Cleveland
Browns
5-3
21
FINAL
40
New Orleans
Saints
3-4
AI Recap
AI RECAPIn a commanding performance, the New Orleans Saints topped the Cleveland Browns 40-21 in Week 9 of the 2026 season. With playoff implications looming, the Saints secured a crucial victory that solidifies their position in the hunt for a postseason berth.
Spencer Rattler shined for the Saints, racking up an impressive 326 passing yards and leading the offense with precision. Meanwhile, Justin Fields of the Browns showcased his own talent, throwing for three touchdowns, but it wasn’t enough to keep pace with the high-flying Saints’ attack. Travis Etienne Jr. added to the offensive firepower with a strong showing on the ground, rushing for 108 yards, while Chris Olave torched the Browns' secondary with 132 receiving yards.
Defensively, the Saints were a force to be reckoned with, as Carl Granderson recorded 2.5 sacks, putting constant pressure on Fields and disrupting the Browns' rhythm. The turning point came late in the second quarter when Granderson's pressure led to a critical turnover, shifting momentum firmly in favor of New Orleans. The Browns struggled to recover after that pivotal moment, ultimately succumbing to the Saints' relentless offense and stout defense.
Passing
| Player | Pos | ATT | CMP | CMP% | YDS | TD | INT | QBR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spencer Rattler | QB | 45 | 30 | 67% | 326 | 1 | 2 | 76.7 |
| Justin Fields | QB | 41 | 18 | 44% | 216 | 3 | 0 | 85.0 |
Rushing
| Player | Pos | ATT | YDS | YPC | YAC | TD | LNG | FUM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Travis Etienne Jr | HB | 16 | 108 | 6.8 | 57 | 2 | 15 | 0 |
| Kendre Miller | HB | 9 | 26 | 2.9 | — | 2 | 8 | 0 |
| Quinshon Judkins | HB | 5 | 25 | 5.0 | 3 | 0 | 8 | 0 |
| Justin Fields | QB | 3 | 10 | 3.3 | — | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| Spencer Rattler | QB | 3 | 9 | 3.0 | — | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| Rashid Shaheed | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Juwan Johnson | TE | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Chris Olave | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jerry Jeudy | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Receiving
| Player | Pos | REC | YDS | YPR | YAC | TD | LNG | DROP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chris Olave | WR | 11 | 132 | 12.0 | 35 | 1 | 23 | 1 |
| Jordyn Tyson | WR | 9 | 102 | 11.3 | 12 | 0 | 18 | 0 |
| Jerry Jeudy | WR | 4 | 102 | 25.5 | 74 | 1 | 70 | 1 |
| Rashid Shaheed | WR | 6 | 62 | 10.3 | 12 | 1 | 14 | 0 |
| Juwan Johnson | TE | 3 | 45 | 15.0 | 10 | 0 | 24 | 0 |
| DeMario Douglas | WR | 2 | 27 | 13.5 | 5 | 0 | 23 | 0 |
| Harold Fannin Jr | TE | 4 | 24 | 6.0 | 10 | 0 | 8 | 0 |
| Joe Royer | TE | 1 | 18 | 18.0 | — | 0 | 18 | 1 |
| Devaughn Vele | WR | 2 | 12 | 6.0 | — | 0 | 8 | 0 |
| Denzel Boston | WR | 2 | 9 | 4.5 | 5 | 1 | 7 | 0 |
| Travis Etienne Jr | HB | 3 | 8 | 2.7 | 8 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| Michael Burton | FB | 1 | 1 | 1.0 | — | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Defense
| Player | Pos | TKL | SACK | INT | FF | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Terrion Arnold | CB | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tyson Campbell | CB | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Carson Schwesinger | MIKE | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Carl Granderson | REDG | 2 | 2.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Chase Young | LEDG | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Emmanuel McNeil-Warren | FS | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Mason Graham | DT | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kayvon Thibodeaux | LEDG | 3 | 1.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Von Miller | LEDG | 3 | 1.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Denzel Ward | CB | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Levi Onwuzurike | DT | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Quincy Williams | WILL | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah | WILL | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Justin Reid | FS | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Kool-Aid McKinstry | CB | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kaden Elliss | WILL | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Martin Emerson Jr | CB | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Calijah Kancey | DT | 0 | 1.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Pete Werner | MIKE | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Brandin Echols | CB | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Riley Moss | MIKE | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Danny Stutsman | MIKE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jonas Sanker | SS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Myles Harden | CB | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Mike Hall Jr | DT | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Justin Jefferson | MIKE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Preston Smith | REDG | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Grant Delpit | SS | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Kicking
| Player | Pos | FGM | FGA | XPM | LNG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daniel Carlson | K | 2 | 2 | 4 | 52 |
| Andre Szmyt | K | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| Corey Bojorquez | P | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |

