Quick answer
- Winner
- New Orleans Saints
- Final score
- New Orleans Saints 21–18 Cleveland Browns
- Halftime
- Cleveland Browns 6–3 New Orleans Saints at halftime
- FantasyHQ MVP
- A. Callaway
- Top passer
- D. Brees
- Biggest EPA play
- (5:10) 5-T.Taylor pass short right intended for 85-D.Njoku INTERCEPTED by 43-M.Williams at…
- Game date
- 2018-09-16
Game summary
The New Orleans Saints beat the Cleveland Browns 21–18 on 2018-09-16, overcoming Cleveland Browns's 6–3 halftime lead. A. Callaway posted a game-high +8.78 total EPA in the receiving.
The highest-scoring period was Q4 with 24 combined points.
Line score
Final score and points by quarter.
| Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Q4 | — | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Cleveland Browns | 3 | 3 | 6 | 6 | 0 | 18 |
 New Orleans Saints | 3 | 0 | 0 | 18 | 0 | 21 |
Scoring Map
Each pin marks where a score occurred on the field — yard line from play-by-play.
CLECleveland Browns
(8:35) 2-Z.Gonzalez 39 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-47-C.Hughlett, Holder-4-B.Colquitt.
(2:52) 3-W.Lutz 31 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-49-Z.Wood, Holder-6-T.Morstead.
(2:00) 2-Z.Gonzalez 39 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-47-C.Hughlett, Holder-4-B.Colquitt.
(6:48) 34-C.Hyde left end for 1 yard, TOUCHDOWN.
(8:45) 9-D.Brees pass short left to 13-M.Thomas for 2 yards, TOUCHDOWN. Pass 2, YAC 4
3-W.Lutz extra point is GOOD, Center-49-Z.Wood, Holder-6-T.Morstead.
(2:44) (Shotgun) 9-D.Brees pass short right to 13-M.Thomas for 5 yards, TOUCHDOWN. Pass 5, YAC 0
TWO-POINT CONVERSION ATTEMPT. 41-A.Kamara rushes right end. ATTEMPT SUCCEEDS. NO #74 J.Bushrod checked in as eligible.
(1:24) (Shotgun) 5-T.Taylor pass deep middle to 11-A.Callaway for 47 yards, TOUCHDOWN. Pass 47, YAC 0
(:26) 3-W.Lutz 44 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-49-Z.Wood, Holder-6-T.Morstead.
NONew Orleans SaintsFantasyHQ Analytics
Scoring timeline
Chronological scoring plays — scroll to follow the game.
- CLECleveland Browns
Q1 8:35FG Zane GonzalezPoints+3
- Yard line
- NO 21
- Score
- 3-0
(8:35) 2-Z.Gonzalez 39 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-47-C.Hughlett, Holder-4-B.Colquitt.
- NONew Orleans Saints
Q1 2:52FG Wil LutzPoints+3
- Yard line
- CLE 12
- Score
- 3-3
(2:52) 3-W.Lutz 31 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-49-Z.Wood, Holder-6-T.Morstead.
- CLECleveland Browns
Q2 2:00FG Zane GonzalezPoints+3
- Yard line
- NO 21
- Score
- 6-3
(2:00) 2-Z.Gonzalez 39 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-47-C.Hughlett, Holder-4-B.Colquitt.
- CLECleveland Browns
Q3 6:48TD CHC. HydePoints+6
- Yard line
- NO 1
- Score
- 12-3
(6:48) 34-C.Hyde left end for 1 yard, TOUCHDOWN.
- NONew Orleans Saints
Q4 8:45TD Points+6
- Yard line
- CLE 2
- Score
- 12-9
(8:45) 9-D.Brees pass short left to 13-M.Thomas for 2 yards, TOUCHDOWN. Pass 2, YAC 4
- NONew Orleans Saints
Q4 8:41XP Wil LutzPoints+1
- Yard line
- CLE 15
- Score
- 12-10
3-W.Lutz extra point is GOOD, Center-49-Z.Wood, Holder-6-T.Morstead.
- NONew Orleans Saints
Q4 2:44TD Points+6
- Yard line
- CLE 5
- Score
- 12-16
(2:44) (Shotgun) 9-D.Brees pass short right to 13-M.Thomas for 5 yards, TOUCHDOWN. Pass 5, YAC 0
- NONew Orleans Saints
Q4 2:40Safety Alvin KamaraPoints+2
- Yard line
- CLE 2
- Score
- 12-18
TWO-POINT CONVERSION ATTEMPT. 41-A.Kamara rushes right end. ATTEMPT SUCCEEDS. NO #74 J.Bushrod checked in as eligible.
- CLECleveland Browns
Q4 1:24TD ACA. CallawayPoints+6
- Yard line
- NO 47
- Score
- 18-18
(1:24) (Shotgun) 5-T.Taylor pass deep middle to 11-A.Callaway for 47 yards, TOUCHDOWN. Pass 47, YAC 0
- NONew Orleans Saints
Q4 0:26FG Wil LutzPoints+3
- Yard line
- CLE 26
- Score
- 18-21
(:26) 3-W.Lutz 44 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-49-Z.Wood, Holder-6-T.Morstead.
Stars of the game
Top performers by total expected points added (EPA).
- 1A. Callaway · Cleveland Browns · Receiving · +8.78 total EPA · 4 snaps · +2.19 EPA/play
- 2Alvin Kamara · New Orleans Saints · Receiving · +4.27 total EPA · 6 snaps · +0.71 EPA/play
- 3
Tyrod Taylor · Cleveland Browns · Passing · +3.25 total EPA · 37 snaps · +0.09 EPA/play - 4Tyrod Taylor · Cleveland Browns · Rushing · +2.22 total EPA · 2 snaps · +1.11 EPA/play
- 5Rashard Higgins · Cleveland Browns · Receiving · +1.80 total EPA · 7 snaps · +0.26 EPA/play
- 6Michael Thomas · New Orleans Saints · Receiving · +1.09 total EPA · 13 snaps · +0.08 EPA/play
- 7
Tyron Smith · New Orleans Saints · Receiving · +1.03 total EPA · 1 snaps · +1.03 EPA/play - 8D. Fells · Cleveland Browns · Receiving · +0.96 total EPA · 2 snaps · +0.48 EPA/play
FantasyHQ Game MVP
Highest total EPA with the player's top snap and the game's biggest single play when different.
FantasyHQ Game MVP
A. Callaway — CLE · Receiving
A. Callaway posted the highest total EPA (+8.78) in the game, the strongest overall impact for Cleveland Browns. Across 4 counted snaps, they averaged +2.19 EPA per play.
A. Callaway's top snap (+6.00 EPA): (1:24) (Shotgun) 5-T.Taylor pass deep middle to 11-A.Callaway for 47 yards, TOUCHDOWN. Pass 47, YAC 0
Biggest single play (-6.09 EPA): Tyrod Taylor — (5:10) 5-T.Taylor pass short right intended for 85-D.Njoku INTERCEPTED by 43-M.Williams at CLE 40. 43-M.Williams to CLE 18 for 22 yards (5-T.Taylor). NO-21-P.Robinson was injured during the play. His
Quarterback report card
D. Brees led all passers in efficiency for New Orleans Saints, setting the tone in the passing game according to FantasyHQ analytics.
