New Orleans Saints 24 - 20 Tampa Bay Buccaneers The Saints have taken down Baker Mayfield and the Buccaneers, providing a spark of hope for the future of this team, as well as for the Carolina Panthers. The team had great performances from many of the young players in this one, and Brandon Staley appears to have officially turned around a defense that looked hopeless last season. In a year where all hope seemed lost, Tyler Shough has provided life for the fanbase and has 100% earned his role as the 2026 starter for the team (barring any drastic decrease in play quality). Two games ago, I was praying the Saints landed as high of a draft pick as possible, and now I see myself not caring too much about it if Shough continues to play like this. If the Saints can rely on Shough to uplift a team void of talent at different positions, then they can quickly scratch off the QB position from the offseason needs list and turn their focus to other positions. With that being said, let’s dive into how the team did and where they need to focus this offseason. Tyler Shough Tyler Shough played an incredible game today, although it may not appear that way when glancing at the box score. Passing-wise, he finished 13/20 with 144 yards and an interception on a clear communication with Chris Olave, but shined in the run game with 55 yards on seven carries and two touchdowns. One came on a designed run play, with Shough shooting out of the hole alongside a great block by Devaughn Vele. The other came on a play where it looked like Shough would be taken down for a disastrous sack, from which he broke free and broke Kevin Harlan’s mind. He has showed multiple times this season that he can make plays in the clutch, and played an excellent second half to close this game out. He made multiple pro-level throws in big moments and displayed why some commentators have compared him to guys like Josh Allen and Ben Roethlisberger. If Tyler Shough continues to play the way he has, the Saints will have found their guy, and the worry about Shough’s age will disappear into thin air. I will say I’m surprised at the low level of hype he has gotten across social media and sports commentary, so I’m interested to see the discourse about him after this massive win. The Young Guys The Saints appear to have made all of the right picks in this past draft, with every drafted player performing well. This does not include Broughton, who was injured earlier on, and the seventh rounders, which are as good as blind shots in the dark anyway. Specifically in this game, Devin Neal played an excellent game, and all of the other guys have shown they definitely belong in the National Football League. Neal finished with 70 yards and a touchdown on 19 carries, with a few really solid runs where he had to fight for extra yardage through contact. If he continues to play this way with Alvin Kamara out, he will likely be the Saints' RB2 for the foreseeable future, and possibly work his way into the RB1 role if he continues to develop. If the Saints were to go the Jeremiyah Love route in the draft, he and Love would be an amazing duo to watch every week. The Saints' young guys in the secondary also played well today, with Kool-Aid McKinstry leading the team in tackles and having a clutch PBU late in the game, and Alontae Taylor having a big-time interception to start the third quarter. I also really liked what I saw from Jonas Sanker and Jordan Howden in this one, which is a positive without Justin Reid being able to play. Another young player that wasn’t drafted this offseason but is new to the team, Devaugn Vele, had two huge catches for third-down conversions on the last offensive possession. Although Vele is not young in the traditional age sense, he is on a rookie contract. If he can be the bigger body receiver that the Saints depend on to get first downs, the trade they made with the Broncos will pay off massively. Brandon Staley’s Defense The Saints' defense ranked 19th and 30th last season in points and yards allowed, respectively. Brandon Staley has the defense turned around in the points allowed per game department, where they currently rank 12th in the league. Although the Saints' defense currently ranks 22nd in points allowed per game, it’s hard to put that fully on Staley, as the offense has struggled to stay on the field and constantly has put this defense in poor positions this season. This is not at all to say the defense is perfect or that it doesn’t have