The Saints walked into Baltimore as 8.5-point underdogs and walked out with the kind of win that turns heads around the league. They beat the Ravens by 7 points, and in a game with that kind of result, somebody has to rise above expectation. More than one Saint did, but the biggest reason for the upset was clear.
Tyler Shough.
The rookie quarterback handled the moment like a player who wasn’t interested in letting the road environment dictate anything. He finished 27 of 34 for 252 yards and 1 TD, a 79% completion percentage, and added 9 carries for 23 yards plus another touchdown on the ground.
The Saints fell behind early, but Shough never let the game get away from him. Every time the Ravens seemed ready to pull it loose, he kept settling things down and then pushing the offense forward.
What makes his performance even more important is the way it lifted everyone else around him. That showed up all afternoon in the passing game.
Chris Olave was the main target and looked like the best player on the field for New Orleans, finishing with 8 receptions for 86 yards and 1 touchdown. His route running was sharp, and he added contested catches to a game that already had him looking like one of the best wideouts in football right now.
Devaughn Vele also kept showing why Shough trusts him when the situation gets ugly. When the Saints needed a play on third-and-impossible, Vele was often the answer.
He caught 5 passes for 64 yards and averaged 12.8 yards per reception. With Jordyn Tyson sidelined, Vele’s ability to stretch the field alongside Olave gives this offense another layer, and his role looks like it’s only going to grow.
Juwan Johnson chipped in as well, and his growth as a pass-catching tight end has become one of the more encouraging developments in this offense. Since Shough took over at quarterback, Johnson has taken another step.
Against Baltimore, he had 4 receptions for 66 yards and a key third-down conversion, with a long catch of 25 yards. He’s becoming the kind of safety valve Shough can lean on when the play breaks down.
On the other side of the ball, Chase Young made his presence felt in a homecoming of sorts. The DMV native came back to the area and delivered a big performance for the visitors, finishing with 4 tackles, 2 sacks, 2 TFLs, and 3 QB hits.
His work helped keep Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry in check and gave more proof that this Saints defense is flying under the radar. Dangerous is the right word for it, and Young is a big reason why.
The Saints also had to navigate the loss of starting LT Kelvin Banks Jr., but Shough kept rolling anyway. That’s part of what made this performance stand out.
He didn’t just survive the moment; he elevated it. And when a quarterback does that, the rest of the room starts to believe.
New Orleans now turns to Sunday’s home game against the Raiders at 3:25 p.m., the first one in the Dome this season. After a win like this, it’s a safe bet the place will be loud when the Black and Gold take the field.
In Other News...
Saints Lose First Tyler Shough-Jaxson Dart Test For One Frustrating Reason
The Saints were already preparing for a young quarterback challenge this week, but the matchup shifted when Jaxson Dart went down with a knee injury against the Rams. What had initially looked like an MCL sprain turned out to be more extensive after an MRI, and the Giants now appear headed toward a long absence for their rookie signal-caller.
For New Orleans, that means the first Tyler Shough-Jaxson Dart test will not happen after all, at least not in the form many expected. Dart is out for the upcoming game, and Jameis Winston is expected to start in his place, leaving the Saints to adjust to a different kind of opponent and a frustratingly altered version of the weeks quarterback storyline. [Read more 🡒]
Saints Already Made A Tough Call In Their Backfield Battle
Audric Estimes Saints stint hit a hard stop before he ever got the chance to settle into the backfield rotation. New Orleans waived the running back from injured reserve with an injury settlement after the thigh injury sidelined him, a move that both compensates him for time missed and clears the way for him to look for another landing spot once he is healthy.
For the Saints, it is another sign of how quickly the backfield picture has shifted around the injured list and the players who stayed available. Estime had been in the mix for playing time, but while he worked his way through recovery, others moved up the depth chart and carved out roles, leaving New Orleans to make a difficult roster decision with the season plan already taking shape. [Read more 🡒]
Drew Brees Just Reframed That Strange Broncos Comeback Story
The odd little Broncos comeback idea got a lot clearer when Drew Brees addressed it on SiriusXMs Lets Go podcast. Brees said he was the one who reached out to former Broncos assistants Pete Carmichael and Joe Lombardi about the possibility of playing for Denver in the 2025 AFC Championship game, which is the kind of late-career twist that instantly gets attention around the league and in Saints circles alike.
Brees said he seriously considered the comeback, but his old injuries kept him from being able to follow through. The NFL has not commented on the matter, and nothing further came from the conversation, leaving the whole episode as one of those strange what-if stories that briefly surfaced, then slipped back into the background. [Read more 🡒]