The New Orleans Saints beat the Cleveland Browns 23-22 in overtime on Sunday, November 8, 2026, at the Caesars Superdome, winning their first home game of the 2026 season. Tyler Shough hit tight end Juwan Johnson for a 15-yard touchdown with 4:17 left in overtime, and the score stood as the winner after Cleveland's two-point conversion try failed with a minute left.

The finish capped a wild final quarter and an overtime period that swung twice in five minutes. The Saints improved to 3-5 and moved into a three-way tie for first in the NFC South, while the Browns fell to 5-4 with their second straight loss.

Key Points

• The New Orleans Saints beat the Cleveland Browns 23-22 in overtime on Sunday, November 8, 2026, at the Caesars Superdome in NFL Week 9, their first home win of the 2026 season.
• Tyler Shough threw a 15-yard touchdown pass to Juwan Johnson with 4:17 left in overtime to put New Orleans ahead 23-16.
• Cleveland answered with Shedeur Sanders' 39-yard touchdown pass to Harold Fannin Jr. with 1:00 left, but the two-point try failed.
• Andre Szmyt's 51-yard field goal with eight seconds left in regulation tied the game 16-16 and forced overtime, after Audric Estime's 2-yard touchdown had put New Orleans ahead 16-13.
• The Saints improved to 3-5, in a three-way tie for first in the NFC South, while the Browns fell to 5-4 with their second straight loss. New Orleans hosts the Carolina Panthers on Sunday, November 15.

What Happened

The game looked settled, then it was not, then it was settled again. New Orleans took a 16-13 lead on Audric Estime's 2-yard touchdown run, and the Superdome crowd was ready to celebrate a first home win of the season. Cleveland had other ideas. Andre Szmyt drilled a 51-yard field goal with eight seconds left, tying the game at 16-16 and sending it to overtime.

Overtime belonged to the quarterbacks. Shough drove the Saints down the field and found Johnson in the end zone from 15 yards out with 4:17 left, putting New Orleans ahead 23-16. The Browns answered. Sanders, in relief of Deshaun Watson, hit Harold Fannin Jr. for a 39-yard touchdown with a minute left, cutting the lead to 23-22.

Cleveland went for two and the win. Sanders dropped back looking for the throw that would end it, but his pass fell incomplete, and a holding penalty on Tytus Howard was declined. The Saints survived, the crowd erupted, and a game that had slipped away twice in the final minutes finally belonged to New Orleans.

Background: A Home Win a Long Time Coming

The Saints had waited all season for a win in front of their own fans, and the wait had started to define their year. New Orleans entered Week 9 at 2-5, a team that had shown flashes without finding a way to finish games at home. The Caesars Superdome, one of the loudest buildings in the NFL, had not yet seen its team win there in 2026.

Cleveland arrived with a different problem. The Browns were 5-3 and chasing a playoff spot, but they had already lost once in a row and could not afford to let a winnable road game slip away. The change at quarterback, with Sanders taking over from Watson, added uncertainty to a team that needed stability more than drama.

Saints Beat Browns 23-22: Shough's Winner and Sanders' Near Miss

Shough's afternoon was steady rather than spectacular, and that was exactly what the Saints needed. He finished 21-of-35 for 265 yards and a touchdown, moving the offence without the turnovers that have hurt New Orleans this season. His best throw came last, the 15-yard strike to Johnson in overtime, delivered with the game on the line and the pocket closing. It was the kind of throw that earns a young quarterback trust.

Sanders, for his part, was brilliant for long stretches and agonisingly short at the end. He threw for 297 yards and two touchdowns, including a 64-yard strike to KC Concepcion. His 39-yard touchdown pass to Fannin Jr. with a minute left in overtime was a superb throw under pressure. But the two-point try that followed will be the play he remembers, a pass that fell incomplete with the game on the line.

Reactions

The Saints' locker room will treat this as more than a win. A first home victory of the season, earned in overtime after a late collapse in regulation, is the kind of result that can reset a team's belief.

For Cleveland, the reaction will be far darker. A 5-4 record is still healthy, but a second straight loss, and a winnable game lost on a failed two-point conversion, will sting. The Browns had the ball, the touchdown and the chance to win it, and came up a single play short. No post-game quotes were available at the time of publication.

Why It Matters

It matters for New Orleans because 3-5 is very different from 2-6, and a three-way tie for first place in the NFC South is very different from chasing the division from behind. The Saints stay in the race, and the way they won gives them something to build on.

It matters for Cleveland because the Browns are now 5-4 with two straight losses, and the margin for error in the AFC is thin. The Browns had a chance to steal a road win and instead left New Orleans with a defeat that will follow them into the week.

What Happens Next

The Saints return to the Caesars Superdome on Sunday, November 15, when they host the Carolina Panthers in a divisional game that now carries real weight. A win there would keep New Orleans level at the top of the NFC South and turn a season that looked lost into a genuine race.

The Browns, at 5-4, face a defining week of their own. The coaching staff must decide what the quarterback picture looks like after Sanders' relief appearance, and the team must stop a two-game slide before it becomes three.

Frequently Asked Questions

What was the final score of Saints vs Browns?
The New Orleans Saints beat the Cleveland Browns 23-22 in overtime on Sunday, November 8, 2026, at the Caesars Superdome in NFL Week 9.

Who scored the winning touchdown?
Tyler Shough threw a 15-yard touchdown pass to tight end Juwan Johnson with 4:17 left in overtime.

Why did the Browns lose after scoring in overtime?
Cleveland scored on Shedeur Sanders' 39-yard touchdown pass to Harold Fannin Jr., but the two-point try failed when Sanders' pass fell incomplete, leaving the score 23-22.

What are the Saints' and Browns' records after the game?
The Saints improved to 3-5 and moved into a three-way tie for first in the NFC South. The Browns fell to 5-4 with their second straight loss.

Who do the Saints play next?
New Orleans hosts the Carolina Panthers at the Caesars Superdome on Sunday, November 15.

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