The Saints might've been numb by the end of a wildly cold day out in Cleveland town, but they'll certainly warm up a lot quicker than the Browns after a 17-10, comeback win.
The Saints trailed 10-0, but used a 14-point third quarter to seize control and never gave it back.
With all that in mind, here are my top three takeaways from a well-earned win out in Ohio.
SAINTS CAN'T KEEP IT SIMPLE
I get it, Andy Dalton is the Saints' starting quarterback. Truly, I get it. But it's still remarkable how long it took the coaching staff to identify that it wasn't working.
Dalton threw the ball seven times, largely ineffectively, prior to a tipped interception with Juwan Johnson failing to make a diving catch. No, it wasn't a bad pass. But it also shouldn't surprise anyone that a diving catch is difficult in the conditions these two teams were trying to manage.
What didn't happen prior to Andy Dalton's 8th pass of the first half? A designed Taysom Hill run. He'd taken a few snaps and handed off, and Kamara took a few direct snaps, but the most obvious pages of the playbook were nowhere to be found.
The Saints, unsurprisingly struggled, and were down 10-0 before Hill used his legs for the first time. FINALLY, the Saints got the ball back late in the first half and -- surprise, surprise -- he ripped off runs of 11 yards, then 16 yards with another 15 tacked on for an illegal hit. The drive bogged down deep in Browns territory for a field goal, but any points on a drive against the wind felt like stealing in this game. It shouldn't have been that complicated.
And did you think maybe the offense got its head out of the sand to start the third quarter, you were wrong. It was Dalton leading the offense, and he admittedly did it well, for an effective drive. Taysom Hill didn't get on the field until the drive was deep in Browns territory. He immediately ripped off a 13-yard run. He finished off the drive by powering in from 8 yards out for a TD to tie it at 10-10.
Dalton didn't play badly. He finished 8 of 15 for 92 yards. You could argue that under the conditions it was a majestic showing. Taysom finished with 56 yards rushing on 9 carries. It still feels like it should've been more.
It's just frustrating to see this team fail to do the simple things week after week. And there was nothing more obvious going into this game than the fact that Hill's usage as a runner needed to be big. They got the message, but it was in danger of being too late. I just don't get it.
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RASHID SHAHEED IS HIM
This was never going to be an elite day of passing, but still, the Saints went into Week 16 undermanned to a pretty ridiculous level. Chris Olave was out with a hamstring issue. Jarvis Landry was out with an ankle injury (and is headed to IR). Mike Thomas has been out for some time now.
That meant Rashid Shaheed, a man who was undrafted and spent the first five weeks of the season on the Saints' practice squad, was effectively the WR1. And it was unquestioned. No one was wondering whether it was actually Tre'Quan Smith or Marquez Callaway. It was Rashid, because he's been that good.
He showed you why in this game, played in conditions that made it pretty obvious one of his best assets would be nearly impossible to take advantage of. No one was going deep in this game. The offense knew it. The defense knew it. Still, he managed to snag 4 of the 5 passes lobbed his way for a team-high 41 yards.
He's been so good that it might end up making sense to bring in another return ace this offseason to limit his workload in that department. In a season of difficulties and injuries, you managed to uncover a gem. Score that in the win column. You need to find as many of those as you can.
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THE DECISIONS WORKED.
This as always going to be a game with outsized criticism on some potentially questionably coaching decisions. That began on the first play of the game.
The Saints won the toss and opted to defer so they could pick which side of the field they wanted to defend. In that moment, they chose to play with the win in the first and third quarters. It was fair to question, because with the choice, you'd think it might make more sense to make sure you had the wind in the final quarter.
It wasn't an incorrect decision, but it did put emphasis on taking advantage of opportunities. It didn't look good to start. The Browns scored 10 in the second quarter, and the Saints managed to steal 3 before halftime. But the third quarter is when that decision landed right where it was supposed to. The Saints drove for a touchdown to start the second half and tie the game. Then, getting a bit too aggressive into the wind, the Saints and Daniel Sorenson were the recipient of a tipped interception. The Saints capped that drive off with an Alvin Kamara touchdown and a 17-10 lead.
Allen and Co. have been criticized all year. They pushed all the right buttons today. The Saints were aggressive when it made sense. They kicked when it made sense. They pounded it on the ground, admittedly with a bit of a late start, to take control of the game. It might not be a game that gets the Saints to the playoffs, but a boost of confidence is exactly what they needed, and that's exactly what they got ... even if they'll have to thaw out before they can really enjoy it.
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LAGNIAPPE
Amari Cooper did the drop thing again. With a chance to put the Browns up 14-0, he slipped in the endzone and had a ball bounce off his hands. The Saints responded with a drive for a field goal to end the half. It was a clear turning point in the game. ... Alvin Kamara's touchdown run in the third quarter was the 72nd touchdown of his career, tying him with Marques Colston for the Saints franchise record. ... The Saints have now stymied two of the NFL's top three rushers in Josh Jacobs (10 for 43 in Week 10), and now Nick Chubb (98 yards on 24 carries). ... There were so many empty seats at First Energy Stadium that fans in the upper deck were invited down to the lower bowl. That doesn't happen often. ... Daniel Sorenson's interception in the third quarter was the Saints' 4th on the season, with three of them coming from players who were on the Chiefs last season (Tyrann Mathieu has 2). ... With 481 yards, Taysom Hill set a new Saints record for rushing yards by a non-quarterback. Hill also set a new Saints record for rushing TDs (6) by a non-QB. ... Saints guard Andrus Peat was questionable with an illness entering the game and left with an ankle injury in the first half. He did not return. ... Justin Evans left the game with a shoulder injury and was replaced by Daniel Sorenson, who proceeded to nab his first interception since joining the Saints. ... Wil Lutz's field goal in the first half put him alone in second place for total points (770) in Saints history. ... The Saints are now 4-1 in games when Taysom Hill touches the ball at least 9 times.