trevor Lawrence is finding his stride, playing at a high level.

The New York Jets have a tough defense and their rookie corner Sauce Gardner has bee named to his first Pro Bowl and they have one of the deepest defensive fronts in the league. Unfortunately, Zack Wilson has been a limiting factor on offense at quarterback. As a result, all three of us have the Jaguars winning on the road.

Brandon Little went 15-1 last week. Had the Jaguars not come back and beaten the Dallas Cowboys, he would've had a perfect slate. Abby Mueller's 13-3 mark was also impressive, enabling both to make up ground, reducing my lead.

There is little disagreement about this week's games, which is good for me. That includes the game between the Cleveland Browns and New Orleans Saints. The Browns are playing better football as of late and Deshaun Watson is improving. However, given the forecast for this week, Watson's passing might be neutered.

The Browns will have to run the ball well. And given Watson's impact on the offense, it gives them more avenues in which to attack a defense on the ground. The Saints have to play in it, but it's a larger departure from what they are comfortable doing offensively. They may rely heavily on Taysom Hill this week. The Browns have a good opportunity to get their seventh win.