- D. Brees (New Orleans Saints) · 42 dropbacks · 66.7% completion · +9.3% CPOE · -0.06 EPA/play · -2.37 total EPA
- Tyrod Taylor (Cleveland Browns) · 37 dropbacks · 59.5% completion · +2.6% CPOE · +0.09 EPA/play · +3.25 total EPA
Team stats comparison
Side-by-side offensive and defensive efficiency.
| Stat | Cleveland Browns | New Orleans Saints |
|---|---|---|
| Offensive EPA/play | -0.138 | -0.127 |
| Offensive success rate | 35.9% | 44.3% |
| Pass EPA/play | +0.088 | -0.056 |
| Rush EPA/play | -0.208 | -0.212 |
| Defensive EPA/play | +0.127 | +0.138 |
| Defensive success rate | 55.7% | 64.1% |
Drive & efficiency notes
Both offenses finished within striking distance on EPA per play (Cleveland Browns -0.14, New Orleans Saints -0.13) — a true toss-up on the analytics sheet.
Season benchmark context (offensive EPA per play):
- Cleveland Browns: -0.14 EPA/play (21st percentile vs. 2018 team-game averages)
- New Orleans Saints: -0.13 EPA/play (22nd percentile vs. 2018 team-game averages)
- Cleveland Browns: 12 drives, -10.80 total EPA, 4 scoring drives
- New Orleans Saints: 12 drives, -10.04 total EPA, 4 scoring drives
Who scored touchdowns and field goals
Every touchdown and field goal from official play-by-play.
Touchdowns
- Cleveland Browns — C. Hyde
- New Orleans Saints — Michael Thomas (D. Brees pass)
- New Orleans Saints — Michael Thomas (D. Brees pass)
- Cleveland Browns — A. Callaway (Tyrod Taylor pass)
Field goals
- Cleveland Browns — Zane Gonzalez
- New Orleans Saints — Wil Lutz
- Cleveland Browns — Zane Gonzalez
- New Orleans Saints — Wil Lutz
Quarter by quarter
Quarter-by-quarter recap from live scoring plays.
The opening quarter: The quarter finished even at 3–3. Cleveland Browns connected on a field goal from the NO 21 (Q1 8:35) — (8:35) 2-Z.Gonzalez 39 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-47-C.Hughlett, Holder-4-B.Colquitt.; New Orleans Saints connected on a field goal from the CLE 12 (Q1 2:52) — (2:52) 3-W.Lutz 31 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-49-Z.Wood, Holder-6-T.Morstead..
The second quarter: Cleveland Browns won the period 3–0. Cleveland Browns connected on a field goal from the NO 21 (Q2 2:00) — (2:00) 2-Z.Gonzalez 39 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-47-C.Hughlett, Holder-4-B.Colquitt..
The third quarter: Cleveland Browns won the period 6–0. Cleveland Browns found the end zone from the NO 1 (Q3 6:48) — (6:48) 34-C.Hyde left end for 1 yard, TOUCHDOWN..
The fourth quarter: New Orleans Saints won the period 18–6. New Orleans Saints found the end zone from the CLE 2 (Q4 8:45) — (8:45) 9-D.Brees pass short left to 13-M.Thomas for 2 yards, TOUCHDOWN. Pass 2, YAC 4; New Orleans Saints added 1 points from the CLE 15 (Q4 8:41) — 3-W.Lutz extra point is GOOD, Center-49-Z.Wood, Holder-6-T.Morstead.; New Orleans Saints found the end zone from the CLE 5 (Q4 2:44) — (2:44) (Shotgun) 9-D.Brees pass short right to 13-M.Thomas for 5 yards, TOUCHDOWN. Pass 5, YAC 0; New Orleans Saints registered a safety from the CLE 2 (Q4 2:40) — TWO-POINT CONVERSION ATTEMPT. 41-A.Kamara rushes right end. ATTEMPT SUCCEEDS. NO #74 J.Bushrod checked in as eligible.; Cleveland Browns found the end zone from the NO 47 (Q4 1:24) — (1:24) (Shotgun) 5-T.Taylor pass deep middle to 11-A.Callaway for 47 yards, TOUCHDOWN. Pass 47, YAC 0; New Orleans Saints connected on a field goal from the CLE 26 (Q4 0:26) — (:26) 3-W.Lutz 44 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-49-Z.Wood, Holder-6-T.Morstead..
