Erik McCoy never felt like the New Orleans Saints were out of a game with Drew Brees at quarterback. He sees a similar quality in Tyler Shough when the offense needs a late score.
During an appearance on In Good Company with Mitch Morse, McCoy spoke about the confidence Brees brought to the huddle and in high-pressure situations. The soon-to-be eight-year veteran center spent his first two NFL seasons playing with Brees and believes Shough shares that ability to keep teammates believing — and he made that impression in a shortened rookie season.
“I don’t think there was a single situation that I had with him in those two years where we went into a fourth quarter where we were down, in a two-minute drive where we were down, where I’m like, ‘We’re
going to lose this game,’” McCoy said. “No, it was, ‘We were about to go down here and score.’
“Like, there was never a doubt with him. And I think that Tyler has that same factor.”
Shough led New Orleans to a 5-4 record in his nine starts during his rookie season, finishing with 2,384 passing yards and 10 touchdown passes. McCoy's own season ended with a biceps injury in October, before Shough took over the starting job, but he still believes the young quarterback has the "it factor" when it comes to getting New Orleans back into games late.
“No matter how the game has gone through the first three quarters or three and a half quarters, and like there’s just something in the fourth quarter where it clicks,” McCoy added. “And then somehow we just put it together, and he puts it together, and we’re right back in the game.”
The successful finish, orchestrated by Shough and the Saints' offense taking advantage of the opportunities their defense made for them, has fueled optimism about the team entering the 2026 season. For McCoy, Shough's command of the huddle and composure in high-pressure moments are also reasons to believe in the second-year quarterback.
This article originally appeared on Saints Wire: Erik McCoy sees one crucial Drew Brees trait in Saints QB Tyler Shough
