Saints Need Smart, Not Timid, Tyler Shough Against Falcons on Monday Night Football

The New Orleans Saints do not need Tyler Shough to become conservative against the Atlanta Falcons. They need him to recognize when an aggressive play has disappeared — because three games into the season, the difference between exciting Saints football and complete disaster has often been one decision with the ball.

Shough enters his first Monday night start with statistics that look outstanding at first glance. He has completed 91 of 132 passes for 917 yards, eight touchdowns and three interceptions, producing a 99.2 passer rating. He has also rushed for 67 yards and another score. 

Then comes the number that changes the conversation, six turnovers. Three interceptions. Three lost fumbles.

Monday night is Shough’s opportunity to prove he can keep everything that makes him dangerous without continuing to give opponents extra possessions.

No statistic explains New Orleans’ 1-2 record better than this one.

The Saints have played roughly 8½ quarters plus overtime without a turnover, outscoring opponents 81-49 during those stretches. In the remaining 3½ quarters, they have committed seven turnovers and been outscored 34-0. 

That is almost difficult to believe.

When New Orleans protects the football, it looks like a legitimate NFC South contender. When the giveaways begin, the offense does not merely slow down. The entire game collapses.

Three turnovers came during the first 2½ quarters of the overtime loss at Detroit. Three more attributed to Shough came in the fourth quarter against Las Vegas, when the Saints allowed a 27-16 lead to become a 35-27 defeat.

The issue is not that Shough has been careless on every possession. The problem is that his mistakes have arrived in bunches.

Here is where Kellen Moore must find the proper balance.

Telling Shough to stop challenging defenses would remove one of the best parts of his game. He has already thrown for 410 yards against Detroit and four touchdowns against Las Vegas. Chris Olave has 375 receiving yards, while tight ends Juwan Johnson and Noah Fant have combined for six touchdown catches.

This passing attack works because Shough is willing to attack windows.

My opinion is that New Orleans should not reduce the offense to screens, checkdowns and handoffs out of fear. That would allow Atlanta to crowd the line, pressure the quarterback and dictate the game.

Instead, Shough must become more selective once a play breaks down. Throwing the ball away is not surrendering. Taking an occasional sack is better than forcing a pass into coverage. Protecting the football with two hands while escaping pressure is basic quarterback survival.

Smart aggression wins NFL games. Reckless aggression gives them away.

Both teams enter the game at 1-2, and New Orleans can remain at least tied for first place in the NFC South with a victory. The Saints can also even the all-time regular-season rivalry at 57-57 after Atlanta swept both meetings last season. 

The evening will also commemorate the 20th anniversary of the Saints’ emotional return to the Superdome after Hurricane Katrina.

That atmosphere should provide energy. It also could tempt a young quarterback into trying to create a spectacular moment on every possession.

Shough does not need to recreate history. He needs to manage the present.

Monday night is not a referendum on whether Shough belongs as the Saints’ starting quarterback. His production has already shown why New Orleans believes in him.

This is a test of growth.

Can he keep attacking without forcing the football? Can he respond to pressure without turning one failed play into a catastrophic one? Can he lead the Saints through four quarters instead of letting a bad stretch erase everything that came before it?

The talent is obvious. Eight touchdown passes and 917 yards do not happen by accident. Now Shough must show the judgment to match it.