Saints turned viral Michael Jordan meme into reality vs. Ravens

Baltimore Ravens' defensive coordinator gave Tyler Shough a poorly worded compliment before the game, and New Orleans Saints coaches never let Shough hear the end of it. Anthony Weaver meant well when he called Shough a "poor man's Josh Allen," but the poor man part became the sticking point. After the game, Shough revealed the Saints coaches called him poor man all week in practice.

There was no real offense taken by the comment, but the fact it was repeatedly referenced says the team at least used it as some form of motivation. If nothing else, the coaches wanted Shough to not forget.

Even Chris Olave chimed in after the game. He once again confirmed that he heard the comment, but added that Shough is "one of one." The star receiver then closed by saying, "by the end of this year, I feel like he's going to be one of the top quarterbacks."

Tyler Shough out dueled Lamar Jackson en route to the Saints victory

It’s not just about the victory but how the Saints got to the victory. Of course, there is the resiliency component that has seen the Saints shake off slow starts versus quality teams two weeks in a row, in a winning effort this week. There’s also the aspect of Tyler Shough getting the best of Lamar Jackson. 

That’s not something many NFC quarterbacks can say. The Times-Picayune's Rod Walker looked into Lamar’s history, and he’s only lost to an NFC team four times as a starter. He fell to Daniel Jones, Jalen Hurts and Jared Goff (with the Lions.)

That puts Shough in a solid group. Minus Daniel Jones, Hurts and Goff are benchmarks of what Shough aspires to be in Year 2. Where Shough sets himself apart is he’s the only one of the quartet to also pass for more yards than Jackson in a victory. 

The battle between two former Louisville quarterbacks didn’t feel like a battle of stars, but when we look back on it even a year from now, this head to head may feel much different. Games like this and last week are introducing Shough to a national stage. He didn’t have those opportunities at the end of last season, and he’s taking advantage of the extra eyes to make a name of his own that's not a poor man's Josh Allen.

In a head to head vs Lamar Jackson, Shough was the better quarterback when it really counted. He had the advantage in raw yardage and touchdowns, and those leads remain in favor of Shough if rushing stats are included. It goes beyond that, as he had much more success in the fourth quarter.

Each team had two possesions in the final 15 minutes, not including the kneel downs at the end of the game. The Saints scored touchdowns on both drives, while the Ravens went 3 and out then threw an interception to close the game. Shough was a big reason on why the offense was able to find the success.

Shough isn't a better quarterback than Jackson, but he was the better quarterback on Sunday. More impressively, he was the better quarterback on a day where Jackson didn't wet the bed. Both guys played well, and Shough's performance was one of the deciding factors of the day.

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