Tyler Shough has already made himself impossible to ignore for Anthony Weaver.
The Baltimore Ravens defensive coordinator didn’t hand out a throwaway line when he called the New Orleans Saints quarterback a “poor man’s Josh Allen.” Weaver was making a comparison that says plenty about what he sees in Shough: size, talent and the kind of tools that jump off the screen early in a career. And if the phrase “poor man’s” is the part that catches attention, the bigger point is the one Weaver clearly meant - Shough is already drawing praise that most young quarterbacks never get.
Doug Nussmeier heard it that way, too. "To me any time you're compared to somebody like Josh Allen, you're a dang good player. I think a lot of people would take that as a compliment," Nussmeier told reporters.
The Allen-Shough comparison is not coming out of nowhere. Panthers guard Robert Hunt has already talked about moving from a division with Allen and then seeing Shough enter his new division a year later. Weaver, though, has the most direct experience with both quarterbacks, and that’s where this conversation gets interesting.
As the Miami Dolphins’ defensive coordinator for two years, Weaver had to game-plan against Allen and Shough. Results against Allen varied, but Shough made a clear impression when Weaver saw him. "I was impressed with him then as a rookie."
That game gave a pretty clean look at why the Allen comparison keeps popping up. Shough showed off improvisation, arm strength and pinpoint accuracy, and his touchdown to Devaughn Vele was a strong example of all three. Even with the final score not going the Saints’ way, the performance stood out enough to stick with Weaver.
The teams that have faced Shough twice are all in the division, which makes the second look especially telling. The Falcons won both meetings, though the Saints were dealing with a lot of skill players out in the second game. Now Weaver, with help from defensive minded head coach Jesse Minter, gets another shot at figuring out Shough - and he’ll be trying to do better than he did in Miami.
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Saints Front Could Expose A Real Ravens Problem
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New Orleans opened the season with five sacks and has the sort of pass-rush depth that can make even a productive offense uncomfortable. If Baltimore is forced to patch together the left side of its line, the Saints will have a real chance to turn those protection questions into pressure, and possibly into the kind of disruption that changes the flow of the game. [Read more 🡒]
Saints May Have Found The Answer At Receiver For Now
Devaughn Vele wasted little time making his case in the Saints' season opener, hauling in seven of nine targets for 69 yards and a touchdown while working 91% of the offensive snaps. For a player who arrived in the league as a seventh-round pick after starting as a walk-on at Utah, the early usage was a clear sign that New Orleans already trusts him as a major part of the passing game.
With Jordyn Tyson sidelined by injury, Vele has stepped into the No. 2 receiver role and given the offense a reliable target when it needed one. His path has already included a midseason contribution for the Saints last year before an injury cut that run short, so the question now is less about whether he belongs and more about how long he can keep this role once the rest of the receiver room gets healthy. [Read more 🡒]
Saints Get A Timely Boost Before Their Toughest Test Yet
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Jordans return gives New Orleans a much-needed edge on defense, especially with Derrick Henry looming as the centerpiece of Baltimores ground attack. For a team trying to steady itself quickly, getting two proven playmakers back in time for a matchup like this changes the tone of the week, even if the challenge ahead remains as difficult as advertised. [Read more 🡒]