holes, but it is nice to see the defense slowly starting to find its identity, even without a lot of high-level talent. This is a team that can acquire a high-level impact player like Arvell Reese or Caleb Downs in the draft and see their defense truly take a leap with the current coordinator at the helm. I will say, I can’t end this section without noting that Demario Davis has continued to play out of his mind for yet another season, and that I would happily watch another couple of years with him in the black and gold on if the team decides to bring him back. Kellen Moore I absolutely dragged Kellen Moore the last couple of weeks, and well, if the Saints didn’t win this one, you’d be seeing a common occurrence with another dragging of the Saints' head coach. That being said, the Saints DID win this one, so I will go a little easier on Kellen Moore than I expected to just a few hours ago at halftime. Kellen Moore has made mental mistakes time and time again this season. His playcalling when needing a yard on offense is that of a five-year-old mashing buttons on Madden… random. The most recent instance came in this one on fourth and one when he called an outside toss to Devin Neal, which proceeded to get stuffed for a loss of two. On plays where a Taysom Hill touch possibly makes sense, he refuses to call one, and will then call a Taysom Hill RPO on first and 10, or leave Taysom Hill in to drop two passes. In addition to playcalling woes, Kellen Moore’s decisions of when or when not to challenge plays have been worse than bad. On a third and one in the middle of the third quarter, Audric Estime went up the middle and seemed to gain a yard past the first down marker, yet the ball was marked a yard short. Instead of challenging this seemingly clear first down that was terribly spotted, he simply went for it, and an illegal man downfield penalty led to the Saints taking the field goal. This is by far not the worst mistake he’s made as a head coach, but as a 2-10 team with nothing to lose, it makes sense to throw the red flag and try to avoid the four-point swing that occurred. Tyler Shough is the future for the Saints at the quarterback position. By the end of the season, I would really like to see Kellen Moore give me reasons to believe he is the future at the head coach position as well. Offensive MVP: Tyler “Turn That Nine Upside Down It’s a Six” Shough Defensive MVP: Whole defense Special Teams MVP: Mason Tipton

Team Stats (Pelicans at Nets) Final Score: 101-119 Rebounds: 36-45 Assists: 29-36 Blocks: 3-7 Steals: 9-6 Turnovers: 15-16 Stat Leaders Scoring Leaders: Trey Murphy III, 23; Michael Porter Jr., 35 Rebound Leaders: Derik Queen, 9; Nic Claxton Assist Leaders: Jose Alvarado, 6; Nic Claxton My Player of the Game: Jose Alvarado Chrissy's Key Takeaways * This was the worst game the Pelicans have played all season. The team started out flat and never picked up the pace or the defense. Offense struggled, too . * No one looked ready to play -- it was like a different team was playing than we saw in the last two games against the Minnesota Timberwolves. * The Nets led by 11 at the end of the first quarter and led by as much as 28. * The Pelicans next game is on Monday at home at 7 pm against the Spurs. Follow @TheKneaux on X, and follow me there too, @SportsChrissy.

Can the Saints bounce back after losing two games in a row?

Team Stats (Timberwolves at Pelicans) Final Score: 125-116 Rebounds: 49-43 Assists: 30-29 Blocks: 10-3 Steals: 5-11 Turnovers: 19-12 Stat Leaders Scoring Leaders: Julius Randle, 28; Trey Murphy III, 21 Rebound Leaders: Rudy Gobert, 12; Trey Murphy III, Jeremiah Fears, 7 Assist Leaders: Naz Redi, 6; Trey Murphy III, 8 My Player of the Game: Trey Murphy III Chrissy's Key Takeaways * This time it wasn't the third quarter that spoiled the game for the Pelicans -- it was the fourth quarter. The Pelicans were up 90-88 going into the fourth quarter. * New Orleans did a much better job of containing Anthony Edwards as he only had 11 points compared to 44 points in Tuesday's game. * The Pelicans are one lethal three-point shooter away from turning these losses into wins because the team is playing with so much pace and competing much better under James Borrego. * With that being said, the Pelicans are 3-20 on the year. But Trey Murphy is playing like an all-star, and rookies Jeremiah Fears and Derik Queen are a sight for sore eyes . Follow @TheKneaux on X, and follow me there too, @SportsChrissy.

