The New York Giants must quickly move forward after a fortunate yet disappointing Week 5 tie. That's easier said than done, but their upcoming matchup with New Orleans Saints quarterback Tyler Shough can be an elixir for all mixed feelings.
Shough is playing through a left (non-throwing) hand injury. He and Saints head coach Kellen Moore have weirdly danced around the topic when asked directly. The former doesn't believe it's affecting his performance, which the Minnesota Vikings successfully tested — and the Giants follow suit.
In an ugly 23-13 home loss to the Vikings, Shough completed 16 of 25 attempts for 96 scoreless yards and two interceptions. Minnesota rattled his cage early and often, and it clearly flustered him. That lends itself to New York defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson's newfound aggressiveness heading into a Week 6 showdown with New Orleans.
Giants can thank Vikings for strategy to attack Tyler Shough-led Saints
Minnesota ranked first by a considerable margin in per-dropback blitz rate in Week 5 with a whopping 84.6 percent. Guess who was third and one of three teams above 60 percent, narrowly behind their hometown rival Jets (63.6 percent): Big Blue.
Quite literally, the Vikings brought the house on almost every single passing play. Shough was blitzed on 22 of 26 dropbacks. He averaged 3.09 yards per attempt, threw both picks and posted a dismal 26.3 passer rating in those scenarios.
Why can't the Giants deploy a similar plan? Wilson has shown he isn't afraid to turn up the heat, especially since losing star pass rusher Brian Burns to a torn right ACL and lateral meniscus. There's no reason to stop with Shough and the Saints coming to town.
Frankly, Minnesota wasn't reinventing the wheel. Shough's struggles with pressure have been a talking point since college and arguably his biggest bugaboo. They merely turned the dial up to 11 and relentlessly spammed him with constant organized chaos, as the Giants have done to others lately.
Look no further than Shough's splits when facing a blitz and not this season:
Tyler Shough 2026 Stats vs. Blitz | Tyler Shough 2026 Stats vs. No Blitz |
|---|---|
5.89 yards per pass attempt | 6.67 yards per pass attempt |
2 TDs, 3 INTs | 7 TDs, 2 INTs |
74.5 passer rating | 99.1 passer rating |
Either way, the Vikings' success in New Orleans was additional proof of concept for Wilson and New York to keep their foot on the gas. Shough looked like a deer in headlights and couldn't punish Minnesota's high-risk, high-reward attacking mindset.
How Tyler Shough can turn the tables on the Giants (if physically right)
Shough has underrated mobility. He's turned six scrambles into 55 rushing yards this season and recorded a solid 20-125-2 line in that department in 2025. Washington Commanders signal-caller Jayden Daniels erupted for 103 yards and two scores on seven scrambles in the draw with the G-Men.
However, given his currently murky health situation, Shough may be reluctant to tuck and run; he's already risking exacerbating the issue by just taking the field. Moving outside the pocket and putting himself in harm's way isn't wise. Moore's comments suggest he and the Saints are mindful of this, so it'll be fascinating to see whether their game plan changes at all.
Taking a cautious approach would be like clipping Shough's wings, though, and it'd work in the Giants' favor. His creativity and ability to extend plays are strong suits.
Note: Advanced metrics courtesy of Fantasy Points' data suite 2.0 ($).
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