When the New Orleans Saints selected quarterback Tyler Shough back in April, they still had veteran Derek Carr on the roster. In the months since the vet's sudden retirement, Shough has managed to bring something to the city of New Orleans that Carr rarely did: hope.
Shough, in just two starts, has managed to not only quiet the talk of the Saints drafting another quarterback but has also made the black and gold a team that people actually want to watch play football on Sundays.
However, the key phrase here is two starts. The possibility that this is beginner's luck (for lack of a better phrase) is still possible. Two games is just not enough time to tell what an offense will be like in the NFL, and if you need an example, just look to the first two weeks of the 2024 season for the Saints. But one thing is clear here: Shough has people looking forward to Saints games for the first time in what feels like years.
Complementary football was the lifeline of Saints QB Tyler Shough's first career win
Tyler Shough got his first win in the National Football League on Sunday when he went to Charlotte and took down the Panthers on their home turf. However, he wouldn't have been able to do it alone, and that's something that Shough has said himself.
On the day, the Saints defense only allowed one score by the Panthers, an opening drive touchdown. While they were busy doing their thing and being a lockdown defense, Shough was able to take advantage of the opportunities the defense was giving to him, throwing for nearly 300 yards and one touchdown on the way to the W.
"It was huge," the rookie said when asked how important the complementary football was. "I think the defense was just kind of the lifeline of today... They were getting stops all over the field. Those turnovers were big, and I think the great thing about our offense is that we were able to capitalize on some of that."