Saints Defeat Browns 23-16 in Overtime to Improve to 3-5

The New Orleans Saints defeated the Cleveland Browns in overtime on November 8, 2026, at Caesars Superdome, improving their record to 3-5 on the season.

Depending on how the Tampa Bay Buccaneers finish their matchup, New Orleans currently shares the summit of the NFC South. Charlie Smyth opened the scoring on the game’s first drive with a 30-yard field goal to give the Saints a 3-0 lead.

The Saints did not score again until the third quarter when Smyth made a 27-yard field goal to tie the game at 6-6. Smyth added a 48-yard field goal later to give New Orleans a 9-6 lead.

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Audric Estime scored a 2-yard rushing touchdown with less than a minute left in regulation, his first game back, giving the Saints a 16-13 lead. The Browns later forced overtime.

In the extra period, quarterback Tyler Shough threw a 15-yard touchdown pass to tight end Juwan Johnson to seal the 23-16 victory. The passing offense finished 21 of 35 for 236 yards, one touchdown, and zero interceptions while taking five sacks.

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The rushing offense totaled 32 carries for 160 yards and one touchdown, averaging 5 yards per carry. On the defensive side, the Saints allowed 260 passing yards and 95 rushing yards.

Tyler Shough completed 21 of 35 passes for 265 yards and one touchdown while adding 10 carries for 51 rushing yards. Audric Estime rushed 15 times for 72 yards and a touchdown, averaging 4.8 yards per carry.

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Alvin Kamara contributed 6 carries for 32 yards and caught three passes for 17 yards. Chris Olave led the receiving efforts with 7 receptions for 98 yards.

Defensively, Kaden Ellis recorded 11 tackles, eight solo, one sack, two tackles for loss, and four quarterback hits. Carl Granderson added seven tackles, five solo, two sacks, two tackles for loss, one pass defense, and two quarterback hits.

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Chase Young contributed four tackles, two solo, one sack, one tackle for loss, one pass defense, and one quarterback hit. Charlie Smyth finished the day converting 3 of 4 field goal attempts, with a long of 48 yards.

Following the win and a loss by the Carolina Panthers, the Saints host the Panthers next week. Thanks to Sunday’s triumph over Cleveland combined with a setback for Carolina, New Orleans can capture sole possession of first place in the division if they defeat the Panthers.