Tyler Shough has it. Just ask his teammates. The New Orleans Saints upset the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in a torrential rainstorm in Tampa on Dec. 7, and it was Shough who led the way with two rushing touchdowns. His Saints teammates were effusive in their praise for the rookie signal-caller’s ability to make plays off-script and with his legs.
Shough scored his first touchdown with just over 11 and a half minutes to play in the third quarter. He kept the ball on a read option and followed a kick-out block from wide receiver Devaughn Vele, outrunning five defenders on his way into the end zone from 34 yards out to give the Saints a 14-10 lead.
His second touchdown came with a little under 8:30 left in the game. With all his receivers covered, Shough escaped pressure coming right in his face, then scrambled to his left and found the end zone from 13 yards away.
“That was a big-time play by Tyler,” said Moore. “It got a little messy on the backside. So, for him to scramble and make a play like that, it seemed like there are scrambles a lot of times on the touchdowns against these guys on film and lo and behold another one showed up.”
“I was just trying to get out of there and make a play. I just saw green grass and went for it,” he said. “Stuff like that happens, and I’ve got to go for it.”
Shough finished the day with 7 rushes for 55 yards and his two scores. He went 13 of 20 passing for 144 yards; he had an interception on a miscommunication between him and WR Chris Olave. Olave was working the sideline when he stopped mid-route; Shough was expecting a vertical pass play and threw it long, where it was intercepted by cornerback Zyon McCollum.
“We‘ll get to a better play, and that’s on me, just a miscommunication,” Shough said. “[Chris Olave] did a great job all game and we’ll kind of continue to develop that chemistry.”
“Quarterback play in the NFL is premium,” he said. “It’s paramount ... quarterback play is the deciding factor when offenses and defense are evenly matched.”
He noted that in the modern NFL, with dominant pass rushers and complex defensive schemes, quarterbacks cannot simply stand in the pocket; they need to be able to make plays with their legs to keep the play alive or pick up a first down. Which is what Shough did.
“I think that was a difference maker for us today. We had high quarterback play. ... I thought Shough did an unbelievable job, and to date that’s who he’s been ... I think he’s shown to have that it factor. It’s that savviness to make heads-up plays ... Like, to have that level of ice in your veins, to make plays when plays could be dead, in essence,” Davis said.
“To save a play, to extend a play, to make big runs in big moments, big third downs; to be able to turn into that pocket passer that can read the defense quick and get the ball out; to have that diversity is what I believe that any franchise needs to be successful in today’s game. ... It’s been great to see him make those plays, and we need him to continue to make those plays.”
Shough said he is gaining confidence every week.
“Every single practice, every single week, I feel my confidence growing more and more, just the ability to go out there, put points on the board in any way we can,” he said. “So there’s a lot of plays that we can look at, and I can look at, and continue to grow with, but we’re just really proud of everybody, especially against a defense like that in those conditions, to kind of churn out a win.”
