The Los Angeles Rams return from their much-needed bye week to face the New Orleans Saints at SoFi Stadium. Just days before the Saints get to town, they announced that rookie quarterback Tyler Shough will make his first career start against the Rams. Not an ideal first start, but a change was needed under center in the Bayou.
Ahead of the Week 9 matchup, I spoke with Nic Jennings from Canal Street Chronicles and asked him about new Saints starting QB Shough, Kellen Moore and more in this week’s 5Qs,
5As!
Q – The Saints benched Spencer Rattler in the third quarter against the Bucs in favor of rookie Tyler Shough. Rattler is not the sole reason for the team’s poor start to the season, but how would you assess his growth this season compared to his rookie campaign?
A – When you look at Rattler’s growth from his rookie season to eight games into his sophomore year, a few improvements really stand out: his pocket awareness under pressure, his ability to escape while keeping his eyes downfield, sharper footwork, better decision-making and a quicker release that’s clearly frustrated defenses. That said, he’s put the ball in harm’s way far too often over the past two weeks, which has stalled some of his momentum. The main things he still needs to clean up are his accuracy and knowing when to use his legs instead of forcing a read, but overall, he’s looked like a completely different player in year two.
Q – With Rattler benched this week for Shough, what do you want to see from the Louisville product against L.A.?
A – There’s no questioning Shough’s arm talent, and I have no doubt he’ll take shots downfield—but the real question is how he’ll handle pressure. Throughout training camp, we saw him tuck and run prematurely instead of working through his progressions—and he looked a bit antsy at times on Sunday against Tampa Bay.
Obviously, when a rookie quarterback gets thrown into a game midway through the third quarter and still ends up with 30 passing attempts while your running backs combine for just six carries on the day (all from Alvin Kamara), I don’t exactly feel that’s a fair situation to judge his performance. But if Shough is named the starter and has a full week to prepare, I’d expect the seven-year collegiate signal-caller to be ready to roll.
Q – Kellen Moore has had a rough start to his Saints tenure, as New Orleans sits at 1-7 through eight games. What must Moore do to help scheme up an upset over a well-rested Rams squad?
A – The Saints’ offense needs to establish the run and get rookie RB Devin Neal involved early. As mentioned earlier, New Orleans’ running backs combined for just six carries against Tampa Bay—and Neal didn’t get a single one, which doesn’t make much sense considering Alvin Kamara has been managing an ankle injury this season.
Since Kendre Miller went down with a torn ACL in Week 7 against the Bears after finally carving out a role in the offense, the Saints have managed only 92 rushing yards combined over their last two games. If Kellen Moore wants to free up the passing game, it starts with finding some rhythm on the ground.
Q – Who has been an under-the-radar standout on offense that Rams fans should keep an eye out for this week? What about on defense?
A – A player Saints fans would love to see more involved on offense is WR Devaughn Vele, who the team traded for prior to the season.
Vele entered the game against the Buccaneers with just five targets on the year, which went for three first downs, a touchdown and a drawn defensive pass interference. On Sunday, he logged a season-high 37 snaps (51%) with five targets, including a first down on his lone reception of the day. This would be the perfect game for his role to continue growing.
On defense, while rookie safety Jonas Sanker has had a quieter past two games, he opened the season strong and has been a consistent playmaker for New Orleans. Through eight games, Sanker has recorded 28 tackles, four stops, a fumble recovery, an interception and two pass breakups. He plays with poise well beyond his years and has exceeded expectations since his arrival.
Keep an eye on fellow 22-year-old rookie Danny Stutsman as well. The young LB hasn’t had many opportunities behind the underperforming Pete Werner, but when he’s on the field, he’s been productive.
Q – What is a question that you would like to ask Rams fans?
A – A question I have for Rams fans is about the lack of opportunity for second-year RB Blake Corum—has it been a production issue when he’s on the field, or simply a matter of him not getting his chance? He’s a player Saints fans were very high on during the draft process.
