How Tyler Shough Quickly Transformed Saints’ Offense

The New Orleans Saints look like a completely different team right now.

For the first few weeks of the season, there wasn't much life. New Orleans started the season 1-7 and then transitioned from Spencer Rattler to Tyler Shough as the team's starting quarterback. The move gave the team a spark -- although Rattler showed improvement from last season. While this is the case, the Saints did lose Shough's first start against the Los Angeles Rams, 34-10. That was a tough game overall for the team, but things have been significantly better since.

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Over the last five weeks, the Saints have gone 3-2 with two wins over the Carolina Panthers and one win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Over that stretch, the Saints' defense has been red-hot and the offense has taken steps forward with Shough, even with Rashid Shaheed traded away and Alvin Kamara missing time.

The Saints have looked different

Dec 14, 2025; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; New Orleans Saints quarterback Tyler Shough (6) reacts during the second quarter against the Carolina Panthers at Caesars Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images | Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images

One way the team has improved offensively is specifically in the red zone. Ross Jackson of LouisianaSports.Net pointed out on X that New Orleans has had the second-best red zone offense in the NFL over the last three games. In comparison, the Saints had the worst red zone offense over the first 12 weeks (11 games plus the bye week) of the season.

"The Saints were the NFL's worst red zone offense over the first 12 weeks scoring TDs on just 34.5 percent of their RZ possessions," Jackson wrote. "Over the last three games, they are now tied as the No. 2 red zone offense in the NFL, scoring TDs on 75 percent (6/8) of their RZ opportunities."

Things get the most difficult in the red zone. The windows are tighter and it's more difficult to move the ball. You can win -- and lose -- games based specifically on the play in the red zone. If one team is able to punch it in and get touchdowns and the other settles for field goals, there's a clear difference there.

Over the last three games, the Saints are 2-1 and realistically should've beaten the Miami Dolphins on Nov. 30. The Saints' defense is doing its job shutting down opposing offenses and New Orleans is getting touchdowns, that's the difference. Shough is good in the air, but also can make things happen on the ground. That was shown with two rushing touchdowns against the Buccaneers. Having someone who is a threat both ways, really changes how a team has to play defense and therefore opens things up for the offense.

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