Tyler Shough is about to walk into the kind of matchup that can wreck a game plan if a quarterback gets rattled early. The New Orleans Saints face the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday, and the pressure is obvious: Maxx Crosby is the star, but the problem for Shough is that the Raiders’ pass rush doesn’t stop with one name.
Crosby usually works on the defensive left, which sets up the main showdown with Taliese Fuaga. There’s also a wrinkle if Kelvin Banks Jr.’s injury pushes Crosby to the other side, where he could attack Asim Richards in his first start.
And even if Crosby never moves, Las Vegas still has plenty of ways to get home. Kwitty Paye has been effective this year, and the Raiders have four players with at least 1.5 sacks, including linebacker Nakobe Dean. Shough can’t just prepare for one edge threat; he has to expect heat from every direction.
That’s where his own game becomes the Saints’ best answer. No quarterback has faced more pressure than Shough this season, with 40 pressures, and the reasons are a mix of protection issues and the sheer volume of dropbacks he’s been asked to handle. He’ll hold the ball at times to try to make something happen, but the bigger issue is how often he’s been put in those situations in the first place.
Only CJ Stroud had more dropbacks going into Week 3, and he and Shough are the only quarterbacks with more than 90. Both are over 100 now, which helps explain why they’ve also taken the most pressure. More passing chances usually means more chances for the rush to get through.
Some of that volume came from the Saints chasing the game against the Lions, but that’s not a formula they can keep living with.
The better way to look at it is by percentage, and that changes the picture a bit. Shough is pressured at the 12th highest rate, which is not ideal, but it’s close to league average and not nearly as ugly as the raw total makes it sound. It’s still more pressure than New Orleans wants, but it suggests the situation is more manageable than the headline number alone implies.
The Saints would love to start faster and cut down on how much they have to throw. That would help lower the pressure rate, but Shough has also shown he can help himself. His ability to extend plays and his time to throw give him real answers when the pocket starts to close.
He’s been especially good when the rush is already there. Shough hasn’t panicked, and he has completed a league-high 19 passes under pressure. He’s also been excellent at buying time, posting the sixth highest time from pressure to throw.
That combination matters against a Raiders front that can get to the quarterback quickly. The Saints need Shough to escape when he has to, deliver the ball before the rush arrives, and keep the game from turning into a steady stream of hits. He’s already shown he can do both, and that may be the clearest path for New Orleans to blunt Las Vegas’ biggest weapon.
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For New Orleans, that kind of trust is a big deal this early in a rookies career. Donaldsons feel for defensive pressure schemes and his physical style have helped him stay active on third downs, where pass protection often decides whether a drive keeps moving or stalls out. The Saints still have more to learn about what he can do as a runner, but they already seem comfortable putting him in spots that usually go to players they trust most. [Read more 🡒]
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With Tyler Shough still carrying the offense, the Saints could use Etienne as more than a change-of-pace option, especially with the Las Vegas Raiders next on the schedule. A steadier rushing plan would help take some of the burden off the quarterback and give the offense a chance to look more balanced, but whether Kellen Moore is ready to lean into that remains the bigger question. [Read more 🡒]