Tyler Shough floated a 15-yard timing pass to Juwan Johnson for a touchdown in overtime as the New Orleans Saints outlasted the Cleveland Browns 23-22 on Sunday, stopping a do-or-die two-point conversion to win one of the games of the season.
Shough threw for 265 yards and a touchdown, with Chris Olave leading the Saints with 98 receiving yards, according to the Associated Press via Sportsnet, as New Orleans earned a dramatic win at the Caesars Superdome. The Browns, with Shedeur Sanders making his first start of the 2026 season, fell to a heartbreaking defeat after fighting back to force overtime.
It was a game that had everything — a first-time starter, a late comeback, overtime, and a two-point conversion that decided it.
Sanders’ big chance
Sanders started for Cleveland after head coach Todd Monken confirmed on Friday that the young quarterback would get his chance, with Deshaun Watson having been placed in concussion protocol during the week. It was Sanders’ first start of the season, and he finished 19 of 31 for 297 yards and two touchdowns — including 197 of those yards in the fourth quarter and overtime, when he came on strong late.
The Browns, 5-3 coming into the game and in the playoff hunt, fought hard in New Orleans and forced overtime — but they could not finish the job. The two-point conversion attempt, which would have won the game, was stopped by the Saints’ defence, and Cleveland left the Superdome with a defeat that stings.
Shough delivers for the Saints
Shough’s overtime touchdown to Johnson was a moment of quality under pressure, and his 265 passing yards led a Saints offence that did enough to win. Olave’s 98 receiving yards gave him a reliable target, and the Saints’ defence made the decisive play when it mattered most.
For New Orleans, the win is a lifeline. The Saints have struggled for much of the season, and a dramatic overtime win over a playoff-chasing side is exactly the kind of result that can change the mood around a team.
What comes next
Cleveland’s playoff hopes have taken a hit, and the question now is whether Sanders keeps the starting job. Watson sat out after spending part of the week in the concussion protocol, and Monken’s decision to start Sanders suggests the Browns are seriously considering a change. The trade deadline on Tuesday will also be watched closely in Cleveland.
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