Newzire Staff | December 28, 2025 | Nissan Stadium, Nashville, Tenn.
Down 13, on the road, in the third-to-last game of a 2025 season that had long since slipped away, Tyler Shough came out in the second half and put together the best game of his young career.
The New Orleans Saints rookie quarterback went 22-of-27 for 333 yards, two touchdowns, and a 142.7 passer rating as New Orleans erased a 13-point deficit to beat the Tennessee Titans 34-26 at Nissan Stadium. It was the Saints’ fourth consecutive win to close the 2025 season, finishing 6-10. Tennessee dropped to 3-13 and went 1-8 at home in 2025.
The comeback rested on three plays: Chase Young’s 33-yard fumble return touchdown in the second quarter, a 10-yard go-ahead TD pass from Shough to Kevin Austin Jr. with 6:22 left, and Audric Estime’s 32-yard scoring run that sealed it. New Orleans outscored Tennessee 24-6 and outgained the Titans 331-152 after halftime.
Table of Contents
Score by Quarter
| 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | Final | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Orleans Saints | 0 | 10 | 10 | 14 | 34 |
| Tennessee Titans | 6 | 14 | 3 | 3 | 26 |
First Half: Tennessee Built a Comfortable Lead
Tennessee controlled the first half from the opening drive. Joey Slye hit field goals of 50 and 38 yards in the first quarter, and Cam Ward ran two touchdown drives in the second — a 43-yard strike to Chig Okonkwo and a 7-yard score to Elic Ayomanor to push the lead to 20-10 at the break.
The only interruption was Chase Young. With 3:51 left in the second quarter, Young stripped Ward at the line of scrimmage, scooped the ball, and ran it back 33 yards for a score. Tennessee answered three minutes later on the Ayomanor touchdown, but the Saints had shown they could put points on the board.
Scoring Summary
| Qtr | Time | Team | Play | NO | TEN |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 9:10 | TEN | Joey Slye 50-yd FG | 0 | 3 |
| 1st | 4:31 | TEN | Joey Slye 38-yd FG | 0 | 6 |
| 2nd | 12:57 | TEN | Chig Okonkwo 43-yd pass from Cam Ward (Slye kick) | 0 | 13 |
| 2nd | 5:53 | NO | Charlie Smyth 56-yd FG | 3 | 13 |
| 2nd | 3:51 | NO | Chase Young 33-yd fumble return (Smyth kick) | 10 | 13 |
| 2nd | 0:13 | TEN | Elic Ayomanor 7-yd pass from Cam Ward (Slye kick) | 10 | 20 |
| 3rd | 10:34 | NO | Chris Olave 19-yd pass from Tyler Shough (Smyth kick) | 17 | 20 |
| 3rd | 7:20 | TEN | Joey Slye 28-yd FG | 17 | 23 |
| 3rd | 1:51 | NO | Charlie Smyth 57-yd FG | 20 | 23 |
| 4th | 12:50 | TEN | Joey Slye 58-yd FG | 20 | 26 |
| 4th | 6:22 | NO | Kevin Austin Jr. 10-yd pass from Tyler Shough (Smyth kick) | 27 | 26 |
| 4th | 3:44 | NO | Audric Estime 32-yd rush (Smyth kick) | 34 | 26 |
Shough Takes the Game Over
Shough opened the second half with a nine-play, 74-yard drive and a 19-yard touchdown pass to Chris Olave — Saints within three, just like that. From there, he kept moving the chains through Olave and tight end Juwan Johnson, who ran underneath routes on lighter coverage and turned short catches into significant yardage.
Down 26-20 with 8:45 remaining, Shough drove 80 yards in four plays. The final throw was a 10-yard touchdown to Kevin Austin Jr. — the first receiving touchdown of Austin’s NFL career — giving New Orleans a 27-26 lead they would not relinquish. Estime closed it with a 32-yard run through the right side three minutes later.