Team Stats (Timberwolves at Pelicans) Final Score: 149-142 (OT) Rebounds: 41-42 Assists: 29-26 Blocks: 4-1 Steals: 7-5 Turnovers: 9-12 Stat Leaders Scoring Leaders: Anthony Edwards, 44; Trey Murphy III, 33 Rebound Leaders: Rudy Gobert, 13; Trey Murphy III, 15 Assist Leaders: Julius Randle, 6; Derik Queen, 6 My Player of the Game: Trey Murphy III Chrissy's Key Takeaways * This Pelicans team tonight was good. They seemed like a weight was off their shoulders and they just played ball. * This overtime loss is due to the Pelicans not knowing how to close games and a lot of that is because this team doesn't have chemistry yet because they have had 8,000 different lineups this year due to injuries. * Trey Murphy continues to play fantastic basketball. So impressed with his growth. * If you haven't seen online yet, Zion Williamson somehow hurt his hip and will be evaluated in three weeks so we're back to Groundhog Day with him. * The Pelicans play the Timberwolves again at home on Thursday, Dec. 4. Follow @TheKneaux on X, and follow me there too, @SportsChrissy.

Team Stats (Pelicans at Lakers) Final Score: 121-133 Rebounds: 40-46 Assists: 23-26 Blocks: 1-10 Steals: 6-4 Turnovers: 8-8 Stat Leaders Scoring Leaders: Bryce McGowens, 23; Luka Dončić, 34 Rebound Leaders: Saddiq Bey, 11; Luka Dončić, Deandre Ayton, 12 Assist Leaders: Bryce McGowens, 5; Austin Reeves, 8 My Player of the Game: Bryce McGowens Chrissy's Key Takeaways * The best player for the Pelicans against the Lakers was Bryce McGowens. The Pelicans have lost 11 of their last 12. * The Lakers dominated the first half, leading 46-27 after one quarter and 77-57 at the half. * The Pelicans were without five of their top players -- Dejoute Murray, Jordan Poole, Zion Williamson, Herb Jones, and Trey Murphy. Frustrating to see all that talent not able to play together. * The Pelicans found their offense in the third quarter, shooting 62.5% from the floor in the period and pulling to 100-89. That was as close as they got to tying things up. * New Orleans will play again on Tuesday at home against the Minnesota Timberwolves. Follow @TheKneaux on X, and follow me there too, @SportsChrissy.

The Saints lose in Miami after a crazy final few minutes. Tyler Shough drove down the field and threw what could’ve been the potential game-tying touchdown, but then threw a “pick-two” on the two-point conversion. Naturally, the Saints converted an onside kick once again in Miami, recovered by the one and only Devaugn Vele. Unfortunately, the Saints were unable to drive down the field and ultimately lost a close game. However, there were some positives to this one: with Tyler Shough looking solid and making a potential game-winning throw to Olave that was dropped, Devaugn Vele having his breakout game, Charlie Smyth nailing a 56-yard field goal as his first official NFL field goal attempt, and young players on the defense making big plays. Let’s break all of that down, as well as another inept performance by Kellen Moore as the head coach. Tyler Shough Tyler Shough started extremely slow in this one, with two turnovers in the first half and no points, but turned it around massively to close it out, finishing 26/38 for 239 yards, two touchdowns, and one pick. He led a solid touchdown drive to start the second half, which ended with a Chris Olave touchdown on a scramble drill. He made multiple plays happen on the move and was able to navigate what felt like constant pressure relatively well. To end the game, Tyler Shough led the potential game-tying touchdown drive and also threw a perfect ball that would have given the Saints the lead, which went directly through Chris Olave’s hands. It was by no means a perfect game by Shough, as both picks (one doesn’t count statistically since it was on a two-point conversion attempt) were extremely poor throws. In addition to this, Shough did take four sacks, with a couple of them feeling like he should have been able to navigate the pocket better or potentially throw the ball away. Shough clearly has the potential to develop into the Saints' franchise quarterback, but the team desperately needs to build a more explosive weapon group around him. Devaugn Vele Through the 12 weeks of the NFL season before this one, many Saints fans (myself included) were questioning why the Saints traded for Devaugn Vele if they weren’t going to use him. He had nine catches for 91 yards and a touchdown before this game, and he nearly matched his season total with eight catches against the