A steady Shough, QB2 swap and a rookie shines: How the Saints offense fared vs Rams

WOODLAND HILLS, Calif. — Tyler Shough faced numerous challenges in Thursday’s joint practice against the Los Angeles Rams. The quarterback didn’t have his top receiver, as Chris Olave got the day off. The Rams pass rush, even without an injured Myles Garrett, was a threat on almost every drop-back. The supporting cast around him shuffled constantly throughout the session.

But no matter what faced him, Shough was steady against a unit that’s projected to be one of the best in 2026.

Shough’s composure stood out last season, but the poise has again been a theme of late as the 26-year-old has started to hit his stride after a week of joint practices against the Jacksonville Jaguars, Dallas Cowboys and Rams.

“We kind of got some mixed and match personnel groups — I thought that was really good work for him,” Saints coach Kellen Moore said. “That’s a really talented defense, so there’s going to be some downs that they win, and how we respond is pretty critical. I thought our guys did a good job, certainly led by Tyler.”

Shough was especially sharp in the red zone, where he connected with rookie Bryce Lance for two touchdowns. He also responded well when sacked, bouncing back quickly to find his target. Games, of course, have a different flow and feel, but it was nearly impossible not to think of how much the quarterback has grown since the last time he faced the Rams. That ended up being his first professional start, a punishing, one-sided loss that left Shough with a nasty bruise on his side.

Thursday was different. Shough ended the day 15 of 21. The 71.4% completion percentage was also dramatically better than last year’s joint practice against the Rams, when he went 13 of 22 (59%).

Birthday treat

Lance turned 24 years old on Thursday.

His birthday gift was a pair of touchdowns in the red zone.

With Chris Olave resting and Jordyn Tyson (hamstring) injured, the fourth-round rookie took advantage of his newfound reps and further cemented his chemistry with Shough. After performing well in Tuesday’s practice against the Cowboys, Lance flashed by creating separation in an area of the field in which space is hard to come by.

On his first touchdown, Moore ran what looked like a post route to the back of the end zone and got open enough for Shough to rip a perfectly placed pass. Then, in the next team period, Shough found Lance again, this time on a 10-yard touchdown.

Early in camp, it appeared as if Barion Brown would seize the next receiver spot after Ja’Lynn Polk’s sudden retirement. But the momentum has since swung to Lance, who has the case to be the third receiver with Tyson set to miss two months.

QB2 change?

After already declaring that Shough and the starters won’t play in Saturday’s preseason game, Moore declined to name his starting quarterback for the exhibition.

But there was a notable change made in practice Thursday.

Zach Wilson — not Spencer Rattler — was the first to replace Shough, a sign that New Orleans may be contemplating a switch for the Rams exhibition. Wilson outperformed Rattler last weekend, though Moore had been noncommittal about whether the performance would lead anywhere.

“We’re still talking through that,” Moore said, adding, “It could be (Wilson), but we’ll work through that. Both those guys are playing some good ball.”

Rattler still got reps Thursday as the Saints rotated Wilson and Rattler between series for Shough. So if Shough took the first eight snaps, Wilson then took the field. Then after another eight plays for Shough, Rattler got his turn. But previously, the order had been Shough, Rattler and then Wilson.

Odds and ends

The Saints allowed six sacks, five of which happened when the starters were on the field. But the line play wasn’t as much of a mismatch as that stat suggests. The Saints blocked well, particularly in the run game, creating big holes for Travis Etienne, Ty Chandler and Kendre Miller.

Tackle Kelvin Banks said he felt the line had “huge growth” when compared to last year’s joint session against the Rams. “I feel like we’re communicating very well and understanding who our assignments (are), understanding where we need to go,” Banks said. “I feel like we did a lot better, for sure.”

Cesar Ruiz left early with an ankle injury, though he seemed fine after practice. The offensive lineman got his foot rolled on when center Erik McCoy fell on top of him, leading Ruiz to pound the grass out of frustration while hurt. But Ruiz then had his ankle taped and appeared to try to convince trainers to come back in, but was withheld to prevent further damage.

The Saints have a fascinating battle taking place at backup running back. Miller, after missing two weeks with a back injury, has looked explosive in the two practices since his return. Chandler, though, may be the fastest in the room.

Moore was pleased that no fights took place in Thursday’s practice. The NFL hit the Saints and the Cowboys with a $500,000 fine each after multiple scraps earlier this week.