The New Orleans Saints finally snagged their first home win of the season Sunday, clawing their way to a wild 23-22 overtime defeat of the Cleveland Browns. After three previous tries in the Superdome, this gutsy victory means they are now 3-5 and, somehow, sharing first place in the NFC South. What a turnaround, right?
Shough’s Rollercoaster and a Running Back’s Redemption
Let’s be real, it wasn’t pretty all the way through. The Saints blew two first half touchdown chances, thanks to some questionable play-calling and a costly turnover. But man, did Tyler Shough step up when it truly mattered. He was efficient in the first half, slinging it for 135 yards on 7 of 10 throws, including a massive 52-yard bomb to rookie Barion Brown, though that one got fumbled at the goal line by Jordyn Tyson. He also hit Chris Olave for a huge 36-yard gain that led right to a critical Charlie Smyth field goal before halftime. Shough cooled off hard in the third quarter, but when the game was on the line, he came alive. He was absolutely brilliant on a 55-yard touchdown drive late in the fourth to take the lead, and then again on the Saints’ 74-yard winning touchdown drive in overtime. On those two clutch possessions, he went 8 of 11 for 93 yards, capping it off with an incredible overtime touchdown pass to Juwan Johnson. For the whole game, he finished 21 of 35 for 265 yards and a touchdown, with zero picks. Oh, and he was a problem on the ground too, scrambling 10 times for 51 crucial yards. He absolutely outdueled fellow second-year quarterback Shadeur Sanders and, honestly, keeps proving he is by far the best quarterback from the 2025 draft class.
But Shough wasn’t alone in the offensive heroics. Audric Estime, who was literally released with an injury settlement at the end of training camp and then re-signed after the Browns cut him this past week, put on a show. You wouldn’t think 72 rushing yards would be a game ball performance, but it was the best rushing threat the Saints have seen all season. He carried the ball 18 times for 72 yards, averaging 4.8 per carry, and that was the team’s highest rushing total of the year. Get this: his first three carries on the opening drive went for 31 yards, which was more than the entire team’s rushing total of 18 yards against the Steelers just two weeks ago. His effectiveness on the ground opened up play-action for the Saints, something we haven’t seen much of from this offense all season. That’s a huge shift, for real.
The Defense Bends, But Elliss Doesn’t Break
While the offense figured it out, the defense made it hard on themselves. Awful defensive adjustments and nearly back-breaking coverage breakdowns in the second half almost threw the game away. Seriously, what was coordinator Brandon Staley thinking sometimes? Despite that, the front seven delivered their best effort of the year, spearheaded by a healthy Kaden Elliss, Chase Young, and Carl Granderson. Elliss, after missing three weeks with a calf injury and clearly still slowed against Pittsburgh, was an absolute ferocious force against the Browns. He led all Saints tacklers with 11 total stops, 8 of those solo. He even had a first half sack and several pressures, before Staley inexplicably stopped using him as a blitzer in the second half. Still, Elliss kept making critical tackles, stopping runs and passes short of first downs. His biggest play? A fourth down goal-line stuff of Browns running back Quinshon Judkins. That’s the kind of play that changes games, period.
What a grind, what a win. The Saints pulled it off, climbing to 3-5 and unbelievably, they are now sharing first place in the NFC South. You gotta love that kind of grit, even if they made it harder than it needed to be. This team, man, they just keep you guessing.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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