The Saints pulled off the biggest upset of the football weekend, proving the old saying, “On any given Sunday, any team can beat any other team.” The Saints went into Baltimore as 8.5-point underdogs and won by 7 points. A game like that requires several players to play above expectations, and several of them did exactly that.
Here are a few worth mentioning.
Chase Young is a DMV native, so this was a homecoming of sorts for him, and he showed up big in his hometown, but for the away team. Young finished
with 4 tackles, 2 sacks, 2 TFLs, and 3 QB hits. His impact on the defense is what helped keep Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry in check for the Ravens’ offense. This defense is flying under the radar, and they are dangerous. That’s largely in part due to Young and his play so far in the early part of this season.
Devaughn Vele seems to be the player Tyler Shough looks for whenever it’s third-and-impossible. When those two can link up, it usually works out. Vele finished with 5 receptions for 64 yards and averaged 12.8 yards per reception. Him being able to serve as another vertical-stretch receiver to complement Chris Olave, especially while Jordyn Tyson has been sidelined, is great to see. Vele has a vital role in this emerging offense, and that should expand as this team continues to play throughout the season.
Juwan Johnson is becoming the pass-catching tight end that every fan has been waiting to see. His play has elevated ever since Tyler Shough became the starting QB. Johnson finished the game with 4 receptions for 66 yards, including a major reception that converted a crucial third down. That reception went for a long of 25 yards. Johnson is a valuable safety blanket for Shough when everything breaks down, and it’s good to see him coming into his potential.
Chris Olave is the primary target for Tyler Shough and is playing like the best player on this team. Olave finished the game with 8 receptions for 86 yards and 1 touchdown. Olave is finding himself playing like one of the best wide receivers in the game right now. His route running is elite, and now he’s been able to come down with contested catches, adding another element to his game.
But the overall game MVP for this week is the QB himself, Tyler Shough. Shough finished this game 27 of 34—that’s a 79% completion percentage—for 252 yards and 1 TD. He added 9 carries for 23 yards and another TD on the ground.
The Saints got down early in this game on the road, but Shough never allowed that to faze him or affect his play. When it seemed that the game might start slipping away, Tyler Shough kept elevating his play. The special thing about Shough, though, is that as he elevates his play, he’s also elevating the play of others around him. Even after losing starting LT Kelvin Banks Jr., Shough was still able to play extremely well. Games like this showcase to the rest of the league that the Saints not only have a starting QB, but they may indeed have their next franchise QB.
The Saints will be set to face off against the Raiders on Sunday at 3:25 p.m. in the first home game of the season, and it’s a safe bet that the Dome will be rocking when the Black and Gold take the field.
Who was your game MVP from Sunday, and will you be in that number when the Saints open up the Dome this weekend? Share your thoughts in the comments.
