NEW ORLEANS (AP) -- Feeling poorly, Cleveland Browns? Showing few signs of life? Weak in all areas?

Well, put on the NFL equivalent of a paper gown and step this way, the New Orleans Saints will see you now.

When it comes to making sick franchises feel better, no one does more than the Saints (1-5). Coach Mike Ditka worries that his team will once again be dispensing the healing potion, this time to the Browns, winless after seven games.

"I don't want to be the elixir for everybody in the NFL," Ditka said. "But I'll tell you, this expansion team is a little bit better than 0-5 or 0-and-whatever they are, because I watch them on film, and they're pretty interesting to watch."

New Orleans' losses have been to San Francisco (3-4), Chicago (3-4), Atlanta (1-6), Tennessee (5-1), and a 31-3 whipping by the New York Giants (4-3).

The Saints allowed the Giants' normally inept offense, which was averaging 268.7 yards and 14 points, to gain 321 yards _ 266 in the first half.

Now Cleveland is limping into the Saints' clinic.

The Browns are a struggling expansion team, averaging under 200 yards a game offensively while allowing 406. But they cast fear into the Saints.

"If we lost to the Browns we'd be the butt of the NFL," said offensive guard Wally Williams. "And nobody wants to be the butt."

Or, as Ditka put it: "There are certain things you're expected to do in life. If you don't do them, it's not very good."

Of course, the Browns cannot take New Orleans for granted. Coach Chris Palmer took the job Jan. 21, the Browns went to camp six months later, and he's still sorting out his team.

"We're going through a situation where we have a young quarterback," Palmer said. "We have 13 rookies. We have 33 guys of our 53 that are from different systems, so we're trying to pull them together, getting them on the same page. It's a new offense, it's a new defense. We're all growing together."

The Browns' linebackers are wracked by injuries. Wali Rainer, who leads the Browns with 89 tackles, Jamir Miller, second with 69, and Rahim Abdullah, who has 40, are hurt. Rainer and Miller are questionable, Abdullah is probable.

The other good news for the Saints' foundering offense is that the No. 1 Billy Joe should be back. Billy Joe Hobert quarterbacked the Saints' only victory, but was injured in the second game and gave way to Billy Joe Tolliver.

"We're a team that needs to go out and win a football game," Hobert said. "That's my goal. That's the goal of everybody on this team. Who here would take the Browns lightly? They're an NFL team. They've played quality teams in quality ways."

Ditka said he expects to win the game, but admits he expected to beat the Giants. Still, he hasn't lost faith that he and his team can turn things around.

"Well, San Diego started 0-4 one year and went to the Super Bowl," Ditka said, his facts slightly askew; the Chargers made the playoffs that year, not the Super Bowl. "I guess you could fix it within the organization, same people, same coaches. Life goes on. Everything gets better. You start executing better. We're not that far away from it, wins and losses. We're not that far away from it."

CLEVELAND Season schedule and results

NEW ORLEANS Season schedule and results

September 12 Pittsburgh L 0-43 September 19 @Tennessee L 9-26 September 26 @Baltimore L 10-17 October 3 New England L 7-19 October 10 Cincinnati L 17-18 October 17 @Jacksonville L 7-24 October 24 @St. Louis L 3-34 October 31 @New Orleans 1:00pm ET November 7 Baltimore 1:00pm ET November 14 @Pittsburgh 1:00pm ET November 21 Carolina 1:00pm ET November 28 Tennessee 1:00pm ET December 5 @San Diego 4:15pm ET December 12 @Cincinnati 1:00pm ET December 19 Jacksonville 1:00pm ET December 26 Indianapolis 1:00pm ET

September 12 Carolina W 19-10 September 19 @San Francisco L 21-28 October 3 @Chicago L 10-14 October 10 Atlanta L 17-20 October 17 Tennessee L 21-24 October 24 @NY Giants L 3-31 October 31 Cleveland 1:00pm ET November 7 Tampa Bay 4:05pm ET November 14 San Francisco 1:00pm ET November 21 @Jacksonville 8:20pm ET November 28 @St. Louis 1:00pm ET December 5 @Atlanta 1:00pm ET December 12 St. Louis 1:00pm ET December 19 @Baltimore 1:00pm ET December 24 Dallas 3:05pm ET January 2 @Carolina 1:00pm ET

Records source: STATS, Inc.

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