Tyler Shough has Louisville fans buzzing for all the right reasons.
Two weeks into the NFL season, the former Cardinals quarterback is sitting near the top of the league in several major categories, and he put another exclamation point on it Sunday against Baltimore. In a showdown with Lamar Jackson, Shough helped New Orleans erase a late deficit and walk away with a win.
The Saints were down 17-9 with less than 10 minutes left when Shough started the comeback. He led a touchdown drive, then came through on the two-point conversion to pull the game even. From there, he stayed in command, guiding New Orleans on a 16-play, 68-yard march that ended with the game-winning touchdown.
That performance has only added to the growing belief that Shough is becoming one of the NFL’s most productive young quarterbacks. New Orleans is 1-1, and Shough is first in multiple categories after two weeks, including passing yards, passer rating, yards per attempt, total touchdowns, and game-winning drives over his last seven games, dating back to last year.
His rise is a sharp turnaround from where he stood at this time last season. Shough opened last year as QB2 for Kellen Moore after being drafted No. 40 overall in the second round.
He was a rookie, but he lost the starting job to Spencer Rattler. When Rattler struggled early, Moore stepped in midway through the season, and the Saints’ quarterback picture changed quickly.
Shough finished that rookie campaign as a Rookie of the Year finalist with 2,384 passing yards, 10 passing touchdowns, three rushing touchdowns, and a 67.6 percent completion rate.
Now he’s taken another leap. Through two games in 2026, Shough has 662 passing yards and four passing touchdowns while completing 68.9 percent of his throws.
He’s also added 31 rushing yards and one rushing touchdown. His first game of the year was especially eye-catching: 56 pass attempts, 410 yards, and three touchdowns.
He followed that up with the Baltimore win, finishing a drive with a one-yard rushing touchdown and 1:28 left on the clock.
For Louisville fans, it’s a familiar kind of joy: watching one of their own make noise on the biggest stage. And right now, Shough is giving them plenty to celebrate.
In Other News...
Wake Forest Faces A Brutal Road Test For Gio Lopez
Louisville and Wake Forest arrive at this ACC matchup with similar early-season rsums and plenty to sort out before the league race settles in. The Cardinals are 2-1 and have leaned on a productive rushing attack while playing clean football, and the Demon Deacons are also 2-1 after showing they can hang around in competitive games. Both staffs have already spent the week talking up the challenges ahead, which is usually a sign the opener to conference play is going to demand a little more than just basic September execution.
For Wake Forest, the bigger concern is keeping Gio Lopez upright against a Louisville front that has been steady and disruptive without giving the ball away. The Cardinals have yet to put themselves in obvious trouble with turnovers, and that kind of discipline can make life uncomfortable for an offense still trying to settle in around its quarterback. How Wake Forest handles pressure will go a long way toward determining whether this turns into a manageable road test or a long afternoon. [Read more 🡒]
Louisville Enters Week 4 With ACC Momentum And One Backfield Debate
Louisville heads into Week 4 with a little more confidence after opening ACC play by beating SMU, and the next stop brings Wake Forest into the picture. The Demon Deacons are coming off a conference loss to Miami, while the Cardinals are trying to build on a win that gave their early season a cleaner look on both sides of the ball. For a team trying to establish itself in league play, this is the kind of game that can help set the tone before the schedule gets any tougher.
The more interesting subplot inside Louisvilles own locker room is in the backfield, where the carries have not told the whole story. Isaac Brown remains the more familiar name, but Keyjuan Brown has been making his case with efficiency and production that have started to sharpen the discussion around how the Cardinals should divide their workload. With Louisville carrying momentum and the matchup tilting in its favor, the only real question is how much the ground game can keep opening doors before the conference race tightens up. [Read more 🡒]
Louisvilles Fast Start Is Raising A Much Bigger Question
Louisvilles early-season picture has been a mix of promise and unfinished business, with the Cardinals showing enough offensive balance to keep piling up points while still leaving room for concern on the other side of the ball. Multiple running backs helped drive the attack, quarterback Kienholz added his own key moments, and the teams 2-1 start has already included a close loss to a top-ranked opponent, a reminder that the margin for error is thin even when the offense is humming.
The bigger question now is whether those fast starts can hold up once the pressure rises and the schedule keeps tightening, beginning with Wake Forest. Louisville has already lived through a game in which it gave up too much on the ground but still found ways to survive, so the next step is less about flash and more about consistency. If the Cardinals are going to turn this start into something bigger, they will need the same offensive variety and a defense that can keep making the right stops when it matters most. [Read more 🡒]