Underwhelming would be a fitting word to describe the play of Saints quarterbacks Tyler Shough and Spencer Rattler during the team’s preseason opener against the Chargers on Sunday.
Rattler started the game, went 7 of 11 for 53 yards and was sacked three times. Shough, a 25-year-old rookie, was better but not necessarily great himself, going 15 of 22 for 165 yards in an outing that included a pick-six that was quickly followed up by a long touchdown pass. Shough was also sacked twice in the 27-13 loss.
The Saints started the game with Rattler, a 2024 fifth-round pick who went 0-6 as New Orleans’ starter last season. He was unable to engineer a scoring drive during his five series of work, although he and the Saints were able to get to the Chargers’ 1-yard-line on their second drive before being turned over on downs.
Ranking rookie QB performances from Week 1 of the preseason: Shedeur Sanders makes statement, Jaxson Dart wows
Tyler Sullivan
Rattler also committed the game’s first fumble at the start of the second quarter after he was sacked by Chargers linebacker Caleb Murphy. The turnover set up a Chargers field goal. Rattler got one more series of work before giving way to Shough, the third quarterback selected in this year’s draft.
Shough got off to a good start as he hit wideout Kevin Austin Jr. for a nine-yard gain on his first pass attempt. He went 5 of 8 on the drive while leading the Saints to their first score of the game, a 31-yard field goal by Blake Grupe, before the end of the first half.
But after a three-and-out on the Saints’ ensuing drive, Shough made a big mistake when he sailed a pass to the sideline that was picked off by Chargers cornerback Eric Rogers and returned 43 yards for a score.
Shough quickly rebounded from the turnover. On the next possession, Shough — aided by a stellar block by running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire — hit a wide open Mason Tipton downfield for a 54-yard touchdown.
Shough would go 5 of 6 on the Saints’ next two possessions, but was unable to lead New Orleans to a score on either drive. A sack short-circuited the first drive, while two short completions failed to pick up the necessary yards for a first down on the second drive. Shough was then replaced by Jake Haener, who went 5 of 8 for 41 yards and an interception on the Saints’ final two offensive possessions.
Regarding Shough, there were some positives to take from Sunday’s game. He was mostly accurate, displayed the ability to complete some passes downfield and showed some resilience after his pick-six. Shough flashed some of the potential that led to the Saints to target him in the second round ahead of other quarterbacks like Jalen Milroe, Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders.
Rattler, who said last week he’s been the “best quarterback on the field,” didn’t play well. Shough played OK against backups who weren’t doing much from a schematic standpoint. With the regular season less than a month away, Shough may be the best option for a Saints quarterback situation that looks rather bleak entering Year 1 under coach Kellen Moore.
