Whew. It wasn't enough to win the day, but the New Orleans Saints' effort against the Detroit Lions showed us just how high they could fly this season. After digging a deep hole for themselves, Tyler Shough, Chris Olave, and the Saints pulled themselves out of it to force overtime and a last-minute two-point attempt at Ford Field. The Lions defense finally recovered to force an incomplete pass, winning 31-30, but they didn't accomplish that unscathed.
For Shough and Olave, it was a career day. Shough finished with 410 passing yards -- the most by a Saints quarterback since Drew Brees threw for 439 in the 2018 season opener, a 48-40 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. It was also Shough's first game with three touchdown passes after he found wide
receiver Devaughn Vele as well as tight ends Juwan Johnson and Noah Fant for six points each. He has another big test coming next week against the Baltimore Ravens, but his recovery and strong finish is about as encouraging as it gets after such a rough start.
And what about Olave? He ended the game with 182 receiving yards, a total matched just three times in the last 20 years. Michael Thomas had 211 yards against the Los Angeles Rams back in 2018, and he followed up with 182 yards against the Bucs in 2019. Brandin Cooks put up 186 yards on the Arizona Cardinals in 2016 before that. Olave's previous career-high was 148 yards. Sure, he had overtime on his side, but Olave still reached new heights. That's impressive.
It's small consolation after a loss, though. Nobody wants to be left on the outside looking in come January. The goal is still to reach the playoffs and prove the Saints can compete with the league's best. They put some fear in the Lions this week. Let's see them seal the deal against the Baltimore Ravens next Sunday.
This article originally appeared on Saints Wire: Saints' Tyler Shough, Chris Olave see career-high yardage in Week 1