Saints head coach Kellen Moore said afterward: “He’s obviously having a special season. I know he doesn’t start the season as the starter, but just the way he’s handled himself through this whole journey, I think really, really special.”
This was also the third game in the 2025 NFL season between two starting rookie quarterbacks. Shough outperformed Cam Ward — the No. 1 overall pick — in completion percentage, yards, passer rating, and pressure rate allowed.
Tyler Shough — Passing Stats
| Stat | Total |
|---|---|
| Completions / Attempts | 22 / 27 |
| Completion % | 81.5% |
| Passing Yards | 333 |
| Touchdowns | 2 |
| Interceptions | 0 |
| Passer Rating | 142.7 |
| Avg Depth of Target | 10.8 yds |
| Total Air Yards | 175 yds |
| Yards After Catch | 164 yds |
| Sacks Taken | 2 (–13 yds) |
| Pressure Rate (PFF) | 25.8% |
| PFF Grade | 82.1 |
Saints Receiving
Olave was the workhorse. He drew 11 targets, caught eight of them for 119 yards and a touchdown, and generated 56 yards after the catch. His 60-yard reception in the fourth quarter — the longest play of the game — set up the go-ahead touchdown drive.
Johnson was equally effective in a smaller role. He caught all four of his targets for 95 yards, averaging 23.8 yards per reception. Between Olave and Johnson alone, Shough found 214 of his 333 passing yards.
New Orleans Saints — Receiving Stats
| Player | Rec | Tgt | Yds | Avg | TD | Long | YAC |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chris Olave | 8 | 11 | 119 | 14.9 | 1 | 60 | 56 |
| Juwan Johnson | 4 | 4 | 95 | 23.8 | 0 | 39 | 37 |
| Dante Pettis | 3 | 4 | 53 | 17.7 | 0 | 32 | 40 |
| Kevin Austin Jr. | 4 | 5 | 52 | 13.0 | 1 | 36 | 26 |
| Moliki Matavao | 2 | 2 | 10 | 5.0 | 0 | 6 | 5 |
| Audric Estime | 1 | 1 | 4 | 4.0 | 0 | 4 | 4 |
| Team | 22 | 27 | 333 | 15.1 | 2 | 60 | 164 |
Cam Ward and the Titans’ Offense
Ward finished 21-of-40 for 251 yards and two scores but took four sacks for 23 yards in losses. PFF logged a 37.0% pressure rate against Tennessee’s offensive line — more than double what Shough faced. He also lost two fumbles, including the one Young returned for a score.
Cam Ward — Passing Stats
| Stat | Total |
|---|---|
| Completions / Attempts | 21 / 40 |
| Completion % | 52.5% |
| Passing Yards | 251 |
| Touchdowns | 2 |
| Interceptions | 0 |
| Passer Rating | 88.6 |
| Avg Depth of Target | 10.5 yds |
| Total Air Yards | 178 yds |
| Yards After Catch | 78 yds |
| Sacks Taken | 4 (–23 yds) |
| Pressure Rate (PFF) | 37.0% |
Tennessee Titans — Receiving Stats
| Player | Rec | Tgt | Yds | Avg | TD | Long | YAC |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chig Okonkwo | 3 | 7 | 55 | 18.3 | 1 | 43 | 45 |
| Chimere Dike | 4 | 5 | 55 | 13.8 | 0 | 38 | 6 |
| Van Jefferson | 3 | 3 | 46 | 15.3 | 0 | 27 | 6 |
| Elic Ayomanor | 4 | 7 | 37 | 9.3 | 1 | 14 | 1 |
| Mason Kinsey | 1 | 1 | 34 | 34.0 | 0 | 34 | 1 |
| Tony Pollard | 2 | 2 | 10 | 5.0 | 0 | 10 | 11 |
| David Martin-Robinson | 1 | 1 | 9 | 9.0 | 0 | 9 | 1 |
| James Proche II | 1 | 5 | 5 | 5.0 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| Gunnar Helm | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1.0 | 0 | 1 | 4 |
| Tyjae Spears | 1 | 2 | –1 | –1.0 | 0 | –1 | 4 |
| Team | 21 | 35 | 251 | 12.0 | 2 | 43 | 78 |
Rushing Stats
Estime did his best work on the ground. He ran for 94 yards on 14 carries, broke eight missed tackles per PFF, and generated 74 of those yards after contact — a 5.3 yards-after-contact average. His 32-yard TD run in the fourth quarter came with the Saints already ahead, but it removed any doubt.
