Ravens DC: Why Saints QB Tyler Shough Is ‘A Poor Man’s Josh Allen’ In Good Way

New Orleans Saints quarterback Tyler Shough has the respect of the defensive coordinator of the team’s Week 2 opponent, Baltimore Ravens coach Anthony Weaver, who detailed how the second-year signal-caller “reminds” him of “a poor man’s Josh Allen” — in a positive way. “[Shough] has all the arm talent in the world [and] can run. I don’t think he gets enough credit for how good [of] an athlete he is,” Weaver said in a press conference Thursday, per NFL.com. “So, particularly as you get down to the low red [zone], we are constantly going to be conscious of just his ability to scramble and create those extended plays — no different than our guy with eight [quarterback Lamar Jackson]. “I just think the more reps he gets, the more confident he’s going to get in that scheme and with the talent around him. I think they have done a good job of trying to build the talent around him. They have tremendous skill players. I think they have upgraded their offensive line from when I saw [them] a year ago. So, sky’s the limit for the kid.” After falling behind 21-0 with 8:54 remaining in the third quarter and throwing two interceptions in the Saints’ Week 1 road tilt against the Detroit Lions, Shough and the Saints stormed back to force overtime. Granted, they failed to convert a would-be, game-winning two-point conversion attempt with 1:34 remaining in overtime and lost 31-30. In all, Shough threw for 410 yards, three touchdowns and two touchdowns, finished with an 87.6 passer rating and completed 62.5% of his passes in the loss. Last season, the 6-foot-5 Shough started nine games for the Saints, making 11 appearances altogether. He totaled 2,384 passing yards, 10 passing touchdowns, six interceptions and a 91.3 passer rating, while completing 67.6% of his passes. Shough also rushed for 186 yards and three touchdowns. The Saints went 5-4 in the games he started. New Orleans selected Shough with the No. 40 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft after a seven-year collegiate career that saw him play for three schools (Oregon, Texas Tech and Louisville). Injuries were a prime catalyst for Shough’s prolonged career, as he suffered a broken collarbone in 2021, which the quarterback injured again the next season, and a broken fibula in 2023. As for the Saints’ Week 2 opposition, the Ravens are coming off a 41-23 win on the road over the Indianapolis Colts, with Weaver in his first season as Baltimore’s defensive coordinator under new head coach Jesse Minter. Weaver was previously a defensive assistant for the Ravens under John Harbaugh from 2021-23 before becoming the defensive coordinator of the Miami Dolphins from 2024-25. “We played them [the Saints] towards the latter half of the year when I was in Miami last year, and I was impressed with him then as a rookie,” Weaver said of Shough. As for the aforementioned game, which came in Week 13 of last season, Shough threw for 239 yards, two touchdowns and one interception and completed 68.4% of his passes in what was a 21-17 loss for the Saints. Regarding Weaver’s player comparison for Shough, Allen, the 2024 NFL MVP and a four-time Pro Bowler, and the Buffalo Bills are off to a 2-0 start, with wins over the Houston Texans (36-31) and Detroit Lions (41-31).