Turning points
Plays that moved win probability the most.
- Cleveland Browns (Q4 5:10) — (5:10) 5-T.Taylor pass short right intended for 85-D.Njoku INTERCEPTED by 43-M.Williams at CLE 40. 43-M.Williams to CLE 18 for 22 yards (5-T.Taylor). NO-21-P.Robinson was injured during the play. His
- Cleveland Browns (Q4 1:24) — (1:24) (Shotgun) 5-T.Taylor pass deep middle to 11-A.Callaway for 47 yards, TOUCHDOWN. Pass 47, YAC 0
- Cleveland Browns (Q4 0:08) — (:08) 2-Z.Gonzalez 52 yard field goal is No Good, Wide Right, Center-47-C.Hughlett, Holder-4-B.Colquitt.
- New Orleans Saints (Q4 0:26) — (:26) 3-W.Lutz 44 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-49-Z.Wood, Holder-6-T.Morstead.
- Cleveland Browns (Q4 1:16) — 2-Z.Gonzalez extra point is No Good, Wide Left, Center-47-C.Hughlett, Holder-4-B.Colquitt.
Impact plays
Highest EPA snaps that flipped field position.
- Cleveland Browns (Q4 5:10) — (5:10) 5-T.Taylor pass short right intended for 85-D.Njoku INTERCEPTED by 43-M.Williams at CLE 40. 43-M.Williams to CLE 18 for 22 yards (5-T.Taylor). NO-21-P.Robinson was injured during the play. His
- Cleveland Browns (Q4 1:24) — (1:24) (Shotgun) 5-T.Taylor pass deep middle to 11-A.Callaway for 47 yards, TOUCHDOWN. Pass 47, YAC 0
- New Orleans Saints (Q1 11:38) — (11:38) (Shotgun) 9-D.Brees pass short left to 13-M.Thomas to NO 46 for 8 yards (39-T.Mitchell). FUMBLES (39-T.Mitchell), RECOVERED by CLE-23-D.Randall at NO 46. 23-D.Randall ran ob at NO 46 for no ga
- New Orleans Saints (Q2 10:46) — (10:46) (Shotgun) 9-D.Brees pass short left to 19-T.Ginn to NO 49 for no gain (39-T.Mitchell). FUMBLES (39-T.Mitchell), RECOVERED by CLE-39-T.Mitchell at NO 46. 39-T.Mitchell to NO 46 for no gain (19-
Every scoring play
Chronological scoring with play-by-play context.
- Cleveland Browns FG (+3) — Q1 8:35 · NO 21 · Score 3-0
(8:35) 2-Z.Gonzalez 39 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-47-C.Hughlett, Holder-4-B.Colquitt. - New Orleans Saints FG (+3) — Q1 2:52 · CLE 12 · Score 3-3
(2:52) 3-W.Lutz 31 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-49-Z.Wood, Holder-6-T.Morstead. - Cleveland Browns FG (+3) — Q2 2:00 · NO 21 · Score 6-3
(2:00) 2-Z.Gonzalez 39 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-47-C.Hughlett, Holder-4-B.Colquitt. - Cleveland Browns TD (+6) — Q3 6:48 · NO 1 · Score 12-3
(6:48) 34-C.Hyde left end for 1 yard, TOUCHDOWN. - New Orleans Saints TD (+6) — Q4 8:45 · CLE 2 · Score 12-9
(8:45) 9-D.Brees pass short left to 13-M.Thomas for 2 yards, TOUCHDOWN. Pass 2, YAC 4 - New Orleans Saints XP (+1) — Q4 8:41 · CLE 15 · Score 12-10
3-W.Lutz extra point is GOOD, Center-49-Z.Wood, Holder-6-T.Morstead. - New Orleans Saints TD (+6) — Q4 2:44 · CLE 5 · Score 12-16
(2:44) (Shotgun) 9-D.Brees pass short right to 13-M.Thomas for 5 yards, TOUCHDOWN. Pass 5, YAC 0 - New Orleans Saints Safety (+2) — Q4 2:40 · CLE 2 · Score 12-18
TWO-POINT CONVERSION ATTEMPT. 41-A.Kamara rushes right end. ATTEMPT SUCCEEDS. NO #74 J.Bushrod checked in as eligible. - Cleveland Browns TD (+6) — Q4 1:24 · NO 47 · Score 18-18
(1:24) (Shotgun) 5-T.Taylor pass deep middle to 11-A.Callaway for 47 yards, TOUCHDOWN. Pass 47, YAC 0 - New Orleans Saints FG (+3) — Q4 0:26 · CLE 26 · Score 18-21
(:26) 3-W.Lutz 44 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-49-Z.Wood, Holder-6-T.Morstead.