Tony Pollard led Tennessee’s ground attack with 85 yards on 18 carries. He had several solid runs in the second half but never found the end zone.
New Orleans Saints — Rushing Stats
| Player | Car | Yds | Avg | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Audric Estime | 14 | 94 | 6.7 | 1 | 32 |
| Tyler Shough | 4 | 6 | 1.5 | 0 | 7 |
| Evan Hull | 2 | 3 | 1.5 | 0 | 3 |
| Taysom Hill | 3 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 1 |
| Team | 23 | 103 | 4.5 | 1 | 32 |
Tennessee Titans — Rushing Stats
| Player | Car | Yds | Avg | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tony Pollard | 18 | 85 | 4.7 | 0 | 25 |
| Cam Ward | 2 | 10 | 5.0 | 0 | 5 |
| Chimere Dike | 1 | 7 | 7.0 | 0 | 7 |
| Kalel Mullings | 1 | 4 | 4.0 | 0 | 4 |
| Tyjae Spears | 6 | 2 | 0.3 | 0 | 1 |
| Team | 28 | 108 | 3.9 | 0 | 25 |
Defense
Young was the most disruptive player on either side of the ball. His fumble return touched off the Saints’ comeback, and he finished the game with 1.5 sacks, 10 total pressures, and nine hurries per PFF. Cameron Jordan added a full sack in the fourth quarter — the play originally ruled a completion was overturned by replay to a sack — along with two QB hits and a PFF grade of 86.7.
For Tennessee, Jeffery Simmons led all defenders with seven tackles, one sack, and a PFF grade of 91.9. His sack was his 10th of the 2025 season, a career high.
Saints Pass Rush
| Player | Sacks | Pressures | Hurries | QB Hits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chase Young | 1.5 | 10 | 9 | 0 |
| Cameron Jordan | 1.0 | 7 | 6 | 0 |
| Jonah Williams | 1.0 | 6 | 5 | 0 |
| Demario Davis | 0.5 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
New Orleans Saints — Defensive Stats
| Player | Tot | Solo | Sacks | TFL | PD | QB Hits | TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alontae Taylor | 9 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 0 |
| Kool-Aid McKinstry | 6 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Danny Stutsman | 6 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Demario Davis | 6 | 0 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Pete Werner | 5 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Cameron Jordan | 5 | 2 | 1.0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Chase Young | 4 | 3 | 1.5 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 |
| Quincy Riley | 4 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jonas Sanker | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jonah Williams | 3 | 2 | 1.0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Jonathan Bullard | 3 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| John Ridgeway | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Justin Reid | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Nathan Shepherd | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Tennessee Titans — Defensive Stats
| Player | Tot | Solo | Sacks | TFL | PD | QB Hits | TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cedric Gray | 12 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jeffery Simmons | 7 | 4 | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Darrell Baker Jr. | 5 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kendell Brooks | 5 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kemon Hall | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jaylen Harrell | 4 | 3 | 0.5 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| T’Vondre Sweat | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Cody Barton | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Amani Hooker | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kaiir Elam | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Arden Key | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| James Lynch | 1 | 0 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Jihad Ward | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Sebastian Joseph-Day | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Full Team Stats
| Stat | New Orleans | Tennessee |
|---|---|---|
| Total Yards | 423 | 336 |
| Net Passing Yards | 320 | 228 |
| Rushing Yards | 103 | 108 |
| First Downs | 16 | 18 |
| Passing 1st Downs | 11 | 12 |
| Rushing 1st Downs | 5 | 5 |
| 3rd Down Conv. | 5/11 (45%) | 5/15 (33%) |
| 4th Down Conv. | 0/0 | 2/3 |
| Red Zone (TD / Att) | 2/2 | 1/2 |
| Total Plays | 52 | 72 |
| Yards per Play | 8.1 | 4.7 |
| Sacks Allowed | 2 (–13 yds) | 4 (–23 yds) |
| Penalties | 6 (–84 yds) | 4 (–35 yds) |
| Turnovers | 1 | 1 |
| Fumbles Lost | 1 | 1 |
| Time of Possession | 28:19 | 31:41 |
| Avg EPA / Play (PFF) | +0.235 | –0.188 |
Kicking, Punting, and Returns
Joey Slye was perfect for Tennessee, going 4-for-4 with a long of 58 yards. Charlie Smyth made two of three for New Orleans, missing a 43-yarder in the first quarter but converting from 56 and 57 in the second and third.
