Kellen Moore answered the Spencer Rattler question some Saints fans were asking

Anytime you are losing a lot of games in the NFL, fans play the "devil you know vs. the devil you don't" game when it comes to the quarterback position. In a dreadful outing against the Chicago Bears on Sunday, New Orleans Saints fans were asking whether Spencer Rattler would be replaced or not, and Kellen Moore wasted no time answering the question.

The short answer: No.

Moore spoke after the game and noted that switching QBs wasn't even considered in the 14-26 loss to Chicago.

Saints didn't consider pulling Spencer Rattler in ugly loss vs. Bears

It's easy to understand why Saints fans would be wondering if this was an option. The Saints used a 2nd-round pick on Tyler Shough, who is not just a 2nd-round pick but one of the older rookie quarterbacks in the NFL. If ever there was a time to see the rookie out there, wouldn't it be in a game where your starter has four turnovers?

It's important that the Saints keep the long-term perspective in mind here. Obviously, Spencer Rattler has played well for a good chunk of this season, even if the Saints haven't had team success. And right now, you almost have to wonder if team success is secondary to discovering the franchise quarterback of the future.

Games like this don't exactly make the best case for Rattler, but you don't want to make wholesale changes just for the sake of making a change. The Saints should justifiably feel like they might have something in Rattler.

Going into this week, some national pundits were wondering if Rattler should be given even more of a runway beyond just the 2025 season, much less getting pulled in a rough outing against a team like Chicago.

If Rattler has a couple more performances like this, you would at least be able to understand why the Saints might consider throwing Shough in the mix. But again, it comes back to the devil you know vs. the devil you don't.

Any decision to bench Rattler would essentially feel like an admission by the organization that he doesn't have franchise QB stuff, and we've seen plenty of evidence to the contrary of that at this point.

Why George Kittle Was All Smiles Despite Not Catching a Single Pass

Tight end missed five weeks with a hamstring injury.

 

The 49ers have fought through a spate of early-season injuries to emerge as one of the best teams in the NFL, moving to 5-2 on the year after an impressively physical 20-10 win over the Falcons on Sunday Night Football. It marked the return of All-Pro tight end George Kittle, who had been sidelined with a right hamstring injury the previous five games. Kittle did not fill up the stat sheet as Mac Jones's two passes in his direction fell incomplete, but the San Francisco offense hummed along quite nicely as Christian McCaffrey accounted for 201 total yards while finding the end zone twice.

The 49ers are a sum of their parts and synonymous with total team football so while it was somewhat surprising to see Kittle invited onto the SNF set to discuss the win, it makes sense.

"I like winning and I like when when Christian McCaffrey has a bunch of touchdowns," Kittle said.

There are a lot of Bay Area fans who would co-sign that statement. But few had the same foresight as Kittle about the running back's explosive performance.

"Every Saturday night, our tight end coach [Brian] Fleury wants all the tight ends to get up in front of the room and set a goal," Kittle said. "Anywhere from dominate the edges, tight end touchdown, whatever goals. And my goal this week was CMC [to be] NFC Player of the Week. And if I actually called that, that might be the best guess of all time."

The game is about more than numbers. Kittle's return may not have resulted in anything in the way of fantasy football production but it signals the 49ers are getting stronger and healthier. That they have been able to withstand a good amount of attrition to remain at the top of the NFC West is an excellent sign.

 

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