[Chase Young](https://www.nola.com/sports/saints/chase-young-expands-on-nfl-s-controversial-decision-to-take-away-a-saints-touchdown/article_666fe7e0-d4a9-41c7-832c-d8f0fb19b1fa.html) smiled and shook his head.
The New Orleans Saints defensive end was in disbelief that this was seemingly the exact [same situation](https://nola.com/tncms/asset/editorial/7cab1d13-c9ba-4e8a-a876-66e377e331f8) as Week 1, only this time the call was the opposite. But like before, it hurt the Saints all the same.
Two weeks ago, Young’s strip-sack that resulted in a Saints' fumble recovery touchdown was wiped off the board because officials determined that Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff had started his throwing motion. On Sunday, Saints quarterback Tyler Shough did not receive the same luxury.
On third down, Shough was stripped for a fumble — despite the second-year quarterback appearing to start his throwing motion. And the Las Vegas Raiders recovered, setting up a pivotal touchdown in New Orleans’ 35-27 loss.
But as angry as the Saints looked, they could blame only themselves for Sunday’s letdown. That's what four fourth-quarter turnovers can do to a team.
Shough threw a crucial interception on the ensuing possession after Las Vegas retook the lead, leading to another Raiders' touchdown. Down 35-27 with 6:22 left, the quarterback couldn't lead another stunning comeback.
The Saints got two chances to move past the mistakes. First, Shough committed his third turnover of the game — another fumble, this time on fourth-and-1. Then, tight end Juwan Johnson fumbled with 53 seconds left to seal the defeat and drop New Orleans to 1-2.
Just a week ago, the Saints’ upset win over the Ravens caught plenty of people’s attention. The Saints were not only the talk of national shows, but the victory also generated local excitement.
When Chris Olave went out to do the Who Dat chant before kickoff, the crowd's echo reverberated throughout the Superdome. The last time the Saints went into a game with as much hype as Sunday was arguably in 2024, when the 2-0 Saints put up back-to-back 40-point performances when Klint Kubiak, now coaching the Raiders, served as New Orleans play-caller.
And early on, the Saints made sure that atmosphere would stay alive.
In a twist, the Saints actually got off to a fast start. While the offense opened with a three-and-out, the Saints rebounded on their next drive with their first first-quarter touchdown since Week 14 (Dec. 7) of last season. And on that lengthy 13-play, 84-yard series, Shough dazzled the home crowd. The quarterback took off for a career-long 36-yard run. He hit Devaughn Vele for an 11-yard gain on third down. Then he followed that up with a 12-yard strike to Chris Olave, also on third down.
The Superdome erupted when Shough found tight end Juwan Johnson for a 2-yard touchdown. Daniel Carlson had his extra point blocked, but that hardly killed the vibe. The Saints would lead by the end of the first quarter for the first time under Kellen Moore. The Saint had not led after the first quarter in the previous 23 games.
The good vibes were tested by Kirk Cousins and Brock Bowers.
The Raiders quarterback-and-tight-end tandem gave the Saints problems they hadn't faced this season. Bowers, making his season debut after missing the first two weeks with a knee injury, lined up in numerous spots — including out wide where he was matched up with Saints cornerback Kool-Aid McKinstry.
The Saints defense didn’t help itself as penalties plagued the unit. On Las Vegas’ touchdown drive, the Saints seemed to force two third-down stops — only for Jonas Sanker (pass interference) and Danny Stutsman (unnecessary roughness) to get flagged. Though the crowd and Moore took significant issue with the call on Stutsman’s penalty, the new life set up Cousins to find tight end Michael Mayer for a 3-yard touchdown to take a 13-6 lead.
The issues again surfaced just before halftime. After the Saints tied it at 13-13 on a 3-yard touchdown to Noah Fant, the Raiders worked the two-minute drill and got help from New Orleans when safety Justin Reid hit a defenseless receiver in the end zone on third down. The error helped set up a 25-yard field goal by Raiders kicker Matt Gay, giving them a 16-13 lead at the break.
But the Saints never let the crowd get out of it.
As much trouble as Bowers gave New Orleans, the Saints feasted with their own tight ends. Shough found Johnson on a 1-yard touchdown to cap an efficient 12-play, 87-yard drive. Then — after the Saints’ special teams came up with a huge forced fumble on the ensuing kickoff — Shough hit Fant for his second touchdown on a 16-yard gain to take a 27-16 lead.
The Raiders kept pushing New Orleans. Las Vegas rookie running back Mike Washington ripped off a 35-yard touchdown, and New Orleans punted on its next possession, but the Saints defense responded with a three-and-out.
Then came the controversy.
On third-and-4 with 13:04 left, Raiders defensive end Malcoom Koonce got to Shough’s arm as the quarterback dropped back to pass. Though it appeared as if Shough’s arm was going forward, the Raiders jumped on the fumble and the officials determined the initial call would stand. Had the play been an incompletion, the Saints could have punted the ball away with a five-point lead.
But the Saints can’t afford to dwell on that what-ifs. This was a spot they could have made a statement but instead Las Vegas — led by Kubiak — is now off to a 3-0 start.