Tyler Shough is NOT Him (Giants Saints Preview)
Well, we’re now four days removed from witnessing Jayden Daniels’ epic spat of cerebral diarrhea. While I continue to laugh from atop our feeble division, it’s probably time for the Giants to move on and focus on their next one-win opponent.
For those who strictly consume the NFL via their fantasy app and/or TikTok, the New Orleans Saints have been one of the biggest disappointments of the year. Meanwhile, anyone who was paying the slightest bit of attention to last season’s little “run” knew the Saints were just as fraudulent as the teams Shough compiled his mediocre stats against.
I mean, Christ — the guy went 5-5 and threw 10 TDs and 6 picks. The only two games in which he threw for 300+ yards were against the Titans and Jets, who just picked second and fourth in the draft. Jameis Winston is in the midst of a much better stretch, and half the fanbase wants him tarred, feathered, and benched for JJ McCarthy!
Tyler Shough was a freshman at Oregon alongside Jevon Holland. Giants legend Shane Lemieux, who retired in 2024, was also on that team. Between his decade of experience and completely average play, I don’t know how anyone can argue that his skill set is that of a franchise quarterback rather than the backup he’s destined to become.
Kellen Moore appears to be ignoring these facts, as New Orleans is throwing the ball at the second-highest rate in the league (65.27%). While this neglect of the run game is partially due to their battered and bruised RB room, it does seemingly play directly into the hands of our defense.
D.J. Reader and Shelby Harris have been nothing short of incredible thus far, but the DT depth behind them remains a concern. Yet, seemingly every week, teams willingly refrain from testing that lack of depth by throwing the ball 40 times against us.
I know Shough isn’t as bad as my propaganda would suggest, and I’m aware he’s more than capable of peppering us with shots to Olave and Vele. But at the same time, I’ve been incredibly encouraged by the play of our secondary over the past three weeks. While the Saints do represent a step up in recent WR competition, if our guys can hang in there in man coverage, I expect more of Carter and company to keep getting home.
From there, the mistakes and turnovers should come. New Orleans consistently loses the turnover battle, averaging 1.2 more giveaways per week than their opponents. If we’re able to go a single week without the soul-crushing fumble(s), this area should be a clear advantage for the G-Men.
Speaking of turnovers, what type of Jameis Winston should we expect to see Sunday? As rough as it’s been at times, it’s hard to discount the sheer number of TDs and passing yards he’s been able to produce in the second halves of these games. I, along with seemingly everyone in the Giants social media space, clamored for more shotgun and spread concepts following Jameis’ success and ability to move the ball against Washington.
While I think we should see an increase in these type of sets, the Saints’ rushing defense is also even more of a sieve than ours. New Orleans is allowing almost 150 yards per game on the ground (30th in the NFL), along with 10 TDs in five games. They live out of light boxes and will undoubtedly be giving Nabers and Likely extra attention after their dominant showings last week. Let’s allow Tyrone Tracy out of the doghouse and see if he can bust one.
While the oddsmakers don’t seem to agree, I expect the Giants to win this game. Stay balanced on offense (at least for one more week), win the turnover battle against a QB who loves giving the ball away, and take care of this dopey, overrated team at home.
P.S. — I couldn’t find a good spot for it, but it’s worth noting that Kellen Moore looks like South Park’s rendition of the Hardy Boys. Let’s temper that “raging clue” he has for Shough and shut this offense down.
