Tyler Shough gets it. That's been the line for him ever since he was drafted, named the starter, and embraced as the new face of the franchise. He's put in the work to connect with his new community and turn the New Orleans Saints' fortunes around. He knew how important Monday night's matchup with the Atlanta Falcons was. The twentieth anniversary of the Superdome reopening, the rivalry with Atlanta, all of the Super Bowl XLIV champions in the building with fans traveling from far and wide to see their team in prime time? He felt that.
So he understood why frustration boiled over and those same fans booed his offense off the field: "Fans, understandably, are upset. We had some opportunities we didn't take advantage of. I mean, I'd boo too. That
sucks. But you want to get everybody going, that's part of it, you have to have the energy of the crowd and we'll need it next week too against a good team. That's the best part about New Orleans, you feel it, we feel it too."
This game was more than a learning opportunity against a common opponent. It was the first game in which Shough and head coach Kellen Moore had real stakes involved, with a restless fanbase crowding the stands and tuning in to see if their team could make them proud. And they fell flat. He feels the embarrassment from it. Everyone in the locker room should be feeling it. But what matters most is whether his coach feels the same way and is able to do something about it.
This article originally appeared on Saints Wire: Tyler Shough understands fans booing home-team Saints in Falcons loss
