SERIES HISTORY
Cleveland has dominated the regular season series between the two clubs, 13-4, including a stretch where the Browns won the first eight meetings between the clubs between 1967 and 1981. New Orleans broke the losing streak with a 16-14 victory at Municipal Stadium in Cleveland on October 28, 1984, storming back from a 14-10 deficit thanks to two fourth quarter field goals from K Morten Andersen. In 2006, Payton and QB Drew Brees' first campaign in New Orleans, the Browns were the Saints' first regular season opponents in the Saints' first appearance in Cleveland since the franchise was rebooted in 1999; the Black and Gold won, 19-14, to give Payton a victory in his NFL head coaching debut. The last meeting between the two teams occurred on September 14, 2014, when K Billy Cundiff connected on a 29-yard field goal with three seconds remaining to secure a 26-24 victory for the Browns. In the preseason, the series is tied at one game apiece. The two clubs last met for an exhibition matchup in 1982, when the Browns edged the Saints 20-17 at the Louisiana Superdome. The game was critical in determining the winner of the Saints' starting quarterback battle between Archie Manning and Kenny Stabler. Stabler completed 11-of-17 passes for 149 yards, including a 53-yard completion to WR Aundra Thompson. Andersen, then in his rookie preseason, disappointed fans by missing three field goals, leading then-Head Coach Bum Phillips to remark tersely, "I was not pleased with Andersen's performance." Andersen went on to rebound from this adversity early in his rookie campaign in a big way he becoming both the Saints' and National Football League's all-time leading scorer and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame this past weekend.
