Saints see their win at Baltimore as a key step for QB Tyler Shough and coach Kellen Moore

METAIRIE, La. (AP) — The New Orleans Saints and quarterback Tyler Shough got what they consider a breakthrough victory against Baltimore.

“This is a signature win to get it started in his career,” safety Justin Reid said Monday, a day after Shough rallied the Saints from a 14-3 deficit to beat the Ravens 24-17 on the road. “It’s a catalyst to put the league on notice about who he is and what he can do.”

Although Shough won five games as a rookie last year, they all came against teams that finished with losing records.

In Baltimore, Shough outdueled fellow Louisville product and two-time MVP Lamar Jackson, going 5 of 5 on a fourth-quarter drive and hitting Chris Olave for a 21-yard touchdown that pulled the Saints within 17-15. After a tying 2-point conversion, he completed 7 of 9 passes the next time the Saints had the ball and scored the go-ahead touchdown on a fourth-and-goal sneak from the 1.

New Orleans nearly beat Detroit in Week 1 after trailing 21-0, losing 31-30 in overtime when a 2-point conversion attempt failed. This time, Shough finished the job despite having his face mask yanked backwards in a pile on the winning play.

“It was a great temperature check for us to see where we are as a team,” wide receiver Devaughn Vele said. “Obviously there are things we have to work on, but this is a good step in the right direction. We want to do a lot of great things this season.”

New Orleans’ late-game execution was on point for the second consecutive week. Trailing 17-9 when the Ravens took over at the New Orleans 49 late in the third quarter, the Saints forced a three-and-out, scored a touchdown, forced another punt in three plays and drove for another touchdown before Julian Blackmon intercepted Jackson to seal the win.

The Saints held the Ravens to three points and 84 yards in the second half, sacking Jackson twice.

“We didn’t want Lamar scrambling a whole bunch,” Reid said. “He’s a really good passer, but the scariest thing about him is still what he’s able to create with his legs.”

New Orleans continues to struggle offensively in the first half — a constant under second-year coach Kellen Moore.

After scoring zero points before halftime against Detroit, the Saints managed two field goals against Baltimore, and the second one came thanks to Barion Brown’s 53-yard kickoff return with 15 seconds left.

“It’s really two straight games now where we earn a first down and then that second third down we’re not able to convert,” Moore said. “We have to find a way to get some easy yards in there so we can give ourselves an opportunity to get points.”

The Saints averaged an NFL-worst 1.7 points in the first quarter last year and were 28th in first-half points, averaging 8.4.

Tight end Juwan Johnson had four receptions for 66 yards, including a huge third-down, 25-yard catch-and-run to the Ravens 5 and a 6-yard gain to the 1 on the decisive touchdown drive. He has become a dependable option for Shough to complement Olave (eight catches, 86 yards) and Vele (five catches, 64 yards).

“It’s just time on task,” Johnson said. “When you are just savvy, thinking what he’s thinking, you get in the right spot at the right time.”

Running backs Travis Etienne and Alvin Kamara combined for only 48 yards on 17 carries while the Saints averaged a meager 2.4 yards on the ground.

Aside from Etienne’s improvised, tying 2-point conversion around the right side, neither player was effective. Kamara had 15 yards on nine attempts with a long gain of 6 yards.

Moore said starting left tackle Kelvin Banks would have surgery in the next few days on an ankle he injured in the third quarter against the Ravens. He said fourth-year player Asim Richards, who replaced Banks, would continue in that role moving forward.

662 — Shough's NFL-high yards passing through Sunday's Week 2 games. The last time a Saints quarterback had more yards through two games was Drew Brees with 669 in 2009, when New Orleans went on to win the Super Bowl.

The Saints play Las Vegas in their home opener. The Raiders are 2-0 under new coach Klint Kubiak, who was the Saints' offensive coordinator in 2024.

See AP’s full NFL coverage here

New Orleans Saints quarterback Tyler Shough talks to reporters after an NFL football game against the New Orleans Saints in Baltimore, Sunday, Sept. 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough)

New Orleans Saints quarterback Tyler Shough (6) is forced out of bounds by Baltimore Ravens linebacker Tavius Robinson (95) and safety Malaki Starks (24), short of the first down marker near the goal line, in the first half of an NFL football game in Baltimore, Sunday, Sept. 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough)

New Orleans Saints quarterback Tyler Shough (6) passes against the Baltimore Ravens in the first half of an NFL football game in Baltimore, Sunday, Sept. 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)

New Orleans Saints quarterback Tyler Shough (6) reacts after scoring the winning touchdown on fourth down in the second half of an NFL football game against the Baltimore Ravens in Baltimore, Sunday, Sept. 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough)

Hundreds of flights were canceled in the U.S. Northeast due to technical problems at a key regional air traffic control center, hitting every major airport in the New York City area for several hours Monday before the federal transportation chief said damaged data lines were fixed and operations were resuming.

The primary communications line failed at a key Federal Aviation Administration facility in Philadelphia and the backup fiber optic line was inadvertently severed by railroad construction workers. That left controllers without radar or communications during the day.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said in an online post that the primary and backup lines were fixed by Monday evening and all airports in the Northeast were operating again. But significant delays were expected to continue through the evening hours.

Hundreds of flights were canceled at the Newark, LaGuardia, Kennedy and Philadelphia airports. By Monday evening, flights were resuming at all those airports. Some airlines were allowing customers to change flights without charge. The FAA advised travelers to check the status of their flights before heading to the airport.

The outage happened just as President Donald Trump and numerous foreign leaders were flying into New York City for the United Nations General Assembly.

The technical problems stem from the same FAA facility in Philadelphia that caused numerous disruptions at Newark Liberty International Airport in the spring of 2025.

Regional control centers like these have two lines that carry radar and communications data in and out: the primary and the backup. The FAA said a circuit on the primary failed Monday morning, and when the system tried to switch to the backup, workers discovered that the fiber optic line had been cut.

Earlier in the day, Duffy said an Amtrak construction crew was to blame. Amtrak, however, pointed to a New Jersey Transit construction crew that was working in the area between Newark and New Brunswick, New Jersey.

FAA administrator Bryan Bedford told reporters earlier that the agency had focused efforts on fixing the primary connection as soon as possible by installing a new circuit on the primary line, while also working to repair the backup fiber optic line. Verizon said at the time that its technicians were also working to restore service as soon as possible.

Bedford earlier described the fiber break as “massive,” saying it would take several hours to repair, according to a video posted online by a CBS transportation reporter.

The primary circuit that failed is due to be replaced as part of the overhaul of the nation’s air traffic control system.

Also Monday, the FAA began testing a new computer system that uses AI to help predict schedule conflicts and weather issues to help air traffic controllers reroute traffic. But that system is initially being tested only in the Washington, D.C., area, so it did not appear to be linked to the outages.

FILE - A traveler with a smartphone walks past an air traffic control tower at Philadelphia International Airport in Philadelphia on March 27, 2026. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke, File)