Saints embarrassed in the first game of the Tyler Shough era
The New Orleans Saints fell to the Los Angeles Rams, which was very predictable. You'd struggle to find one analysts within a group that predicted the Saints would win this matchup. It was Tyler Shough's first start, and everyone knew there would be the struggles.
The thing is it wasn't supposed to look like this. The Saints looked completely out of their depth. We've seen this team perform admirably when the deck was stacked against them. This was not one of those days. Instead of looking like their game against the Buffalo Bills, Week 9 was disgustingly similar to the beatdown the Saints received from the Seattle Seahawks. Long drives from the Rams, however, kept the game from getting uglier.
For all of the things that went wrong it felt like Shough was rarely a focal point in the miscues. He did have an interception, but that was in the closing moments of the game, where he was just trying to make a play. It'll go down as an interception, but it wasn't one that truly mattered.
The Saints have a looooooooong way to go
Get ready for the understatement of the week. There's is a sizable margin between the Saints and Rams. The Rams are in the running for the first seed in the NFC, and the Saints are in the running for first overall selection. Unfortunately for the Saints, it was on full display in Sunday's game.
It's hard to point to many moments the Saints could feel good about coming out of this game. Shough had a touchdown drive at the end of the first half. It featured a strong throw to Chris Olave and Shough's first career touchdown.
It was the brightest moment of the game for the Saints easily. It was the moment that felt like the Saints could find some sort of momentum in this one. They didn't, but at least there was temporary hope.
Broncos CB Could Face NFL Punishment After Brutal Hit Against Texans
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Denver Broncos cornerback Kris Abrams-Draine and Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud.
Sometimes things happen so fast in the NFL that it’s hard to make decisions in the moment, like when Denver Broncos cornerback Kris Abrams-Draine blasted Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud with what might have been an illegal hit in Week 9 that knocked Stroud out of the game.
Even though Abrams-Draine wasn’t flagged for unnecessary roughness in the moment, it doesn’t mean he’s going to avoid punishment, necessarily, and especially if Texans coach DeMeco Ryans has his way.
The Broncos went on to win, 18-15, on a last-second field goal for their sixth consecutive win to improve to 7-2. It’s a win likely made more possible by the fact Stroud wasn’t playing.
“(Abrams-Draine) hit the quarterback when he sliding and giving himself up,” Ryans said after the game. “If I’m incorrect on the rules, I’ve seen that happen multiple times with our guys, and we get the penalty.”
A slowed down look at the play shows Stroud not committing to the slide until the last second and Abrams-Draine turning his body to make contact with Stroud with his shoulder and not his head. Stroud’s head smacked the turf after the hit.
For Ryans, there’s some irony in hearing him weigh in on a quarterback getting injured on a slide — considering his team’s own recent history.
Texans Hit in 2024 Caused Massive Controversy
Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair was the person behind one of the dirtiest plays in recent years when he hit Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence on a slide in December 2024 and knocked him unconscious — a hit that ended Lawrence’s season.
NFL Vice President of Rules and Operations Jon Runyan came down hard on Al-Shaair, with the league ultimately handing out a 3-game suspension.
” … continued disregard for NFL playing rules puts the health and safety of both (Al-Shaair) and (his) opponents in jeopardy and will not be tolerated,” Runyan wrote.
Al-Shaair was let somewhat stunned there wasn’t a flag on Abrams-Draine.
“I know (Abrams-Draine) wasn’t trying to hurt C.J., because I know I wasn’t trying to hurt (Lawrence) last year,” Al-Shaair told Sports Talk 790’s Adam Wexler. “But yeah, I couldn’t believe there wasn’t a flag, you know, with everything I went through.”
Abrams-Draine Part of NFL’s Flagship Defense
Abrams-Draine is in his second year with the Broncos after he was drafted in the fifth round (No. 145 overall) out of Missouri in the 2024 NFL draft. He only played 5 games as a rookie but has been a steady contributor in all 8 games this season.
The game against the Texans was also the first this season where the Broncos were without cornerback and NFL Defensive Player of the Year Patrick Surtain II, who missed the first of what could be 3 games with a pec strain.
“(Abrams–Draine) hit his chest and Stroud’s head slammed hard off turf,” The Denver Post’s Troy Renck wrote on his official X account. “No penalty on the play. Crowd furious. Stroud walked off under his own power. That is good news. The reason no penalty is bc no contact to head. So flag picked up.”
