Saints' Spencer Rattler was once projected as No. 1 overall pick, and now New Orleans QB is forcing a Tyler Shough controversy
It's so easy to forget.
How many people remember that Spencer Rattler was once viewed as a possible No. 1 overall NFL Draft pick? Surely, most now view the New Orleans Saints' quarterback as a stopgap QB option at best.
But it was heading into the 2021 college football season that Rattler was viewed as a candidate to go first overall the following spring.
He didn't pay off that promise, and it wasn't until 2024 that he was finally in the draft and being chosen in the fifth round.
But who's to say Rattler doesn't have at least a little bit of that potential still within him?
So far this season, he has made a number of throws that can certainly make you a believer.
The problem for the Saints, of course, is that they just spent a second-round pick on Tyler Shough. But it's an odd conundrum.
You'd think the newly drafted player is younger, but no. Shough was the oldest QB in the draft.
Rattler is actually an exact 365 days younger than Shough.
If there's a QB of the future on this Saints roster, it might be Rattler.
He's still got a lot of growth to make happen to prove he's a long-term NFL starter.
But Rattler is finally getting the chance at extended action to spread his wings, and so far, he's starting to lift off just a bit.
Browns’ Offense Faces Terrifying Test Against Packers’ Elite Defense
CLEVELAND, Ohio — The brewing storm heading toward Cleveland this Sunday isn’t meteorological — it’s the Green Bay Packers’ ferocious pass rush that’s set to test the Browns’ struggling offense and their immobile 40-year-old quarterback.
Orange and Brown Talk podcast host Dan Labbe framed the central question haunting Browns fans: “How does (Joe Flacco) deal with that pressure and that defense that the Packers are bringing to town and is it going to look like it did Sunday or is he going to be able to get this figured out and maybe get rid of the ball a little quicker, not turn the football over, make better decisions? That’s going to be honestly probably the determining factor.”
The numbers tell a grim story. The Packers arrive with eight sacks (tied for second in the NFL), 18 quarterback hits (second in the NFL) and 33 pressures (among the league leaders). Their defense is clicking while Cleveland’s offense remains stuck in neutral.
Browns beat reporter Mary Kay Cabot didn’t mince words about the situation: “The Browns offense, the offensive line is going to have an enormous task trying to keep Joe Flacco upright in this game. And he’s also going to have to run those bootlegs and those keepers. The Browns are going to have to try to run the ball somehow, some way, however they can do it.”
What makes this matchup particularly concerning is the stark contrast between the two units. Green Bay’s defense appears in mid-season form while Cleveland’s offense is struggling with the fundamentals.
“I do think it’s in part because they conducted a four-way quarterback competition in camp,” Cabot added. “I do think that set back this offense in terms of continuity and cohesiveness. But it’s also just the fact that you are dealing with now a 40-year-old quarterback who really wasn’t supposed to be the starter for this football team this season.”
The Browns might need to get creative with jet sweeps, end-arounds, and jumbo packages to establish any offensive rhythm. But the elephant in the room remains the turnover battle — a statistic where these teams couldn’t be more different.
“I think the issue with this game specifically, and why I have a hard time seeing the formula to win is just because they have been turning the ball over,” said Browns beat reporter Ashley Bastock. “And there’s no way you’re gonna beat this team if you lose the turnover battle. You’re not gonna win most games if you lose the turnover battle.”
The Browns have now gone nine straight games losing the turnover battle, while the Packers consistently win that crucial statistical category. Cleveland hasn’t forced an interception since playing Denver last year, a streak that seems almost statistically impossible.
This matchup has all the makings of a perfect storm — an elite defense against a sputtering offense, a turnover-hungry team against a turnover-prone one, and an immobile quarterback against a relentless pass rush.
If there’s any silver lining, it’s that the NFL regularly produces unexpected results. As Bastock noted, “weird things happen in this league all the time.” The Browns will need every bit of that unpredictability to pull off what would be a shocking upset on Sunday.
