It was only one game, the smallest of sample sizes, but the New Orleans Saints’ win over the Carolina Panthers in Week 10 finally gave the Black & Gold Nation some hope. After losing his first start against the Los Angeles Rams, rookie Tyler Shough looked the part of a starting NFL quarterback in his second.
The second-round pick (40th overall) out of Louisville completed 19 of 27 passes (70.4%) for 282 yards, two touchdowns and a 128.9 quarterback rating. His performance led the Saints to a 17-7 victory over the Carolina Panthers for just their second win of the season. In the process, he became the first rookie QB to win for the Saints since Dave Wilson in 1981. In addition, he and head coach Kellen Moore became the first QB and HC to win in their rookie campaigns in franchise history.
Again, it was just one game, but the team looked different than it had previously this season. Just days after the Saints traded away play-making wide receiver/returner Rashid Shaheed and starting offensive lineman Trevor Penning, Shough looked comfortable, even when he had to scramble or step up in the pocket, knowing he was going to take a massive hit, to make a play. The team appeared to play a more inspired game with Shough under center. The offensive line seemed improved. The running game was better, as back Alvin Kamara had 83 yards rushing, his highest output since he rushed for 99 in Week 2. And down-field passing materialized, most notably on a 62-yard bomb to receiver Chris Olave and a 30-yard pass to tight end Juwan Johnson, which both ended in the end zone and beat Carolina’s best cover cornerback, Jaycee Horn. In fact, Olave, who had five catches for 104 yards and the score, looked like a completely different player than he had in the Saints’ previous nine games.
As the offense piled up 388 yards, the defense fed off their energy, holding Carolina to just 175. Panthers QB Bryce Young had just 124 yards passing and turned the ball over twice with a fumble and interception by cornerback Alontae Taylor, who had been rumored to be trade bait early in the previous week. Running back Rico Dowdle, who compiled 682 yards in nine games (75 yards per game average) amassed just 53 on 18 carries.
The scene in the Saints’ locker room after the game was jovial; players looked happy. Moore gave Shough a game ball for his performance, and in his post-game press conference, the coach said, “Tyler took an awesome step today. I thought he made awesome plays, and he made some off-schedule plays with movement inside the pocket.”
While some derided the competition as just the lowly Panthers, Carolina came into the game — in their stadium — with a winning record (5-4) and had won four straight.
After starting the season 1-8 and trading away two starters, no one would have been surprised had the Saints folded in Carolina before their bye in Week 11. Instead, their performance sparked some hope that there is promise ahead. How soon is yet to be seen. Even with the win and offense output against the Panthers, the Saints offense averaged just 297.2 yards and 15.5 points per game through Week 10. In the same span, the defense gave up an average of 317.5 yards and 25.0 points per game.
Much of the blame for the Saints’ lack of offensive production fell on second-year quarterback Spencer Rattler, who was just 1-13 as a starter (1-7 in 2025, 0-6 in 2024). In his eight games this season, he completed 174 of his 256 passes (68%) for 1,586 yards (9.1 average yards per completion, 6.2 average yards per attempt), eight touchdowns, five interceptions, and an 86.8 QB rating.
In two starts for the Saints, Shough has completed 34 of 51 passes (67%) for 458 yards (13.4 average yards per completion, 8.9 average yards per attempt), with three touchdowns, one interception, and a 105.1 QB rating.
It’s just two games (Biz went to press before November games against Atlanta and Miami were played), but Shough may be the key to the Saints returning to their winning ways. It likely won’t happen this season and patience is still in order, but the future is looking brighter than it did just weeks before.
Chris Price is an award-winning journalist and public relations principal. When he’s not writing, he’s avid about music, the outdoors, and Saints, Ole Miss and Chelsea football.
