Tyler Shough floated a 15-yard timing pass to Juwan Johnson toward the right corner of the end zone for a touchdown for New Orleans in overtime, and the desperate Saints stopped a do-or-die, 2-point conversion to hold on, 23-22.
“We go down to the end of the game, he gets better and better,” Saints receiver Chris Olave said of Shough. “He’s calm and collected and we’ve got the utmost confidence in Tyler.”
After the Saints (3-5) scored on the first possession of overtime, Cleveland answered when Harold Fannin Jr. turned a short pass from Sanders into a tackle-breaking, 39-yard touchdown with a minute left in overtime.
The Browns (5-4) opted for a 2-point conversion for the win, but Sanders was forced to roll right under pressure from Carl Granderson and threw incomplete, giving the Saints their first win at home this season.
Cleveland coach Todd Monken said he never considered kicking the extra point.
“You’re not going to get the ball back, probably. So, you’re really saying tie or lose if you kick the extra point,” Monken said. “That’s not me. It was going to be win or lose.”
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