Sometimes all it takes for a team to get a spark is to change the quarterback. In Jaxson Dart’s first start for the New York Giants, they upset the Philadelphia Eagles. The Los Angeles Rams will be going
up against a quarterback making his first career start on Sunday when they take on the New Orleans Saints and Tyler Shough. The Rams will have limited film on Shough but should still be good enough to get the win. Here are this week’s keys to victory.
Get pressure on Tyler Shough
Coming out of Louisville, there was no doubting Tyler Shough’s physical tools and overall athleticism. During the preseason, he showed the ability to make some anticipation throws and stand tall in the pocket. However, despite being 26, he has limited experience and the Saints started Spencer Rattler in Week 1 for a reason.
The Rams need to be able to make Shough as uncomfortable as possible. One of the best ways to affect a young quarterback is with pressure and by speeding up their process. That can force them into mistakes. While Shough has underrated athleticism to make plays with his legs, the Rams need to be able to knock him off his spot. It would be a mistake for the Rams to overlook Shough as they did Mac Jones a few weeks ago.
Do not play conservative on defense
That leads to the next point which is not to play conservative on defense. The Rams came out with one of their more conservative game plans against Mac Jones and the San Francisco 49ers back in Week 5. That game plan put the Rams in a 14-0 hole that proved to be too difficult to climb out of in combination with the amount of self-inflicted errors that occurred as well.
If the Rams simply rush four and allow the Saints offense to complete passes underneath, those are easy throws that a young quarterback will take every time. Giving up those throws only makes Shough’s job easier. This isn’t to say that the Rams need to be overly aggressive. However, if they play how they have over the last two weeks, that will be good enough.
Take control early
The worst thing that the Rams can do in this game is give the Saints life. If the Rams can take control of this game early as they did against the Jaguars, they should be able to go on cruise control for the remainder of the game and simply handle business. This season, the Rams have been a good second half team. They rank eighth in second half points per game and third in second half points allowed.
However, if the Rams can come out and start fast, they would be able to let the pass rush loose and make the Saints one dimensional. Turning the Saints into a dropback passing team, putting everything on Shough, and taking out Alvin Kamara with game script works in the Rams’ benefit. Earlier this season, the Seahawks scored 21 first quarter points against the Saints en-route to a 44-13 win. That’s the type of start that the Rams need.
Be disciplined in pass protection
There will be a familiar face on the Saints’ sideline as Brandon Staley is their defensive coordinator. Staley will certainly do what he can to be ready for McVay. Staley’s defense has blitzed at a 33.1 percent rate this season which is the ninth-highest in the NFL. However, they have only generated a 31 percent pressure rate when blitzing which is the lowest in the NFL.
The Saints’ pass rush shouldn’t be anything to be concerned about, but when it comes to protecting against the blitz, the Rams need to be disciplined and have strong communication. Against the blitz this season, the Rams have allowed the fifth-lowest pressure rate and Matthew Stafford leads the league with 12 touchdowns.
Lean into the tight ends and run game
One consistent aspect of a Brandon Staley defense over the last five years has been its inability to stop the run. That has been the case once again in 2025. They rank 21st in the NFL, allowing 124.3 rushing yards per game. Some of that has been game script as the Saints have often been trailing. They actually rank ninth in EPA per rush and eighth in rushing success rate allowed.
While the Saints have been solid over the course of the season, they’ve fallen off over the last month. They’ve allowed a 5.4 percent explosive run rate which is the eighth highest. This is a game in which the Rams should be able to get both Kyren Williams and Blake Corum involved. With Puka Nacua still working his way back from injury, hopefully they can continue to build on some of the 12 and 13 personnel things that they had success with prior to the bye week.
