The New Orleans Saints have heard plenty of noise this season, but none louder than the recent wave of criticism labeling them a “washed-up team.” Analysts pointed to inconsistent performances, a turbulent stretch of injuries, and a midseason identity crisis as reasons the franchise had supposedly fallen out of relevance. But inside the locker room, that narrative hasn’t sat well—especially with quarterback Tyler Shough, who has quickly become one of the most vocal figures pushing back.
Shough, who stepped into a more prominent role this season, addressed the growing criticism following practice this week. His response was sharp, confident, and a reminder that the Saints don’t plan on fading quietly.
“There’s always going to be people ready to write your story for you,” Shough said. “They want to say we’re washed, that we’re done, that our window’s closed. That’s fine—they can talk. Our job is to prove that the story isn’t finished.”
Despite struggles, Shough emphasized that the team’s issues aren’t signs of decline but part of the natural evolution of a roster dealing with adversity. He pointed out that close losses have overshadowed strong stretches of play and highlighted the team’s commitment to growth rather than resignation.
“We’ve had games where one play flips everything,” he said. “People outside see the record. We see the details—the adjustments we’ve made, the fight we’ve shown, the progress behind the scenes. If being ‘washed-up’ means we’re hungry, angry, and working harder every day, then I’ll take that label.”
Coaches and teammates echoed his sentiment, praising Shough for bringing calm leadership
Shough ended his remarks with a message that resonated far beyond the players’ meeting room.
“We hear everything,” he said. “But we’re not here to replay the past or accept anyone else’s version of who we are. We’re here to write the next chapter—and we’re not close to done.”
The Saints may be facing doubts, but if Tyler Shough’s energy is any indication, they have no intention of letting this season become a eulogy. Instead, they’re treating it as a challenge—and a chance to prove the critics wrong.
One most welcome surprise for the Cincinnati Bengals in recent weeks has been the transformation of their running game. Unfortunately, the bye week, a second-time opponent in the Pittsburgh Steelers, and a key injury could derail all that prior momentum.
Not that the Steelers have a stupendous defense, but if Pittsburgh can score at will like many Bengals opponents have this season, ageless wonder Joe Flacco will be forced to air it out a lot and render Cincinnati’s offense one-dimensional.
To help Flacco avoid a quadragenarian shootout versus Aaron Rodgers, the Bengals need to play keep-away and lean on the run. Can they count on a rookie sixth-round pick to help the cause?
Former Texas Tech tailback Tahj Brooks slid all the way to the 193rd overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. The Bengals happily scooped up the productive ball-carrier then, as a deep running back class was part of the reason for Brooks’ tumble down the board.
Any hopes Brooks had of substantial playing time early on were dashed when Cincinnati could run the ball whatsoever. Chase Brown was averaging around two yards per carry. Brooks has only managed six carries for 18 yards in his young career thus far.
But aging vet Samaje Perine and Brown suddenly became a phenomenal 1-2 punch of late. It’s a bummer that Perine will be out for Week 11 with an ankle injury, as the team confirmed on Friday.
Perine is a savvy back who still has more explosiveness than you’d think at 30 years old. The good news is, the Bengals’ disreputable offensive line has rallied from early adversity to pave lots of running lanes, which should open things up for Brown against Pittsburgh.
When the Steelers and Bengals met in Week 7, Brown had 108 yards on only 11 carries. The question is, does Brooks have the vision and conviction to hit the hole without hesitating, and produce like a solid RB2?
That much is unclear. What is clear is that Brooks should have the chance to prove himself. Maybe Zac Taylor won’t trust him with a lot of reps, but Brown’s health should take priority.
Plus, Brooks did have quite a run at the end of his college days, rushing for over 1500 yards in each of his last two seasons with 27 touchdowns on the ground in that span.
It’d just be nice to see a Cincinnati rookie do well. Watching Demetrius Knight Jr. and Barrett Carter try to play NFL linebacker has been a disaster and a big reason why the defense is so bad. Maybe Brooks will provide hope that this latest underwhelming draft class can turn into something salvageable and respectable for the Duke Tobin-led scouting department.
I’ll play you out with some Brooks Texas Tech highlights rather than any more depressing Bengals personnel fodder.