JACKSON: Tyler Shough should start the Saints’ next preseason game

By Ross Jackson

Who gets starts and first-team reps is no longer an indication of quarterback battle positioning for the New Orleans Saints. With second-year quarterback Spencer Rattler and rookie Tyler Shough entering the final stretch of their competition, the focus now shifts to how each performs in specific situations, ones that go beyond traditional “first-team rep” scenarios.

Rattler started the first preseason game against the Los Angeles Chargers and then both players saw opportunities against the Los Angeles Rams the following week at Thursday’s joint practice.

While preseason games and camp practices against opponents aren’t the sole factors in the quarterback competition, Rattler demonstrated he could handle the process of leading an offense versus the Chargers, then followed it with reps alongside a full set of healthy weapons against the Rams.

Shough, like Rattler, got the chance to see first-team reps against the Rams. The missing ingredient is handling the responsibilities and pressure of being the first guy up in a game situation. Setting the tone, orchestrating the offense out the gate and much more. 

That could be valuable information, for better or for worse, when it comes to the Saints’ evaluations of the duel.

For that reason, giving Shough the start, unless they feel he saw considerably more work against the Rams, makes a lot of sense. It isn’t an indication of a new leader in the clubhouse, but an important element of the decision-making process.

The joint practices provided each passer a chance to operate against an opponent with an actual starting lineup. The preseason won’t always provide the starting lineup, but it does provide the process, the operation and the nerves of handling opening a game. That should be Shough’s next test on Sunday.