Rams’ defense excited to give Saints’ rookie quarterback Tyler Shough his Welcome to the NFL moment in Week 9
The Los Angeles Rams have the perfect opportunity to welcome Saints’ rookie quarterback Tyler Shough to the NFL
The Los Angeles Rams have to be feeling good coming out of their Week 8 bye week. They’re sitting at 5-2 off of two straight wins, including a dominant performance in London over the Jacksonville Jaguars, Puka Nacua will be returning from injury soon, and they just pulled off an intriguing trade for cornerback Roger McCreary, who could be a key figure in the secondary for the rest of the season.
On Tuesday, however, they got some even better news that might make them feel even better about their upcoming matchup against the New Orleans Saints. The Saints officially named 26-year-old rookie Tyler Shough their starting quarterback, moving Spencer Rattler to the bench. New Orleans drafted Shough with the 40th overall pick this year, but he was well behind Rattler in the quarterback battle and didn’t win the starting job out of camp.
However, after a 1-7 start, the Saints are desperate to try anything to see if it can spark a win, as they currently hold the number one overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.
What can the Rams expect from Tyler Shough?
The Rams enter this matchup with arguably the league’s best pass rush. Led by Jared Verse and Byron Young, the Rams sit second in sacks and fourth in pressures and sit atop the league in creating havoc plays on opposing quarterbacks. In relief of Rattler last week against Tampa Bay, Shough completed 17 of his 30 passes for 128 yards and an interception.
This doesn’t seem like the ideal matchup for a rookie quarterback’s first ever start, especially since it’s on the road in Los Angeles. However, for the Saints, this feels like a move they had to make sooner than later, especially given the draft capital they invested into Shough.
A to Z’s New Orleans Saints writer Adam Holt explains why the Saints turned to Tyler Shough now, even if they are throwing him into the fire against this Rams’ defense:
“Starting Tyler Shough in Week 9 officially rips off the band-aid for Kellen Moore’s offense. Spencer Rattler had some bright moments earlier this season, but the last two weeks have been quite rough for the young signal-caller. Against a vaunted Rams defensive line, this is certainly a “welcome to the NFL” sort of introduction for the rookie QB. Shough made some impressive downfield throws when he came in during Week 8 and seemed to play with some improved timing, compared to Rattler.
Shough did miss a wide open Rashid Shaheed, which would’ve been the Saints only TD score of the ball game. That being said, he took care of the ball (his sole turnover was not his fault) and showed off some of his mobility while under pressure. Plunging him into the starting role this week is risky for Kellen Moore, but the team is 1-7. You’ve got to see if he can provide some sort of spark and/or give you any sort of hope as the long-term answer at QB for New Orleans.“
For the Rams, I’m sure their defensive line is anxious to get after it in this one and harass the rookie in his first official start. It’s a sink or swim league, and Shough is going to have to learn how to at least tread water very quickly this week.
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