Spencer Rattler shines, helps Saints tie Jaguars 17-17, outshines Shough in the QB1 race
Spencer Rattler made his case to be the New Orleans Saints starting quarterback Sunday.
Rattler played the entire second half and led three scoring drives, including a game-tying 20-yard touchdown pass to Dante Pettis and scrambled for the subsequent two-point conversion in the Saints’ 17-17 tie with the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday at the Caesars Superdome.
Rattler, who went 18 for 24 with 199 passing yards and the touchdown pass, spelled game starter Tyler Shough, who went 9 for 12 for 66 yards but scored just three points in the first half.
What Did Kellen Moore Say About Spencer Rattler?
Saints coach Kellen Moore, of course, has opened the Saints starting quarterback to Rattler, Shough and Jake Haener a competition in the aftermath of Derek Carr’s retirement.
But Moore clearly whittled that competition to two Saturday, since only Shough and Rattler played New Orleans’ penultimate exhibition game.
The fact Rattler led the Saints on an 11-play, 87-yard drive for the game-tying score was not lost on Moore.
“That was a big moment and opportunity for him,” Moore said. “He responded really, really well. He put the team in an excellent position. Did a great job with situational football in that two-minute drive. His ability to play with his feet came up in a number of situations.”
Rattler, who played seven games for the Saints in 2024 yet went 0-6 in his starts, also shared his excitement about the dramatic win — even if it came in a preseason tie.
“Just the way we finished was exciting,” Rattler said. “Got-to-have-it type moments and to bring it to life out there on the field, especially in the dome was fun.”
When Will The Saints Announce A Starting Quarterback?
Sunday was a huge day for the Saints’ starting QB competition, especially since Moore admitted his plan was to get Haener some reps. Yet he stuck with Rattler for the final drive after he threw an interception at the Jacksonville 7-yard line.
“It was important just from an evaluation standpoint on Spence,” Moore said. “Those are critical moments. You have a tough situation; you’ve got to respond.”
Yet, even though Rattler had his moment in the preseason, Moore was non-committal about whether Rattler or Shough would be the starter.
“Sooner always is better, but these guys are competing and they’re giving everything that we can ask,” Moore said. “So, we’ll continue to evaluate.”
Shough led just 22 plays and had two three-and-outs. Yet, he did take New Orleans on an 11-play, 45-yard drive that kicker Bailey Grupe capped with a 51-yard field goal that cut Jacksonville’s advantage to 14-3 in the second quarter.
“I felt really comfortable,” Shough said. “We had some balls that didn’t bounce our way sometimes, but that’s part of it.”
Shough appears poised to take over the Saints starting quarterback at some point, since New Orleans spent a second-round pick on him in the draft. But he may still need time to learn the ropes of the NFL game.
“It’s new for all of us — a new offense, new system, new guys we’re throwing to,” Shough said. “So, there’s going to be growth moments.”