Rookie quarterback Tyler Shough’s debut for the New Orleans Saints sparked new hope for the struggling team, and he delivered. The Saints clinched a 17-7 win over the Carolina Panthers. And in their second win, the rookie, who started the season as a backup QB, ended a 44-year drought for the franchise.

FOX announced that Tyler Shough is now the first Saints rookie QB to win a game since Dave Wilson led New Orleans to victory over the Los Angeles Rams back in 1981. For the current roster, this win carries even more weight. With this, the team snapped a four-game losing streak and improved its record to 2-8.

According to the broadcast, this was also the first win for rookie quarterback and first-year head coach Kellen Moore in the franchise’s history, amid a challenging season. Though the Saints struggled early in the game, they quickly found their rhythm.

Shough threw for 282 yards and two touchdowns. He connected with wide receiver Chris Olave for his first TD. Later, he threw a 30-yard touchdown pass to tight end Juwan Johnson. The entire Saints roster stepped up when it mattered most, coming together to secure the much-needed victory.

Olave had five catches for 104 yards. Running back Alvin Kamara had 83 yards rushing. And for the rookie QB, the best part was watching his teammates celebrate in the locker room.

“It was a great feeling in the locker room, I think,” he said.

“With everybody just kind of dancing, you’re having fun in there, but it just kind of came down to just playing complementary football, and we played together. For me, it’s just been so fun just kind of learning every single day.”

He had battled equally hard in his first game as a starter against the Rams. Shough completed 15 of 24 passes for 176 yards and a touchdown. He was impressive, but a win remained elusive.

That was fulfilled in his second start for the Panthers. Shough’s immediate success mirrors the situation in Indianapolis, where Anthony Richardson provided a similar spark for the Colts before his injury, highlighting a league-wide trend of young quarterbacks being asked to lead franchises earlier than ever.

For now, Shough has also secured the starting quarterback job for the rest of the season. Head coach Kellen Moore confirmed that quarterback Spencer Rattler will be his backup. He spoke highly of the rookie after the game.

“Tyler took an awesome step today,” he said, “I thought he made awesome plays, and he made some off-schedule plays with movement inside the pocket.”

Now, while the Saints ended the game on a good note, it was frustrating on the other side.

Panthers’ Ikem Ekwonu reveals reason behind loss to Tyler Shough’s Saints

The Panthers have dropped down to 5-5 in the NFC South. And left tackle Ikem Ekwonu knows the reason for the loss.

“We just weren’t locked into the small details,” Ekwonu told Scott Fowler while speaking of the loss.

“And you can’t get days back. You know, if you have a tough day on Thursday, tough day on Friday, or whatever, you can always look forward. But you can’t get that day back.”

“So that preparation, or lack thereof, is going to add up. And unfortunately, that just cultivated to what we saw today.”

He believes that there was a lack of preparation. The Panthers made several mistakes throughout the game. They turned over the ball twice in the second half. Quarterback Bryce Young threw for 124 yards, while running back Rico Dowdle added 53 yards and a touchdown on 18 carries.

These weren’t enough to help the Panthers beat the Saints. Head coach Dave Canales called the game “frustrating.” He admitted that the offense didn’t play its best. To win, they must seize opportunities.

As the Saints head into their much-needed bye week, the Panthers will look to improve before facing the Atlanta Falcons next.