The New Orleans Saints pulled off one of the more shocking upsets of Week 2, walking into M&T Bank Stadium and defeating the Baltimore Ravens 24-17. The Ravens were 8.5-point favorites coming in after a commanding season-opening win over the Colts, in which they won 41-23 in Indianapolis. The Saints, meanwhile, entered at 0-1 following a narrow overtime loss to the Lions in Detroit.
But winning on the road in a tense environment like Baltimore is a huge momentum shifter, and it has immediately put New Orleans on everybody's radar. Speaking after the game, Saints star wide receiver Chris Olave put the spotlight on quarterback Tyler Shough, a player he believes could become a household name by the end of the NFL season. "People try to compare people all the time, but I feel like Tyler [Shough] is one of one," Olave said.
"He's making a name for himself in this league, and by the end of the year, I feel like he's going to be one of the top quarterbacks." More news: Mike McCarthy Assigns Blame After Steelers’ Blowout Loss vs. Patriots It's wild to think that a second-year player, drafted behind Cam Ward and Jaxson Dart, mind you, could already be playing his way into the same tier as players like Josh Allen, Patrick Mahomes, and Lamar Jackson. But through the first two games, Shough leads the league with 662 passing yards, to go along with four touchdowns and two interceptions, while completing 68.9% of his passes.
And really, since he cleaned things up in the second half against Detroit, he's looked like one of the top quarterbacks in the game. On Sunday against Baltimore, he completed 27 of 34 passes for 252 yards and a touchdown with zero interceptions, adding 23 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown on the ground. It helps to have a Pro Bowl wideout like Olave to throw to; he already has 268 receiving yards through two games.
But there's no getting around the fact that Shough is quickly playing his way into the upper tier of NFL quarterbacks. More news: Packers Dealt Multiple NFL Fines Following Ugly Week 1 Collapse More news: Kenneth Walker Draws Bijan Robinson Comparison From New Chiefs Teammate What's scary too is that the Saints may have already gotten through the toughest part of their schedule. Next up, they'll face the Raiders, Falcons, and Vikings all at home, before taking on the Giants, Steelers, Browns, and Panthers, three of which will also be back in New Orleans.
They're not all gimmes, but they are all winnable matchups for a team that suddenly looks like a legitimate playoff contender.
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