The New Orleans Saints improved to 3-5 on the season with a 23-22 nail-biter of a victory in overtime over the Cleveland Browns. The Saints are now positioned to meet the Carolina Panthers on Sunday for sole ownership of the top spot in the division next week.
New Orleans pulled off its victory in the clutch and here are some of the numbers that help to tell the story of the win.
2.8 – New Orleans held the Browns to just 2.8 yards per carry in the run game, their third-lowest average of the season so far. It was the Saints’ best defensive performance against the run since holding the Atlanta Falcons to just 2.0 yards per carry in Week 18 of the 2025 season.
3.67 – Saints running back Audric Estime gained 3.67 rushing yards after contact per carry. It was the best performance using that metric this season by a Saints running back, and the best with at least 10 carries, since Estime’s 6.14 average in Week 17 against the Tennessee Titans.
5 – Saints quarterback Tyler Shough now has five game-winning drives through the first 17 starts of his career.
15.5 – Saints edge rushers Chase Young and Carl Granderson have combined for 15.5 sacks on the season. Young ranks No. 1 in the NFL with eight while Granderson is tied for No. 2 with 7.5.
33 – The Saints and Browns combined for 33 points in the fourth quarter and overtime. Per Next Gen Stats, it was the most points scored in those frames by a pair of teams that had combined for 12 or fewer points in the first three quarters in the last 40 years.
53.5 – The Saints pressure Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders on 53.5% of his dropbacks. Young, Granderson and linebacker Kaden Elliss combined for 20 of the 34 pressures generated, per Pro Football Focus.
60 – Browns rookie wide receivers Denzel Boston and KC Concepcion each had a reception of 60 or more yards. Outside of those explosive plays, Boston had five receptions for 38 receiving yards and Concepcion had three for 25. Big plays were the story of the Saints’ defense on Sunday.
70 – Estime’s 72-yard rushing performance was the Saints’ first individual rushing output of more than 70 yards (running back Kendre Miller had 70 against the New York Giants). Only the Green Bay Packers, the Saints’ Week 12 opponent, remain as the only team without a rusher gaining more than 70 rushing yards in a game
107.1 – Shough compiled at 107.1 passer rating when kept clean.
1980 – The Saints avoided going 0-4 to open the season in Superdome with their win. The last time they opened winless at home for the first four games in New Orleans in a season was in 1980.
