NEW ORLEANS SAINTS WEEKLY MEDIA INFORMATION GUIDE CLEVELAND BROWNS VS. NEW ORLEANS SAINTS SEPTEMBER 16, 2018 @ MERCEDES­BENZ SUPERDOME GAME INFORMATION • ROSTERS • DEPTH CHART • TEAM AND PLAYER STATISTICS NEW ORLEANS SAINTS (0-1) VS. CLEVELAND BROWNS (0-0-1) SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 2018 – 12:00 PM (CST) MERCEDES-BENZ SUPERDOME – NEW ORLEANS, LA. TV: FOX (WVUE FOX 8 locally) – Chris Myers (play-by-play), Daryl John- ston (color analyst) and Laura Okmin (sideline) LOCAL RADIO: WWL (870 AM and 105.3 FM) – Zach Strief (play-by-play), Deuce McAllister (color analyst) and Steve Geller (sideline) SPANISH LANGUAGE RADIO: Louisiana Spanish Network (97.9 FM) – Marco Garcia (play-by-play), Juan Carlos Ramos (color analyst) and Victor Quinonez (sideline) THE MATCHUP scoring contest. QB Drew Brees finished the day completing 37-of-45 The New Orleans Saints (0-1) will seek their first win of passes for 439 yards with three touchdowns, zero inter- the season when they play at home for the second con- ceptions and a 129.5 passer rating. The signal-caller con- secutive week, hosting the Cleveland Browns (0-0-1) at nected with WR Ted Ginn Jr., RB Alvin Kamara and WR the Mercedes-Benz Superdome on Sunday. Kickoff for the Michael Thomas on scoring strikes, while Ginn (pass) contest is at 12:00 p.m. (CDT). and Kamara (rush) each successfully converted key two- Sunday marks the 18th meeting between the Saints point conversion in the fourth quarter. Thomas, starting his and the Browns with Cleveland leading the series 13-4 and third season after posting the most receptions by an NFL the Black and Gold seeking their first home win against player in his first two seasons, set a franchise single-game their opponent since 1990. With New Orleans on the dock- receiving record with 16 grabs for 180 yards and the third et, Cleveland is on the verge of a breakthrough having bro- quarter scoring grab. ken a 17-game losing streak on Sunday with a 21-21 tie Defensively, while injecting four new contributors into against the Pittsburgh Steelers in their season opener. the defense in S Kurt Coleman, DE Marcus Davenport, LB This will be the opening of play against the AFC North Demario Davis and CB Patrick Robinson, New Orleans clubs in 2018 for New Orleans struggled against Tampa Bay’s passing attack and al- Saints Head Coach Sean Payton, entering his 13th lowed them to convert 8-of-13 third down attempts. One season in charge of the Black and Gold will task his team area where an offseason objective was accomplished was throughout the week in meetings and practices from im- by holding the Buccaneers running game to an average of proving in specific areas from the season opener as they only 3.3 yards per carry, after surrendering 4.4 yards per face an up-and-coming Browns squad. an attempt in 2017. The Saints are coming off a dramatic 48-40 loss to the Special teams was a strength on Sunday, as P Thom- Tampa Bay Buccaneers in their 2018 season opener last as Morstead booted three punts for 156 yards (52.0 Sunday at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. After falling gross and 45.7 net) and K Wil Lutz had five of his seven behind 48-24 early in the fourth quarter, New Orleans re- kickoffs sail into the end zone for touchbacks. S Chris Ban- bounded and was only one touchdown and a two-point jo and DB Justin Hardee led the coverage units with conversion from sending the game to overtime in a high- two tackles apiece. Saints vs. Browns: Week 2 2 THE COACHES season appearances. He spent two seasons (2014-15) as Cincinnati’s offensive coordinator in his second stint with New Orleans Saints Head Coach Sean Payton has the club, being promoted after serving as a secondary as- posted a 112-77 overall record (.593), including a 7-5 post- sistant/special teams in 2012 and as running backs coach season mark (.583) after the franchise had won only one in 2013. He also served as wide receivers coach of the playoff game prior to his arrival. Payton holds the club’s top Bengals previously in his first stint with the club from 2004- win total and winning percentage for a head coach. He 06, where he tutored standout wideouts Chad Johnson and continues to represent the Saints as the model of stability T.J. Housmanzadeh. From 2008-09, he served as quarter- not only within the NFC South, as he is the longest tenured backs coach of the Baltimore Ravens, helping develop QB head coach within the division, but also among the most Joe Flacco. In 2011, Jackson was