The Saints went into halftime with the lead, but not because they lit up the scoreboard-rather, they leaned on a steady, if unspectacular, showing from rookie quarterback Tyler Shough and a defense that kept the Jets in check.
Shough came out slinging, completing 21 of 32 passes for 205 yards in the first half. He didn’t find the end zone, but he did keep the offense moving well enough to set up three field goal attempts.
Unfortunately for New Orleans, only two of those kicks found their mark. The final drive of the half ended with rookie kicker Charlie Smyth hooking a kick wide, leaving the Saints up 9-6 at the break.
Still, there were encouraging signs for the Saints’ offense-especially in the passing game. Tight end Juwan Johnson was a reliable target over the middle, hauling in seven catches for 82 yards.
Chris Olave added six grabs for 58 yards, working mostly against a Jets secondary adjusting to life under interim defensive coordinator Chris Harris. Olave nearly had a touchdown on one of those scoring drives, but Jets rookie corner Qwan’tez Stiggers made a strong play to break it up in the end zone.
On the other side, the Jets’ offense didn’t ask much of rookie quarterback Brady Cook in the first half. He completed 8 of 12 passes for 74 yards, but the Saints’ pass rush made sure he didn’t get too comfortable. Veteran Cam Jordan got home for a pair of sacks, reminding everyone he’s still got plenty left in the tank.
Cook and the Jets will get the ball to start the second half, and both teams will be looking to finally punch one into the end zone after a first half filled with field goals and missed opportunities. The Saints have controlled the tempo, but if they want to put this game away, they’ll need to finish drives-not just start them.