Saints' Tyler Shough Flashes Potential With 62-Yard TD To Chris Olave

The New Orleans Saints lost one of their key playmakers ahead of the Week 10 matchup against the Carolina Panthers, but that didn't stop them from playing one of their most explosive halves of a game this season.

At halftime on Sunday, rookie quarterback Tyler Shough had 194 yards while going 11-for-18 passing for one touchdown. In comparions, he had 176 yards total passing in his first start in the NFL last week against the Los Angeles Rams.

On top of having one of the best overall halves of the season for the Saints, Shough and No. 1 receiver Chris Olave connected on one of the most explosive plays of the year as well with a 62-yard bomb for a touchdown on third down in the second quarter.

Tyler Shough finds Chris Olave for a 62-yard score!pic.twitter.com/kgCARTujv8
— Underdog NFL (@UnderdogNFL) November 9, 2025

As of writing, there is still a full half of football to be played, but Shough showed what he can do and Olave quieted the noise of losing Rashid Shaheed right away. Olave logged three catches for 85 yards in the first half.

The Saints got a much-needed positive half from Tyler Shough

Nov 9, 2025; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; New Orleans Saints quarterback Tyler Shough (6) throws a pass during the second quarter against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

Spencer Rattler entered Week 10 with the highest passing mark of the season for New Orleans with 233 yards against the Chicago Bears on Oct. 19th. Shough was just 39 yards below that in the first half against a tough Panthers defense.

At the end of the day, there are a lot of questions around the Saints. New Orleans entered the contest with a 1-8 record sitting in last place in the NFC. But, after the trade deadline, Shough and the Saints couldn't have asked for a better first half.

That pass to Olave wasn't Shough's only long throw of the first half as well. He and tight end Juwan Johnson connected on a 52-yard pass on third and 12 in the first quarter.

Tyler Shough hits his TE Juwan Johnson for 52 yards!

NOvsCAR on FOX/FOX Onehttps://t.co/HkKw7uXVnt pic.twitter.com/9sjtnsfWR7
— NFL (@NFL) November 9, 2025

If Shough can play like this over the course of the rest of the season, they may not need to use another high draft pick on a quarterback in the 2026 NFL Draft.

This very well could be considered recency bias, but Shough showed off some of that potential in the first half against Carolina.

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