Dolphins. It seems as though Kellen Moore finally realized that Vele has very strong hands, and his size makes him the perfect weapon to use for in-breaking routes such as slants and digs. He made multiple tough catches in this one, some through contact and some where he had to drag his feet/legs to make the play. This is exactly what all of us Saints fans have wanted to see to justify the Saints having one less draft pick in the upcoming draft. If Vele continues to perform this well, the Saints may just have a true weapon on their hands… And if the Saints somehow go and add Carnell Tate, Chris Bell, or Elijah Sarratt to this wide receiver room with Vele and Olave, watch out. Charlie Smyth Charlie Smyth, the Saints' new starting kicker from Ireland, attempted and made his first-ever NFL field goal today, which he nailed from 56 yards away. It appeared in this one for a while that he may never even get in range to attempt one, but when the Saints called on him to make a play in a very high-stakes moment, he did his job. That was something that Blake Grupe failed to do this season for the Saints multiple times, and the fact that Kellen Moore was confident enough to trust Smyth from that distance in that scenario makes me extremely happy and confident in Smyth’s future. Also, not only did Smyth make the kick, but it looked like it may have been good from 65 yards plus. Now, this is only his first kick, and things could turn bad after this week, but an international player who fought tooth and nail on his own to get to where he is, and that hard work paying off is special. I really hope that Smyth continues to succeed and that the Saints can rely on him for years to come, because that would be one less thing for the Saints to worry about this offseason. Young Defensive Playmakers Kool-Aid McKinstry, Quincy Riley, and Danny Stutsman all flashed today for the Saints, making splashy plays that make me excited to see what they can do for this team in the future. Kool-Aid had an interception in the endzone and a huge TFL on a late fourth down, Quincy Riley had an interception that was wrongfully called incomplete in my eyes, and Danny Stutsman absolutely destroyed Devon Achane on a run in the first half. If all three of these guys are hits, and if Jonas Sanker continues to play at a solid level, it really would be a great boost for this team’s future. It would mean they could focus more on improving the offensive side of the ball, and potentially go snag a playmaker to add to the defensive line across from Chase Young, such as Arvell Reese. Quincy Riley has become the true CB1 for the Saints in my eyes, as I feel his coverage has been better, but Kool-Aid has made multiple big splash plays that, in the future, hopefully change games for this team. Kellen Moore I said it last week, and I’ll say it again this week: I’m done with Kellen Moore. If the Saints want to succeed in the future, they should fire Kellen Moore after this crapshow of a season is over. Moore called a horrific game in the first half, scheming up routes short of the sticks consistently, as well as giving touches to Evan Hull over Devin Neal. This is no slight to Evan Hull, as he did look alright when he was given the ball, but this is a team that needs to see what they have in Devin Neal for the future of this team. In the second half, Devin Neal was leaned on in the run game, and it paid off, so why couldn’t they do that in the first half? In addition, Kellen Moore seemed to be calling plays off of his “recently called plays” section of the playsheet, like I always do in Madden, as he painfully called spacing over and over again. He consistently shows no emotion on the field, does not ever seem to discipline players who make mistakes, and seems not to know how to call a cohesive game as a playcaller. Could this be due to the Saints’ lack of offensive talent? Definitely. However, I do not believe that routes being designed to be run short of the sticks is an offensive talent issue. His reluctance to go up-tempo when that is clearly what is working best in a game as well is frustrating, and I pray he improves as this season finishes up. If Kellen Moore continues to have a stagnant offense, especially if he loses games to the Jets and/or Titans, his seat better heat up, and tough conversations must be had. Offensive MVP: Devaughn Vele Defensive MVP: Whole defense (minus Alontae Taylor, who single-handedly allowed the first touchdown) Special Teams MVP: CHARLIE “THE IRISH HAMMER” SMYTH