Cleveland Browns vs. New Orleans Saints: 5 matchups that will decide Week 2

Five matchups that will decide whether the Cleveland Browns will beat the New Orleans Saints in Week 2 for the franchise’s first win since 2016.

With the Cleveland Browns looking for their first win in 18 tries, the franchise will be tasked with defeating NFC Super Bowl contenders in order to snap their winless streak.

These five matchups will decide the game.

Tyrod Taylor vs. Saints’ Secondary

Tyrod Taylor simply can’t be as bad as his 34.5 completion percentage against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Taylor had the excuse of the weather last week, but now playing in the controlled confines of the Mercedes-Benz SuperDome, Taylor’s out of excuses.

Plus, the Saints just gave up 48 points to the Ryan Fitzpatrick-led Tampa Bay Buccaneers. It’s a unit that can be exploited.

And while much is made of the Cleveland Browns’ offensive line woes, Taylor actually had time to make throws. His blockers gave him 3.0 seconds on average to distribute the ball, which was the ninth-most time allotted in Week 1.

Instead of making plays though, Taylor looked like a rookie, holding on to the ball too long and relying on his legs to pick up yardage.

A poor effort against the Saints will certainly ramp up fan calls for Baker Mayfield, but even if Taylor’s bad, it won’t cost him his job. It will accelerate the clock though.

GM John Dorsey traded for Taylor because he’s someone who can win games. Upsetting the Saints, who were nine-point favorites the last time I checked, would go along way to acquiring some job security.