The Cleveland Browns have a chance to get back on a winning path on Sunday when they head south to take on the 2-5 New Orleans Saints, who are 0-4 at home and have allowed 34.3 points per game in the Superdome thus far. The Browns can get to 6-3 with a win, but the tricky part is that Shedeur Sanders will be making his first start of the year at quarterback in place of Deshaun Watson, who is still in concussion protocol and hasn’t practiced all week.
It will be exciting to see what kind of improvement Sanders has made since last season, especially since he’ll have a much better offense around him. The offensive line and wide receivers are much better, but it’s a different weapon that has Saints linebacker Pete Werner a little concerned ahead of Sunday’s matchup.
While speaking with the media on Friday, Werner expressed his concerns when it comes to dealing with tight end Harold Fannin Jr. He praised Cleveland’s young tight end extensively and credited him for his explosiveness.
“He’s very explosive. Watching him on tape, they’ll put him anywhere, make him look like a receiver, fullback, tight end, true tight end, a lot of similarities to the explosive tight ends around the league. Tough player, too. We respect his game, he’s a tough player and we’re excited for the matchup,” Werner said.
“He’s very explosive. […] This guy can really do it all. We respect his game, he’s a tough player.”#Saints LB Pete Werner on facing #Browns TE Harold Fannin Jr. pic.twitter.com/nvibSJdVMC
— NOF (@nofnetwork) November 6, 2026
Fannin was in danger of missing this game with a groin injury that has hampered him all week, but he was able to practice on Friday and appears all set to go for Sunday. Sanders will look to lean on him early and often to keep his recent momentum rolling as Fannin has 21 targets over the last two games, hauling in a career-high ten passes for 154 yards in last week’s loss at the Pittsburgh Steelers.
New Orleans got shredded by Isaiah Likely a couple of weeks ago and had no answers for Brock Bowers earlier in the season. They allowed solid performances to Sam LaPorta and Kyle Pitts as well, so there is precedent for tight ends to carve this defense up a bit.
It’s great that Fannin is healthy and will be available as a key safety valve for Sanders on Sunday. It’s one of the most appetizing matchups he’ll have all year and we’ll see if he can build off the chemistry he showed with Sanders last season when he scored four touchdowns over his final five games.
NEXT: Shedeur Sanders Drops A Hype Video Before His Sunday Start
