Spencer Rattler enters the great unknown in Saints’ first road game
The New Orleans Saints opened up their season with back-to-back home games. This sequencing allowed for Kellen Moore and Spencer Rattler to settle into their new roles. For the first time this year, the duo is going on the road. This isn't just any road game. This is a trip to play the Seattle Seahawks at Lumen Field.
The Saints had to deal with San Francisco 49ers fans taking over the Superdome. Hearing "Let's go Niners" at a home game can be frustrating, but that's not the same as the 12th man surrounding you for an entire game.
There is a natural disadvantage that comes with playing on the road. Playing in Seattle is completely different. It's always a hostile environment no matter who the opponent is. Pump in the crowd noise at practice all you want. It's not the same. For Rattler and Moore, this will be an obstacle they've yet to encounter.
Seahawks are the Saints biggest test yet for two reasons
If the 49ers didn't have as many injuries a week ago, this would be more of a conversation. However, Week 3 is certainly the biggest test of the season for the Saints at this point. They're the best team and it'll arguably be the most hostile environment they see the entire season.
Let's continue to lean in on the environment. The Saints have had a penalty problem through two weeks. They've made mistakes in critical moments and had pre snap penalties. The latter is concerning.
This will be a moment for Moore to show the improved discipline of his team. The Saints have had these issues at home, so you can only imagine how it'll be on the road. Communication will be harder. The snap count will be trickier. Combine with the Saints' previous issues with the natural mental miscues associated with playing in loud stadiums, it wouldn't be surprising to see multiple procedural penalties.
Can Spencer Rattler take his improvements and poise on the road with him?
We've seen a new and improved version of Spencer Rattler this season. He's still yet to win a game, but the improvement is notable. Moore stated multiple times that there is a jump from Year 1 to Year 2, and Rattler has been proving him right.
At the same time, this success has come in the comfort of his own home stadium. This isn't his first home game, but this may be his first hostile environment of his pro career. The closest he came was playing at Lambeau Field. Rattler's poise has been one of his standout traits, so it'll be interesting to see if that is present on Sunday.
Beyond the environment, the Seahawks will throw some interesting looks at Rattler. It's going to be an effective pass rush with just four down linemen often. That will put a lot of players in coverage and tighten the windows for the quarterback.
Bruins Forward Embracing Underdog Mentality
Boston Bruins forward Morgan Geekie scored 33 goals last season, and emerged as a player who may have top-six upside, which is more than anybody expected.
Many believed that he wouldn't be able to score 30 goals, and he had no problem sharing his thoughts about that fact. His previous career high was 17, which he scored the previous season with the Bruins.
"I'm sure nobody that's interviewing me now thought I was going to score 33 goals last year," Geekie said, in response to a question from Connor Ryan about his odds of scoring 30+goals again.
Geekie, who was originally drafted in the third round (67th overall) in the 2017 NHL Draft by the Carolina Hurricanes, started his career with the AHL affiliate, the Charlotte Checkers, signing an Amateur Tryout Agreement. This eventually led to the Hurricanes signing him to his three-year entry-level deal.
After playing a total of just 38 games, over two seasons (2019-20 and 2020-21) with the Hurricanes, Geekie was selected by the expansion Seattle Kraken, bringing him from Raleigh to the Emerald City. Geekie would go on to play two seasons with the Kraken, but his potential never really took shape, as he recorded 22 and 28-point seasons, respectively.
The Kraken decided not to qualify Geekie ahead of Free Agency 2023, which opened the door for the Bruins to swoop in and sign him to a two-year $4 million deal. This was a prove-it deal for Geekie, who had some struggles, resulting in being healthy scratched by then head coach Jim Montgomery; however, he managed to turn things around, while playing with David Pastrnak on the Bruins' top line.
Certainly, Pastrnak can make any player look very good, but Geekie's style, which is best described as hard-nosed, physical and responsible on both sides of the puck, deserves some praise as well.
Boston rewarded Geekie with a massive six-year deal, with an average annual value of $5.5 million, betting on him having just scratched the surface with his first 30-plus goal and 50-plus point campaign.
With a weight off his shoulders, not having to worry about contract negotiations, Geekie had the entire offseason to improve on the things that made him successful, his heavy release and fantastic one-timer. Given his size, he could also stand to open up space and create lanes for his teammates by driving hard to the front of the net.
30 goals might not have seemed likely, but now that he has achieved the feat, who says he can't do it again? But Geekie isn't going to talk about it, but rather do what he does, and let his play speak for itself.
