Rookie Tyler Shough passed for a season-high 333 yards and two touchdowns and the New Orleans Saints won their fourth consecutive game, defeating the Tennessee Titans 34-26 on Sunday in Nashville, Tenn.
Shough completed 22-of-27 and one of his touchdowns went to Chris Olave, who finished with eight catches for 119 yards. Juwan Johnson added four catches for a career-high 95 yards as the Saints (6-10) improved to 5-3 with Shough as a starter.
Cam Ward had his fourth consecutive two-touchdown game, passing for 251 yards for the Titans (3-13).
Titans Pro Bowl receiver/return specialist Chimere Dike set an NFL rookie record for all-purpose yards, surpassing the 2,317 yards that Tim Brown had with the Raiders in 1988.
The Saints received the second-half kickoff and drove to Shough’s 19-yard touchdown pass to Olave to get within 20-17. Joey Slye kicked a 28-yard field goal, but Charlie Smyth answered with a 57-yarder, leaving the Titans with a 23-20 lead at the end of the third quarter.
Slye’s 58-yarder increased the lead to six points early in the fourth quarter, but Shough’s 10-yard touchdown pass to Kevin Austin Jr. to put the Saints ahead for the first time, 27-26 with 6:22 remaining.
Audric Estime, who rushed 14 times for 94 yards, had a 32-yard scoring run to push the lead to eight with 3:44 remaining.
Slye kicked field goals of 50 yards and 38 yards to give Tennessee a 6-0 lead at the end of the first quarter.
On fourth and 2 Ward threw a 43-yard touchdown pass to Chig Okonkwo to increase the lead to 13-0. The Saints got their first points when Smyth made a 56-yard field goal, and Chase Young took the ball away from Ward while sacking him and ran 33 yards for a touchdown that trimmed the lead to 13-10.
Ward threw a 7-yard touchdown pass to Elic Ayomanor with 13 seconds left in the second quarter, increasing the lead to 20-10 at halftime.