Chimere Dike closed out the 2025 season by setting the NFL record for all-purpose yards in a season by a rookie. He surpassed Tim Brown’s 1988 mark of 2,317, finishing the year with 2,371 all-purpose yards.
Kicking Stats
| Player | FGM / FGA | Pct | FG Long | XP | Total Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charlie Smyth (NO) | 2/3 | 66.7% | 57 | 4/4 | 10 |
| Joey Slye (TEN) | 4/4 | 100.0% | 58 | 2/2 | 14 |
Smyth’s FG attempts: 43 (no good), 56 (good), 57 (good). Slye’s FG attempts: 50, 38, 28, 58 (all good).
Punting Stats
| Player | Punts | Yds | Avg | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kai Kroeger (NO) | 3 | 96 | 32.0 | 41 |
| Johnny Hekker (TEN) | 3 | 151 | 50.3 | 61 |
Return Stats
| Player | KR | KR Yds | KR Avg | PR | PR Yds | PR Avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dante Pettis (NO) | 4 | 97 | 24.3 | 2 | 22 | 11.0 |
| Evan Hull (NO) | 1 | 29 | 29.0 | — | — | — |
| Chimere Dike (TEN) | 1 | 33 | 33.0 | 1 | 7 | 7.0 |
Injuries
- Jack Stoll, TE (NO): Knee — injured on the Saints’ first offensive play, ruled out for the remainder of the game
- Michael Davis, CB (NO): Shoulder — ruled out at the start of the fourth quarter
- Jalyn Armour-Davis, CB (TEN): Achilles tendon — carted off after Tennessee’s third defensive snap
- Van Jefferson, WR (TEN): Forearm — hurt late in the first half
Interim head coach Mike McCoy addressed the Armour-Davis and Jefferson losses with visible emotion: “It’s the bad part of the business.”
What the Numbers Showed
The Saints went into halftime down ten points, in a building where Tennessee had won just once all season. What followed over the final 30 minutes told the story of this New Orleans team under Kellen Moore more clearly than any individual game prior.
Tennessee finished 3-13 in 2025 and went 1-8 at home. The Titans had not won back-to-back games since November 2022. McCoy’s postgame answer, when asked what went wrong, was as short as the stat line was damaging: “We didn’t finish. Simple as that. We did not finish.”
Shough, who didn’t begin the 2025 season as the starter, went 5-3 in his eight starts and finished the year as an AP Offensive Rookie of the Year finalist. New Orleans won four straight to close the season. Olave, who caught eight passes for 119 yards and a touchdown in the game, put the rookie QB conversation plainly after the final whistle: “Oh yeah, it should be Tyler after this game. He went crazy today.”
The Saints vs. Titans Week 17 stats don’t just reflect a 34-26 final score. They trace a 30-minute performance by a rookie quarterback that few saw coming when the season began.
December 28, 2025 | Nissan Stadium, Nashville, Tenn. | Attendance: 56,269 | Weather: 71°F, 71% humidity, 14 mph wind | Vegas Line: Saints –1.5 | Over/Under: 39.5 (Over)