head coach of the Oak- accomplished within the National Football League. Only land Raiders and posted an 8-8 record. He has also previ- New England’s Bill Belichick (2000), Cincinnati’s Marvin ously served as an offensive coordinator with the Washing- Lewis (2003) and Green Bay’s Mike McCarthy (hired one ton Redskins (2003), Atlanta Falcons (2007), and Oakland week prior to Payton in 2006) have been with their respec- (2010) prior to his second coordinator stint with the Ben- tive teams longer. Payton is also one of just eight active gals in 2014. In college, Jackson was a quarterback at Pa- coaches to lead a team to a Super Bowl victory. The others cific (1985-86) and threw for 2,544 yards and 19 touch- are Belichick, Seattle’s Pete Carroll, Oakland’s Jon Gruden down passes after transferring from Glendale (Calif.) Com- munity College. The Los Angeles native also lettered in (Tampa Bay in 2002), Baltimore’s John Harbaugh, McCar- basketball and earned his degree in physical education. thy, Philadelphia’s Doug Pederson and Pittsburgh’s Mike Jackson was born Oct. 22, 1965, Los Angeles, Calif. Tomlin. The 2017 Saints team yielded an 11-5 regular sea- son record, producing their first playoff berth since 2013, behind a squad led by quarterback Drew Brees offensively NEW ORLEANS SAINTS – CLEVELAND and defensive end Cameron Jordan defensively, this team featured seven players selected to the Pro Bowl, tied for BROWNS STATISTICAL COMPARISON the most in club history and four draft picks selected to the 2017 Final Regular Season National Football League PFWA All-Rookie Team, two more than any other club. Rankings With running back Alvin Kamara and cornerback Marshon Lattimore, the 2017 Saints were the first team to have both Saints Browns the Associated Press NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year Record 11-5 0-16 and Defensive Rookie of the Year since 1967. The Saints Scoring Avg. (NFL Rank) 28.0 (4) 14.6 (32) defense saw improvement in virtually every major statistical Opp. Scoring Avg. (NFL Rank) 20.4 (10) 25.6 (31) category. New Orleans moved up ten spots in total de- Total Off. (NFL Rank) 391.2 (2) 308.9 (24) fense, including from 32nd to 15th against the pass. After Rushing Off. (NFL Rank) 129.4 (5) 107.1 (18) ranking 31st in opponent points per game in 2016, New Passing Off. (NFL Rank) 261.8 (5) 201.8 (22) Orleans moved up to tenth in 2017, surrendering only 20.4 Total Def. (NFL Rank) 336.5 (17) 328.1 (14) points per game. Payton earned a bachelor’s degree in Rushing Def. (NFL Rank) 111.7 (16) 97.9 (7) communications at Eastern Illinois, where as a quarterback Passing Def. (NFL Rank) 224.8 (15) 230.3 (19) he had 10,665 passing yards, at the time the third-highest Kickoff Return Avg. (NFL Rank) 22.9 (6) 23.6 (5) total in NCAA Division I-AA history. Payton was inducted Punt Return Avg. (NFL Rank) 6.4 (25) 10.7 (3) Turnover Margin (NFL Rank) +7 (9t) -28 (32) into the Eastern Illinois Hall of Fame in September of 2000 Penalties 105 110 and had his jersey retired in a ceremony in September of Penalty Yards 962 924 2010. He received an honorary doctorate from his alma Opp. Penalties 114 101 mater in 2013. Payton was born December 29, 1963 in San Opp. Penalty Yards 898 905 Mateo, Calif., and raised in Naperville, Ill., Payton has a daughter, Meghan and a son, Connor. Hue Jackson was named the 16th full-time head coach in Cleveland Browns history by Owners Dee and Jimmy Haslam on Jan. 13, 2016. The Los Angeles native has 31 years of coaching experience, including the last 17 in the National Football League. Jackson has spent 11 sea- sons coaching in the AFC North division, with seven post- Saints vs. Browns: Week 2 3 SERIES HISTORY run by RB Mark Ingram. The New Orleans defense then forced the Browns off the field. The Saints would stall and New Orleans is 4-13 all-time against the Browns. The be forced to punt on their next drive though when LB Karlos two clubs were both members of the NFL’s Century Dansby sacked Brees for a seven-yard loss and put them Division in 1968, New Orleans’ second season. out of field goal range. Since Sean Payton became head coach in 2006, the P Thomas Morstead pinned the ball back at the Cleveland Saints have posted a 1-2 record against the Browns. four-yard line, but Hoyer would convert two third downs and New Orleans opened up the Payton/Brees era by a fourth-and-six play on a 10-yard pass to TE Gary defeating the Browns in the 2006 opener, 19-14. On Barnidge. Following a 28-yard completion to WR Andrew Oct.