Rising Saints rookie is the one opponent who could wreck Dolphins in Week 13

The Miami Dolphins still have a fraction of hope for the playoffs to cling to coming out of their bye week and into Week 13. That is, unless they underestimate a 2-9 New Orleans Saints team that's more formidable than their record might suggest.

With several veterans leading their defense and one-possession losses to the likes of the 49ers and Patriots, these Saints won't be walked all over when the Dolphins face them at Hard Rock Stadium this Sunday.

Mike McDaniel must make sure Miami isn't sluggish after the idle time. One potential danger among several looms at the most important position on the field in the form of a Saints rookie who looks up to the task.

Saints QB Tyler Shough could spoil Dolphins' stretch run before it begins in Week 13

New Orleans didn't quite come out firing on all cylinders after its own bye. After beating the Panthers quite soundly, 17-7, there was reason to believe the Saints could win again in Week 12 at home versus the Falcons.

After all, Carolina quarterback Bryce Young followed up his dud against the Saints with 448 passing yards in a victory over Atlanta last Sunday. Thus, after an impressive victory in his second start, Saints signal-caller Tyler Shough had reasonably high post-bye expectations.

Shough was straight dealing on the road in Week 10 when it mattered most, en route to 282 yards, two touchdowns, and a 128.9 passer rating.

Unfortunately, New Orleans got derailed quite early in a 24-10 Week 12 loss. Alvin Kamara exited after only three carries due to a knee injury. Blake Grupe missed two field goals. Taysom Hill had his pass batted away on a 4th and goal after Shough orchestrated an excellent drive to get the Saints near the goal line.

The Saints should've put at least 13 on the board, but just couldn't get enough push up front all day.

Shough led New Orleans in rushing with 22 yards on seven carries in Week 12. Hill had the most carries and only managed 17 yards on 10 totes. Devin Neal gained just 18 yards on seven attempts.

Asking a rookie field general to get the job done operating such a one-dimensional offense against a Falcons pass rush that was just teeing off on him is too much. Still, Shough completed 30 of 43 passes for 243 yards with a desperate interception toward the end that made his stat line look worse than it really was. He also took five sacks.

What makes Shough unique is his one-of-one college journey. Not often do second-round picks spend six years in college, get only one full season of starting experience in the books, and still get drafted so high. It speaks to how much the Saints thought of him.

For whatever Shough lacks in on-field reps at the collegiate and NFL levels, he makes up for with a wealth of football experience.

An extensive injury history explains (mostly) why Shough didn't play as much at Oregon or Texas Tech before he finally had a healthy year at Louisville in 2024. The resilience it took for Shough to persevere through those hard college days was on full display when he stared down the barrel time and again against the Falcons. Shough didn't flinch despite being under constant siege, with no running game to help him out.

Personally, I'd listen to a legend like Tyrann Mathieu when he gives an endorsement like he did to Shough here.

Not to be a prisoner of the moment, make too much of one game, or suggest Shough is already some transcendent QB. The point here is that the Dolphins could easily underestimate someone who refused to give up on his football dream and is proving to be a functional operator of an NFL offense in the early going.

If Shough gets more support from his own backfield versus Miami, and the Saints' top-10 pass defense can stymie Tua Tagovailoa and the Dolphins through the air, this game could all of a sudden get a little scary for the home team.

I'm not saying Shough is going to go nuclear on a Miami defense that's trending well. It's just worth looking past the box score when evaluating Shough's chances to pull a stunning upset this weekend.