Tyler Shough’s poise and Chase Young’s disruptive pass rush fueled a gritty victory, proving New Orleans can topple NFL heavyweights through resilient defensive stands and clutch playmaking.
Another interesting game for the New Orleans Saints: some positives, some negatives, but the first win of the season has happened, and it was against one of the best teams in the NFL. The defense had the challenge of going against a very creative defensive head coach, Jesse Minter, and the offense had to deal with Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry. That is a recipe for disaster for New Orleans, but they showed so much fight against Baltimore, and it resulted in a win
Here are some of the players that stood out in this victory.
Chase Young
This defensive line needs upgrades throughout, but it’s incredible to see Chase Young play. He's by far the best pass rusher on the team, and he did really well against the Ravens. It wasn’t perfect, and he had to deal with Henry, but he really disrupted the game and rushed what the Ravens wanted to do. In the first half, he had a sack on Jackson that the fast QB could have potentially escaped, but Young did a great job stopping it. Then, in the second half, he had another that kept the Ravens from scoring a touchdown.
Young was also incredible at getting pressure on Jackson, even if it didn’t result in a sack.
Devaughn Vele and Chris Olave
It’s crazy how far Vele’s career has gone, but he may be one of the most important players on the team. If Shough needs a 3rd- or 4th-down conversion, Vele is going to be there, and in the redzone, he's such a threat. On both of the Saints’ first-half scoring drives, Vele made big plays that put them in position to score.
Then we have Chris Olave, and just like Vele, he stood up when needed most. Olave was also up against a very difficult opponent in Marlon Humphrey, but by finishing with a touchdown, Olave won the battle.
Tyler Shough
Shough had a lot to overcome against the Ravens, and he looked poised, confident, and athletic all game. The playcalling wasn't great at times, but Shough picked up some very difficult yards on the ground and in the air. He also made some really great passes that should make the Saints feel even more confident about his future. Unlike last week, Shough looked comfortable, even under pressure. That was the best win of his career, and I can’t wait to see more from the young QB.
