Cleveland
Browns
0-8
27
FINAL
42
New Orleans
Saints
1-6
AI Recap
AI RECAPIn a high-scoring affair, the New Orleans Saints topped the Cleveland Browns 42-27 in Week 9 of the 2026 season, solidifying their place in the playoff picture. The Saints showcased their offensive prowess, leaving the Browns scrambling to keep up.
Leading the charge for New Orleans was quarterback Michael Penix Jr., who threw for an impressive 316 yards and four touchdowns, demonstrating precision and poise throughout the game. Wide receiver Jordyn Tyson was his favorite target, racking up 142 receiving yards and making critical catches that kept drives alive. On the ground, Quinshon Judkins of the Browns contributed with 83 rushing yards, but it wasn't enough to match the Saints' aerial attack.
Defensively, the Saints put together a solid performance, highlighted by Decamerion Richardson's seven tackles. Carl Granderson made his presence known with 1.5 sacks, disrupting the Browns' offensive rhythm, while Justin Reid's interception marked a crucial turning point in the game, shifting momentum firmly in New Orleans' favor. The Saints' ability to capitalize on defensive stops ultimately sealed their victory.
Passing
| Player | Pos | ATT | CMP | CMP% | YDS | TD | INT | QBR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Michael Penix Jr | QB | 33 | 19 | 58% | 316 | 4 | 0 | 129.5 |
| C.J. Stroud | QB | 41 | 21 | 51% | 225 | 2 | 1 | 73.7 |
Rushing
| Player | Pos | ATT | YDS | YPC | YAC | TD | LNG | FUM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quinshon Judkins | HB | 14 | 83 | 5.9 | 54 | 0 | 26 | 0 |
| Travis Etienne Jr | HB | 15 | 67 | 4.5 | 34 | 1 | 25 | 0 |
| Alvin Kamara | HB | 7 | 46 | 6.6 | 20 | 1 | 26 | 0 |
| C.J. Stroud | QB | 4 | 24 | 6.0 | — | 0 | 7 | 1 |
| Michael Penix Jr | QB | 8 | 11 | 1.4 | — | 0 | 6 | 1 |
| Dylan Sampson | HB | 3 | 8 | 2.7 | — | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| Jerry Jeudy | WR | 1 | 4 | 4.0 | — | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| Chris Olave | WR | 1 | 3 | 3.0 | — | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| Audric Estime | HB | 2 | 3 | 1.5 | — | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| Oscar Delp | TE | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jordyn Tyson | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Taysom Hill | TE | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Rashee Rice | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Receiving
| Player | Pos | REC | YDS | YPR | YAC | TD | LNG | DROP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jordyn Tyson | WR | 6 | 142 | 23.7 | 78 | 2 | 74 | 0 |
| Rashee Rice | WR | 5 | 72 | 14.4 | 14 | 0 | 29 | 0 |
| Jerry Jeudy | WR | 7 | 63 | 9.0 | 2 | 2 | 15 | 0 |
| Chris Olave | WR | 2 | 49 | 24.5 | 7 | 0 | 27 | 1 |
| Bryce Lance | WR | 2 | 37 | 18.5 | 10 | 0 | 23 | 0 |
| Travis Etienne Jr | HB | 3 | 28 | 9.3 | 9 | 0 | 13 | 0 |
| Oscar Delp | TE | 3 | 25 | 8.3 | — | 0 | 18 | 0 |
| Denzel Boston | WR | 1 | 24 | 24.0 | — | 0 | 24 | 0 |
| Juwan Johnson | TE | 2 | 23 | 11.5 | 6 | 1 | 18 | 0 |
| Taysom Hill | TE | 2 | 23 | 11.5 | 8 | 0 | 20 | 0 |
| Harold Fannin Jr | TE | 2 | 21 | 10.5 | 4 | 0 | 13 | 0 |
| Devaughn Vele | WR | 1 | 12 | 12.0 | 4 | 1 | 12 | 0 |
| Dylan Sampson | HB | 2 | 12 | 6.0 | 6 | 0 | 14 | 0 |
| Christian Kirk | WR | 1 | 9 | 9.0 | — | 0 | 9 | 0 |
| Quinshon Judkins | HB | 1 | 1 | 1.0 | — | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Defense
| Player | Pos | TKL | SACK | INT | FF | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Justin Reid | FS | 7 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Decamerion Richardson | CB | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Carson Schwesinger | MIKE | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Carl Granderson | REDG | 3 | 1.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Chase Young | LEDG | 3 | 1.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tyson Campbell | CB | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah | WILL | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kaden Elliss | WILL | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Pete Werner | MIKE | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Maliek Collins | DT | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Quincy Williams | WILL | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Cameron Jordan | REDG | 2 | 0.5 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Lorenzo Styles Jr | CB | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Tyler Owens | CB | 2 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Emmanuel McNeil-Warren | FS | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Denzel Ward | CB | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Mason Graham | DT | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jonas Sanker | SS | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Christen Miller | DT | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jordan Howden | FS | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Adin Huntington | DT | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Justin Jefferson | MIKE | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Grant Delpit | SS | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Isaiah Stalbird | WILL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Davon Godchaux | DT | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Derek Barnett | LEDG | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Jared Verse | REDG | 0 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Mike Hall Jr | DT | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jonah Elliss | LEDG | 0 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Mekhi Blackmon | CB | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Kicking
| Player | Pos | FGM | FGA | XPM | LNG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daniel Carlson | K | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 |
| Andre Szmyt | K | 2 | 2 | 3 | 52 |
| Corey Bojorquez | P | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |

