The New Orleans Saints secured their first home win of the season in dramatic fashion on Sunday, beating the Cleveland Browns 23-22 in overtime at the Caesars Superdome.

Tyler Shough threw a 15-yard touchdown pass to tight end Juwan Johnson with 4:17 remaining in overtime to give the Saints a 23-16 lead. Cleveland answered with a touchdown of its own, but the Browns' two-point conversion attempt failed, and the Saints held on for the win.

The finish capped a wild final quarter in a game that had been tied 3-3 at half-time. New Orleans moved ahead 9-6 in the fourth quarter on Charlie Smyth's third field goal of the game, a 48-yard kick, before Cleveland quarterback Shedeur Sanders struck back with a 64-yard touchdown pass to KC Concepcion for a 13-9 lead with 5:21 to play.

Audric Estime's two-yard touchdown run with 58 seconds left put the Saints ahead 16-13, but Sanders drove the Browns downfield once more and Andre Szmyt kicked a 51-yard field goal in the closing seconds to tie the game at 16-16 and force overtime.

Two young quarterbacks trade blows

Shough, who completed 21 of 35 passes for 265 yards and one touchdown, struck first in the extra period, finding Johnson on the opening possession. Sanders, playing in place of the injured Deshaun Watson, who was in concussion protocol, then led Cleveland back down the field and connected with Harold Fannin Jr. on a 39-yard catch-and-run touchdown.

Browns head coach Todd Monken chose to go for the win rather than the tie. Sanders' two-point conversion pass to Denzel Boston fell incomplete, with a holding penalty on the Browns declined, and the Saints escaped with the victory.

Sanders finished 19 of 31 for 297 yards and two touchdowns, adding 28 rushing yards on 10 carries, in his first start of the season. It was a strong individual performance, but it was not enough to prevent Cleveland's second defeat in a row.

What the result means

The win moved the Saints to 3-5 and into a three-way tie at the top of the NFC South, while the Browns fell to 5-4. It was New Orleans' second overtime game of the season, and the first time this year they have won in front of their own supporters at the Caesars Superdome.

Cleveland will look to bounce back at home against the Houston Texans on 15 November, while New Orleans host the Carolina Panthers on the same day.