Redskins vs Saints Week 10 Player Spotlight: Brandon Browner

Brandon Browner

Cornerback

Age: 31

Height: 6'4"

Weight: 221 lbs.

College: Oregon State

NFL Draft: 2005 - Undrafted

Form

The Saints (4-5) have been a very inconsistent team so far this year.  That's reflected perfectly in one Brandon Browner.  He makes great plays (nice extended pick against Sam Bradford) and he makes dumb plays (most penalized player in the league).  He always plays with great passion, but on an inconsistent team like the Saints, that passion fluctuates between positive and negative.

In their loss to the Titans last week, Browner didn't really standout.  He accumulated 3 tackles and that was it.  In November has has a total of 11 tackles and 1 PD.  This year he's had 43 tackles, 1 FR, 1 INT, and 7 PDs.  He was brought to the Saints this past off-season probably with the idea that he'd be a veteran leader in the locker-room.  That hasn't consistently been the case this year, though as evidenced by his crazy tirade after the loss to the Titans last week.

And then there's the penalties...  Browner leads the league with 17 called penalties and 15 accepted against him.  In fact, Browner led the league in 2011 and 2014.  Throughout his first four years with Seattle and NE, Browner had 48 called and 40 accepted penalties against him.

Skills

Browner is obviously talented (Pro Bowler in '11) and has the size and versatility most any team would covet in their secondary.  He's most known for his huge frame for a CB.  This size gives Browner the versatility to line up against large WRs and most TEs alike.  Additionally, he could play S.

Browner's also known for his big, jarring hits (has a little something to do with the large volume of penalties).  He really blasts guys... legally and illegally.  He's at his best in man coverage and when he can use his frame to get his hands on receivers at the LoS.  Not only is it very difficult to deal with a CB that size at the LoS, Browner actually has the recovery speed to deal with the rare receiver who can get past him. Also, his great tackling ability and the ability to defend passes is aided by his extremely long arms.

The high level of passion that Browner plays with (and exudes off the field) is something that makes him very well liked by his coaches and teammates.  You'll see him hit himself in the head after making a tackle or jump up screaming after breaking up a pass.  Teammates thrive on that kind of stuff.  He's been described as "controlled chaos."  He's the size of a LB, hits like a Mack truck, and yet can cover most any receiver.  He's emotional and nasty, and those can be a very powerful skills.

Potential Against the Redskins

Browner is a starting CB for the Saints and at 31 years of age, he may have lost a little bit of speed, but nothing much with regards to his hitting/tackling ability.  His versatility gives him interesting potential against our beloved Redskins this week.

For starters, DeSean Jackson does not like physical CBs who are much larger and can effectively jam him at the LoS.  Obviously, Browner cannot keep up with Jackson once beat, but Jackson is the kind of guy who can be mentally beaten down by repeatedly not being able to get into his routes after getting physically jammed.  That'd be a very interesting match-up for sure.

Additionally, Browner may be one of the better-suited defenders we've faced this year when it comes to having the size and speed to cover Jordan Reed.  It wouldn't be out-of-place to see him on Reed at all, and it may even be where he'd be most effective against us.

The potential I'm most interested in though is if Browner struggles.  His potential for hurting his team through penalties is obviously very high.  He kind of lost it a little bit last week (with the tirade after the game), and I think he might be a guy who is susceptible to trash talk and getting beat a few times.  I could see him taking some dirty hits or grabbing and getting a little too emotional and ultimately hurting the Saints field position.  We should also consider the potential for injury our receivers face knowing the hitting history of this guy...

Interesting Facts

Brandon played four season in the CFL where he was a 3x CFL All-Star and Grey Cup champion.  He's also a Super Bowl champion with Seattle in 2013 and NE in 2014.  It's a very rare feat to win two consecutive Super Bowls with two different teams.  He set two Seattle Seahawks franchise records in 2011 after having the longest INT return for a TD (94 yards) and the most INT return yards in a season (220).  Check him out on Twitter @bbrowner27.