New Orleans Saints rookie quarterback Tyler Shough is set to make his first start in the National Football League this Sunday on the road against the Los Angeles Rams. He'll be just the 17th QB to make their National Football League debut with a fleur-de-lis on the side of their helmet.
Shough said it's a great feeling but knows there's a lot of work to be done. "Nothing changes process-wise but the sense of urgency does," he said to the media. "We're just going to have fun. We got to go out there and put points on the board and go out there and win."
Shough also said that he thinks he's gotten better each day and each week. "My intentionality was trying to play a game within the game each week of practice." Shough said to the media. "Every rep I'm getting in practice, every time Spencer (Rattler) is out there playing, I'm learning everything that I can."
Pretending to be other quarterbacks made Tyler Shough ready when the Saints threw him in abruptly
Even though he wasn't named the week one starter, Tyler Shough has been putting in the work behind the scenes, running the scout team offense. That's something crucial for everyday practices, as it helps simulate the opponent's offense for that week.
After weeks of being Josh Allen, Sam Darnold or Baker Mayfield, Shough finally just gets to be Shough. Those moments were still valuable, however. He was able to get reps everyday versus a starting defense. Even if it was while running a different offense, there are still some takeaways to gather from those moments.
Kellen Moore has been impressed with Shough's performance behind the curtain "Every player, whether you're playing or not playing, you have objectives each week that you're trying to hit," Moore said. "I felt like he's taken the steps in the different areas that he certainly feels like he can continue to grow in; he prepares each and every week as though he could potentially be the starter."
That preparation behind the scenes allowed for a seamless transition. Moore thought he'd handled the operations well. "I thought he handled the challenging situation on Sunday, just hopping in there with very limited reps," Moore said to the media. "He did a nice job there and gave us a chance, though ultimately we weren't able to get it done, but that's more of a collective thing than him. I'm excited for him."
Shough will need to have taken away pieces from those moments for a halfway successful debut. The Rams are a tough task, but Shough will need the intentionality he described for success this week and beyond. It'll be imperative to avoiding a rocky start to his career.