NFL Week 11: Can the Saints Replicate the Energy and Passion to Knock Off the Browns?

The Saints look to channel the energy from last week's win over the Falcons to try to stack another win for the back half of the season.

Nov 10, 2024; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara (41) leaves the field after the Saints defeated the Atlanta Falcons at Caesars Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images / Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images

Week 11 sees the Saints (3-7) hosting the Browns (2-7) for the first time since 2018. That game saw New Orleans struggle early and then turn things on late in the final quarter to capture the lead. Cleveland then tied the game within the final two minutes and then ended up missing the go-ahead kick to take the lead. The Saints pulled out the last-minute win via a Wil Lutz field goal. A lot has changed since then, to say the least. Here's a few storylines to pay close attention to as we get closer to Sunday.

Saints Storylines to Follow - Week 11

Nov 10, 2024; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; New Orleans Saints safety Tyrann Mathieu (32) celebrates an interception of a ball intended for Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Drake London at Caesars Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images / Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images

A Big Return Coming?

With the Saints releasing Connor McGovern on Monday, it pointed to the likelihood of Erik McCoy returning to the lineup this week. For the first time since Week 3, New Orleans could have their full offensive line in the lineup. Lucas Patrick missed the last game with an ankle injury, so that'll be something to keep tabs on. However, it's encouraging to see the team get healthy on the line. Cleveland is giving up 122.6 rushing yards/game right now, which ranks 14th in the league. That'll be a big part of the Saints' offensive attack.

Building Blocks

The first week under interim head coach Darren Rizzi was quite a response by the Saints. You could feel the energy and the result on the field only reinforced what went on in the building was what they needed. Rizzi won people over instantly with just being himself, and that's what players respected. Getting your first win in the NFL is never easy, but Rizzi did it against a better team and the team's biggest rival in the Falcons. Like he said after the game, we'll see if the players come in with the same energy this week and can replicate success.

Famous Jameis Returns

Jameis Winston returns to the Superdome as the Browns starting quarterback, and it'll be interesting to see how much of a reception he gets from Saints fans. He had a great first game against the Ravens and then came back down to earth the following week against the Chargers. There's a lot of players on the roster who have a lot of respect for Winston, and it'll be fun to see him in action. It'll surely be a little emotional for him, even if the game lost some of the revenge factor after Dennis Allen got fired.