Saints Defeat Browns 23-22 in Overtime for First Home Win
Tyler Shough floated a 15-timing pass to Juwan Johnson for a touchdown and the New Orleans Saints stopped a do-or-die two-point conversion to defeat the Cleveland Browns 23-22 in overtime on Sunday.
The Saints won their first home game of the season on Sunday.
Neither team scored a touchdown during the first 54 minutes of regulation play. Charlie Smyth kicked a 48-yard field goal to give the Saints a 9-6 lead. Cleveland responded when Shedeur Sanders hit KC Concepcion Jr. for a 64-yard touchdown pass with 5:33 remaining in the fourth quarter.
The Saints reclaimed the lead when Audric Estime scored on a 2-yard run with 58 seconds left on the clock. Sanders then drove the Browns downfield, setting up Andre Szmyt for a game-tying 51-yard field goal that forced overtime.
In the extra period, New Orleans scored first on the Shough-to-Johnson touchdown pass. Cleveland answered when Harold Fannin Jr. caught a short pass from Sanders and turned it into a 39-yard score with a minute left in overtime. Choosing to go for the win, the Browns attempted a two-point conversion. Sanders rolled right under pressure from Carl Granderson and threw incomplete along the sideline.
Shough completed 21 of 35 passes for 265 yards and one touchdown for New Orleans. Chris Olave contributed seven catches for 98 yards, including a 33-yard reception that set up the late touchdown by Estime. Estime finished with 72 yards on 15 carries after being claimed off waivers five days prior to the matchup.
Sanders went 19 of 31 for 297 yards and two touchdowns in his first start of the season. He filled in for Deshaun Watson, who spent part of the week in the NFL concussion protocol. Denzel Boston caught six passes for 98 yards, and Concepcion added four receptions for 85 yards for Cleveland.
Both teams struggled with red-zone execution in the first half, which ended in a 3-3 tie. New Orleans squandered a scoring chance in the second quarter when Jordyn Tyson fumbled at the 2-yard line during his NFL debut. Cleveland also failed to capitalize on a turnover when Quinshon Judkins was stopped on fourth-and-goal from the 1-yard line.
Injuries affected both rosters during the contest. Cleveland offensive lineman Austin Barber received treatment on the field for a left leg injury, and safety Ronnie Hickman limped into the injury tent late in the fourth quarter. New Orleans center Erik McCoy left the game with a biceps injury.
Looking ahead to next week’s schedule, the Cleveland Browns will host the Houston Texans, while the New Orleans Saints will host the Carolina Panthers.
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