With expectations and hopes high, New Orleans Saints rookie quarterback Tyler Shough made his NFL debut Sunday against the Los Angeles Rams. Despite a final score of 10-34, Shough was not the primary reason for this loss, and there were some positive takeaways for the Saints.
Do the Stats Paint an Accurate Picture of the First Half?
For most of the first half against Los Angeles, New Orleans could get nothing going on offense, and it didn’t look good. This was mainly due to some of the playcalling, but Shough also looked extremely rushed in the pocket.
On the second drive of the game, Shough was sacked on 3rd and 7, which was caused by his attempt (and failure) to leave the pocket as soon as there was a slight bit of pressure. That was really his one foul play of the first half, but besides that, it was decent, even if the stats don’t show it.
On almost every throw, Shough made the correct choice on the play and gave the Saints’ pass catchers a chance to make a play. The highlight drive of the first half was the 1-minute drill to end the 2nd quarter. Shough was making high-level throws to drive the Saints down the field, which resulted in his first career NFL touchdown.
This TD pass also impressive. He’s going through on his reads. Feels the pressure from young. Hits juwan and gives him a pass allowing him to turn up field.
I know fans want to dismiss this drive as 2 min and rams were playing soft. They really werent. Shough had 3 good passes pic.twitter.com/dzwZ9O75Pm
— Freaking about Football (@FreakyPeezy) November 3, 2025
Did the Second Half Show Off Shough’s Potential?
The Saints were unable to score again for the rest of the game, but that didn’t stop Shough from continuing his high-level play. The Rams were able to shave seven minutes off the clock to start the third quarter, and when Shough finally got the ball back, he started on the right foot and got the Saints to midfield. The drive ended on the next play with an Alvin Kamara fumble, which was unfortunate given how it started.
Even after that stop, New Orleans was able to drive down the field and get to the red zone with Shough still playing well. However, that drive ended on a bad play call that did not work. Shough threw an interception that was more a result of a poor play call and the need to force it due to the fourth-down situation again.
All things considered, Shough’s performance was actually good and should give Saints fans some faith for the future.