With the 17–7 win over the Carolina Panthers on Sunday, the New Orleans Saints have officially secured their second victory of the season. For rookie quarterback Tyler Shough, the win is his first as a starter in the National Football League.
On the afternoon, Shough threw for a Saints rookie-record 282 yards on 19 completions along with a touchdown through the air. He is also the first rookie quarterback to win a game for New Orleans in over four decades, since Dave Wilson led the black and gold to a 21-13 win over the Los Angeles Rams.
After the game, Shough said that getting his first win was a great feeling. "My favorite moment was seeing everybody in the locker room, dapping everybody up, and just kind of the work that everybody has put into this point." He told the media postgame. "It was just a fantastic team win. I think CO (Chris Olave), special teams, and everybody had an impact on the game.
Tyler Shough might've secured more than his first career win on Sunday
Tyler Shough played outstandingly on Sunday. Moving through the pocket, he was able to elevate the offense on the way to the win. However, once the final whistle blew, the 40th overall pick from this year won possibly more than his first career game. With the way he played, Shough might've won himself the starting job for next season.
Shough has already shown improvement from last week and now has 586 passing yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions on the season. The Saints may still end up with a top five or top 10 pick in April's draft because they are well on their way to achieving so. But the fact of the matter is that the rookie played exactly like the man he grew up idolizing, Matthew Stafford, a Super Bowl champion and future Hall of Famer.
If Shough keeps this up, the Saints might be able to get themselves some support on the defensive line and draft a defensive lineman like Rueben James Jr. out of Miami. Or maybe they'll draft a linebacker like Arvell Reese out of Ohio State. The possibilities are endless, and that is what makes Shough's success, as small of a sample size as it is at the moment, so exciting. He might actually be something that the franchise can build off of.