National Football League

Ravens DC: Why Saints QB Tyler Shough Is 'A Poor Man's Josh Allen' In Good Way

18 Sep 2026, 14:45 · FOX Sports

New Orleans quarterback Tyler Shough has the respect of the defensive coordinator of the Saints' Week 2 opponent. Baltimore Ravens DC Anthony Weaver detailed how the second-year signal-caller "reminds" him of "a poor man's Josh Allen" — in a positive way.

"[Shough] has all the arm talent in the world [and] can run. I don’t think he gets enough credit for how good [of] an athlete he is," Weaver said in a press conference Thursday, per NFL.com. "So, particularly as you get down to the low red [zone], we are constantly going to be conscious of just his ability to scramble and create those extended plays — no different than our guy [quarterback Lamar Jackson].

"I just think the more reps he gets, the more confident he’s going to get in that scheme and with the talent around him. I think they have done a good job of trying to build the talent around him. They have tremendous skill players. I think they have upgraded their offensive line from when I saw [them] a year ago. So, sky’s the limit for the kid."

After falling behind 21-0 with 8:54 remaining in the third quarter and throwing two interceptions in the Saints' Week 1 road tilt against the Detroit Lions, Shough and the Saints stormed back to force overtime. Granted, they failed to convert a game-winning two-point conversion attempt with 1:34 remaining in overtime and lost 31-30.

In all, Shough threw for 410 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions, finished with an 87.6 passer rating and completed 62.5% of his passes in the loss.

Last season as a rookie, the 6-foot-5 Shough started nine games for the Saints, making 11 appearances altogether. He totaled 2,384 passing yards, 10 passing touchdowns, six interceptions and a 91.3 passer rating, while completing 67.6% of his passes. Shough also rushed for 186 yards and three touchdowns. The Saints went 5-4 in the games he started.

New Orleans selected Shough with the No. 40 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft after a seven-year collegiate career during which he played for three schools (Oregon, Texas Tech and Louisville). Injuries were a prime catalyst for Shough's prolonged career, as he suffered a broken collarbone in 2021, which the quarterback injured again the next season, and a broken fibula in 2023.

As for the Saints' Week 2 opposition, the Ravens are coming off a 41-23 win on the road over the Indianapolis Colts, with Weaver in his first season as Baltimore's defensive coordinator under new head coach Jesse Minter. Weaver was previously a defensive assistant for the Ravens under John Harbaugh from 2021-23 before becoming the defensive coordinator of the Miami Dolphins from 2024-25.

"We played [the Saints] towards the latter half of the year when I was in Miami last year, and I was impressed with him then as a rookie," Weaver said of Shough.

As for the aforementioned game, which came in Week 13 of last season, Shough threw for 239 yards, two touchdowns and one interception and completed 68.4% of his passes in what was a 21-17 loss for the Saints.

Regarding Weaver's player comparison for Shough, Allen, the 2024 NFL MVP and a four-time Pro Bowler, and the Buffalo Bills are off to a 2-0 start, with wins over the Houston Texans (36-31) and Detroit Lions (41-31).

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