A major storyline heading into the New Orleans Saints' matchup against the Tennessee Titans is the battle between rookie quarterbacks. Cam Ward was drafted first overall, but Tyler Shough ranks significantly higher in the Offensive Rookie of the Year odds.
Ward is riding high off a dominant win over the Kansas City Chiefs where he threw for 228 yards and two touchdowns. He struggled to start the season, but has started to put it together recently. Similarly, Shough impressed against the New York Jets last week, throwing for 308 yards and a touchdown.
This game doesn’t have any playoff implications, but that doesn’t matter. Each quarterback is fired up and feels like they have something to prove. This could make it an interesting game for both sides.
This is the first matchup in the NFL… but they have faced each other before
Shough and Ward faced off last season as Louisville took on Miami in mid-October. This was a wild game as the Hurricanes snuck out with a 52-45 victory.
Both quarterbacks had stellar performances. Shough ended the day with 342 yards passing and four touchdowns while Ward had 319 yards and four touchdowns. The defenses were helpless against these two elite quarterbacks.
Obviously they won’t reach those numbers in this game, but they could still have impressive performances. Shough’s got a chip on his shoulder not only from that game but also being drafted significantly behind Ward. This could spark a career performance from a rookie who’s shined these past couple of weeks.
On the surface, this week 17 game is meaningless; both teams are eliminated from the playoffs. However, Tyler Shough and Cam Ward facing each other for the first time as pros is a major storyline that will push them. This game means more than what comes to the eye.