New Orleans Saints rookie quarterback Tyler Shough realizes the reservoir of knowledge that head coach Kellen Moore offers. Normally, age remains the deciding factor in determining coaching experience. If someone stuck around the game in either an assistant or coordinator capacity, others would assign a certain level of respect to them.
As a result, the years of service supersede either actual football knowledge or understanding of the game. While the sport does lean on tradition and foundational aspects, the learning must constantly continue. With innovation seemingly occurring on a seasonal basis, time spent in a locker room is not enough. The newest Saints quarterback will go as far as the young head coach will lead him during his first NFL season.
Tyler Shough Embraces Kellen Moore’s Knowledge Ahead of Rookie Season
The Saints’ presumed starter heard all of the jokes about his age. Being a 26-year-old rookie is rare. However, Shough seems less worried about punchlines and more focused on playbooks. At the same time, Moore will take the field in his first game as a head coach in the NFL.
Moore brings seven years as an assistant and four as a backup QB. He’s 36 years old, a mere decade older than his probable starting quarterback, yet the football knowledge runs deep. Shough spoke to Sports Illustrated writer Gilberto Manzano about the overall dynamic.
“It’s been very good. He’s extremely smart. I think he’s done it at multiple teams, at different levels — college, high school, pro, coaching, and playing. It doesn’t matter. He’s had success everywhere he’s been. That’s really cool. I think that’s one of his greatest strengths. Just the whole coaching staff is really, really good. I’m excited to continue getting to learn from him,” he said.
Granted, most know Moore as the Philadelphia Eagles’ former offensive coordinator, orchestrating a Super Bowl-winning offense. Before that, stints with the Dallas Cowboys and Los Angeles Chargers kept him in the headlines. During his six years as an OC, Moore’s teams ranked inside the top 10.
With a mix of play-action from the shotgun and downhill running, Moore will use Shough’s athleticism to move the pocket and use his strong arm to beat defenses vertically.
However, for the diehard fan, Moore’s legend started before he threw a pass at the professional level.
At Boise State, he completed one of the most prolific college football careers. Moore went 49-3 in his 52 starts, throwing for 14,667 yards and completing 69.8% of his passes for 142 touchdowns, cementing himself as a collegiate legend.
Regardless of what Shough does in his rookie campaign, he will earn the respect of not only his coach but also his teammates. He may have endured two season-ending injuries in college, but he continued to pull himself up and kept fighting.
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The Saints, going through a brutal blend of bad luck, financial mismanagement, and personnel blunders, need a sliver of daylight. With much to prove and nothing to lose, Shough will rely on his head coach’s encyclopedic knowledge of the game.