Key takeaways
What to remember for fantasy research and follow-up box score digging.
- New Orleans Saints earned the result — use the box score for snap-level context.
- One-score margin — verify garbage-time stats before drawing fantasy conclusions.
- A. Callaway (Cleveland Browns) led total EPA — start here for highlight and prop research.
- D. Brees (NO) finished above expected through the air (positive CPOE).
Frequently asked questions
Who won Cleveland Browns vs New Orleans Saints on 2018-09-16?
The New Orleans Saints beat the Cleveland Browns 21-18 in Week 2, 2018.
What was the score by quarter in Cleveland Browns vs New Orleans Saints?
Q1: Cleveland Browns 3, New Orleans Saints 3; Q2: Cleveland Browns 3, New Orleans Saints 0; Q3: Cleveland Browns 6, New Orleans Saints 0; Q4: Cleveland Browns 6, New Orleans Saints 18; Final: Cleveland Browns 18, New Orleans Saints 21.
Who scored touchdowns and field goals in Cleveland Browns vs New Orleans Saints?
Cleveland Browns touchdown — C. Hyde (Q3 6:48) New Orleans Saints touchdown — M. Thomas (D. Brees pass) (Q4 8:45) New Orleans Saints touchdown — M. Thomas (D. Brees pass) (Q4 2:44) Cleveland Browns touchdown — A. Callaway (T. Taylor pass) (Q4 1:24) Cleveland Browns field goal — Z. Gonzalez (Q1 8:35, 3 pts) New Orleans Saints field goal — W. Lutz (Q1 2:52, 3 pts) Cleveland Browns field goal — Z. Gonzalez (Q2 2:00, 3 pts) New Orleans Saints field goal — W. Lutz (Q4 0:26, 3 pts) Extra points followed each touchdown unless noted in the play-by-play.
How did the quarterbacks play in Cleveland Browns vs New Orleans Saints?
D. Brees (New Orleans Saints), 66.7% completion, +9.3% CPOE, -0.06 EPA per dropback, -2.37 total passing EPA. Tyrod Taylor (Cleveland Browns), 59.5% completion, +2.6% CPOE, +0.09 EPA per dropback, +3.25 total passing EPA.
Who was FantasyHQ's player of the game in Cleveland Browns vs New Orleans Saints?
A. Callaway (Cleveland Browns) was FantasyHQ's Game MVP with +8.78 total EPA on Receiving plays. across 4 snaps. Their top snap (+6.00 EPA): (1:24) (Shotgun) 5-T.Taylor pass deep middle to 11-A.Callaway for 47 yards, TOUCHDOWN. Pass 47, YAC 0.
Was Cleveland Browns vs New Orleans Saints a close game?
Yes — the margin was 3 points. New Orleans Saints won 21-18 in a game that came down to the wire.
Season records after this game
Cleveland Browns
Now 0-1 L
New Orleans Saints
Entered 0-1 Now 1-1 W
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