Tyler Shough can break two Saints rookie passing records vs Panthers

By Ross Jackson

New Orleans Saints rookie quarterback Tyler Shough has had an impressive few weeks as the team’s new starter. Boasting a 2-3 record through his first five starts, he’s become the team’s first rookie quarterback to win multiple games in a season since Saints’ legend Archie Manning in 1971. 

While his name is already etched in the franchise record books, he’s far from done. 

At home, against the Carolina Panthers in Week 15, Shough has a real chance to break two franchise rookie passing records. One has stood since 1971, the other set just last year. 

Franchise Rookie Passing Yards In A Season

First, and most likely to fall against Carolina, the rookie passing yards record is well within reach for Shough. He is just 106 yards shy of resetting the previous record of 1,317 passing yards set by last year’s rookie starter Spencer Rattler. 

Rattler achieved the mark by starting six games last year and playing a second half in another game. In his sixth start, after appearing in the second half of the Week 8 game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Shough should be able to take the passing crown. 

After that, he’ll have another three games this year to build upon the total. 

Franchise Rookie Passing Touchdowns In A Season

The second record that the rookie can earn is rookie-season passing touchdowns. With five touchdown tosses already this year, he needs only two to pass Manning’s 1971 mark of six. 

While tossing two touchdown passes against the Panthers isn’t farfetched (Shough did so in his first career win at Carolina earlier this year), the growing gameplan involvement of his legs and the Saints’ run game have shown that a game can be won on the ground if necessary. 

Shough has thrown for at least 100 yards in each of his starts and has tossed multiple touchdowns twice. 

Both records will eventually belong to the 6-foot-5 Louisville alum. That could come to fruition as quickly as Week 15 as the team returns home from a two-week road trip. 

What feels certain is that each record will be achieved in front of the quarterback’s home fans with the Panthers and New York Jets on their way to the big easy in the next two weeks.