CLEVELAND — The Saints sacked Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson twice and held him to just 135 passing yards and an interception in the air in a crucial 17-10 road win to keep their playoff hopes alive on Saturday afternoon.
The Saints found themselves down 10-0 with just over four minutes left in the second quarter. The tone was set by the frigid single-digit temperatures and chilling 50 mph wind gusts pummeling FirstEnergy Stadium.
The Browns had gained the aforementioned lead after Saints QB Andy Dalton threw an interception at midfield in the end of the first quarter. Watson drove the Browns down the field on a five-play drive that culminated in him running in a six-yard score.
The Browns kicked a field goal, and the Saints would on their next drive, making it a 10-3 game at halftime.
At the beginning of the second half, the Saints scored an opening-drive touchdown thanks to the legs of running back Alvin Kamara and tight end Taysom Hill. Hill ran in an eight-yard touchdown that tied up the game.
After both teams traded punts, Watson threw a pass that was intercepted by Saints safety Daniel Sorenson at the New Orleans 49-yard-line.
Sorenson returned the interception all the way to Clevelands' 15-yard line. Alvin Kamara punched it in four plays later to put New Orleans up 17-10.
There would be no more scoring. Watson would lead the Browns into the redzone with a chance to win the game with under a minute left. But the Browns' QB threw three straight incompletions and was sacked on fourth down, giving the Saints the ball back, who knelt it out.
The Saints improve to 6-9 and keep their slim playoff chances alive. Their next game is against the Philadelphia Eagles, the NFC's no. 1 seed, on the road on New Year's Day at 12:00 pm.