New Orleans Saints Wide Receiver Chris Olave listens during the media press conference after the NFL Football game on Sunday, Nov. 20, 2022 at the Caesar’s Superdome in New Orleans, La. (Hunter Dawkins/The Gazebo Gazette via AP)

by Hunter Dawkins, Owner/Publisher – editor@thegazebogazette.com or hdawkins@supertalk.fm

NASHVILLE (GG) — In a battle between two rookie quarterbacks with no playoff chances, the second round selection Tyler Shough came out on top of Pick No. 1, Cam Ward, as the New Orleans Saints rallied to beat the Tennessee Titans 34-26 on Sunday at Nissan Stadium in Nashville Sunday, December 28.  Shough improved to 5-3 as a starter helping the Saints win their fourth straight. The signal caller outperformed Ward in this NFL’s third game between starting rookie quarterbacks this season.

Scoring Summary
The Titans began the first quarter and a half with a 13-0 lead after two field goals from Placekicker Joey Slye (50, 38) and a 43-yard touchdown pass from Ward to Chig Okonkwo with 12:57 left in the first half, but New Orleans refused to go away.
 
Following an individually record-tying field goal from Placekicker Charlie Smythe, Defensive end Chase Young kept the Saints in the game in the first half with a sack, strip, and touchdown run for 33 yards with 3:51 left in the half.  The Titans countered on a 7-yard touchdown reception from Ward to Elic Ayomanor with only 13 seconds left on the clock for a 20-10 halftime lead.
Opening up the half, New Orleans found new life as Shough tossed a 19-yard touchdown pass to Chris Olave after a 9-play drive.  The Saints both outscored the Titans 24-6 and outgained them 331-152 after halftime.
Both teams traded lengthy field goals, including Smythe breaking his own individual record with a 57-yard field goal near the end of the third quarter for a 23-20 Tennessee lead.  
New Orleans owned the fourth quarter, as the Saints took the lead when Kevin Austin, Jr. caught a 10-yard touchdown pass from Shough for a 27-26 lead.  This came after the previous series where the Saints missed a great opportunity to score when receiver Dante Pettis fumbled into the end zone and the Titans were able to recover for a touchback with 11:06 to play and the Saints trailing 26-20. 
Following Austin’s touchdown, New Orleans never lost the lead again.  Running back Audric Estime, closed out the scoring on a 32-yard run to make the game 34-26 with 3:44 to play.
Ward tried to rally the Titans until replay turned his 17-yard toss while falling down on fourth-and-10 to a sack by Cameron Jordan with 2 minutes left. The defense gave Ward another chance with 1:37 left and one timeout.  The rookie then fumbled after pressure by Jordan as time expired.
What the Coach said
Undoubtedly, New Orleans Saints Head Coach Kellen Moore was excited for Tyler Shough, who will be the first rookie quarterback (when starting at least 8 games), finish with a winning record for the team.  A rookie head coach who drafted the second round (#40) selection, thinks Shough is taking care of business.
“He’s obviously having a special season,” Moore said of Shough. “I know he doesn’t start the season as the starter, but just the way he’s handled himself through this whole journey, I think is really, really special.”
The Numbers Never Lie
Saints Rookie Shough, was 22 of 27 for 333 yards with two touchdowns as he outdueled Ward, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 draft. Ward was 21 of 38 for 251 yards and two touchdowns but it wasn’t enough vs. Shough and the Saints. The Saints pushed their winning streak to four games while improving to 6-10 while the Titans dropped to 3-13.
Estime finished with 14 carries for 94 yards, a career-high while Receiver Olave had eight receptions for 119 yards and a touchdown to move over 100 catches on the season. One more touchdown will give him 10 touchdowns, 100+ receptions and more than 1,000 yards, which has never happened in Saints history.
New Orleans Defensive End Cameron Jordan recorded his 131 career sack (9.5 this season). This is Jordan’s seventh season with at least nine sacks, making him the 29th player in NFL history with seven seasons of at least nine sacks.
 
Mississippi State Alum and Tennessee Titans, Pro Bowl defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons had one of two sacks for the Titans, giving him a career-high 10 this season.
Up Next
The New Orleans Saints will close out their regular season against NFC South rival, the Atlanta Falcons next weekend.  The National Football League has listed this as a flex game, so it could be either Saturday or Sunday.
(Photo by Associated Press)