Tyler Shough has frequently navigated pressure well en route to big plays, and that’s been one of his defining traits since Kellen Moore put him in the starting lineup halfway through last year. He’ll need to retain that ability when the New Orleans Saints face the Las Vegas Raiders Sunday. Maxx Crosby is the headliner, but what makes the Raiders pass rush dangerous is it's more than just their superstar.
Crosby plays primarily on the defensive left, so his matchup versus Taliese Fuaga is the premier battle of the day. It will be interesting to see if Kelvin Banks Jr.'s injury leads to Crosby lining up on the other side to try to take advantage of Asim Richards making his first start.
With the way Kwitty Paye has played this year, the Raiders could get pressure without moving Crosby. The Raiders have four players with at least 1.5 sacks, including linebacker Nakobe Dean. Basically, Shough has to be ready to be attacked from any angle.
Tyler Shough has all the tools to neutralize Raiders pass rush
No quarterback has been under pressure more than Shough this year, with 40 pressures. That reflects on the offensive line, Shough and the amount of times he’s been asked to drop back. Shough will hold the ball to make a play occasionally, but the biggest explanations are protection and an absurd amount of attempts.
Only CJ Stroud had more dropbacks going into Week 3, and he and Shough are the only quarterbacks with more than 90. They each have over 100. Naturally, they were also the quarterbacks with the most pressures, because more opportunities lead to more mistakes up front.
Part of these ridiculously high numbers is because the Saints had to throw to get back into the game against the Lions, but the Saints can't live like this moving forward.
Take away the raw numbers and look at percentages. Shough is pressured at the 12th highest rate, and while it's not great, it's close to league average and far from the most in the league. It's a bit higher than the Saints would like, but it does paint a different picture on the protection of Shough.
Hopefully, the Saints can get off to start and not need to throw the ball so much. That should bring down the pressure percentage, but Shough has a few tools in his toolbox to do it on his own. Shough's time to throw and knack to extend plays.
Shough has been excellent when under pressure. He doesn't panic, and he's completed a league-high 19 passes under pressure as a result. The quarterback has extended plays consistently, and has the sixth highest time from pressure to throw.
That's going to be key for a Raiders pass rush that gets to the quarterback in a hurry. Extending plays when necessary, and getting the ball out first are imperative. Luckily, Shough has done both at a high level, and it should be the Saints' key to derailing the best threat the Raiders have to offer.
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