Spencer Rattler didn't start the game for the New Orleans Saints, but he made sure to put the exclamation point on it.
After a difficult interception in the red zone, the second-year QB led a game-tying drive capped off with a 2-point conversion, finishing off a 14-point rally that ended the game in a 17-17 tie (there's no overtime in the preseason). The Cajun Cannon Bobby Hebert came away impressed, but is that moment enough to decide the QB competition between Rattler and rookie Tyler Shough?
“I’ve got to give Spencer Rattler a lot of credit," Hebert said. "Boy, he was fighting, and to be in position after he was in the red zone, because that’s what we’ve seen in training camp. We’ve seen him move the team between the 20s and get in the red zone and not score. It stalls or he has a turnover, and it wasn’t too long ago that that occurred. … But he bounced back.”
Listen to Bobby Hebert's full postgame rant in the player above. Can't see the embed? Click here.
Rattler took over at halftime trailing 17-3 and led three scoring drives, the first two of which bogged down and ended with Charlie Smyth field goals. Rattler also led a drive into the red zone that ended in an interception targeting Mason Tipton. Rattler finished 18-25 for 199 yards and a touchdown, which went to Dante Pettis in the final minute and set up a 2-point conversion that the QB took into the end zone himself. Shough started the game and went 9-12, but only accounted for 66 passing yards and one drive for a field goal. He was sacked twice.
“I think Spencer Rattler outplayed Tyler Shough," Hebert continued. "You might say who was he playing with, supporting cast. You might say well look who he’s playing against Bobby, he’s not with the first team, but also look at his supporting cast, so that’s a give and take. ... I thought Rattler bounced back and you know, making plays with his feet. He is more mobile than Tyler Shough. I’m not saying Tyler Shough is a statue back there, but I would say right now we still don’t know who is the damn starter. We don’t know. I still think it’s wide open.”
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MORE FROM HEBERT
On Mason Tipton's big day
"You know who has made the team, and it’s not only all-Airline, is Mason Tipton, because now he’s doing it in the games and when it counts and you’ve got that trust factor with the quarterback and just making plays."
The second-year WR caught 6 passes on 8 targets and also drew a 45-yard pass interference penalty, his second big game in as many weeks.
On Chris Olave's drive-killing drop
“Chris Olave can’t be Joe Cool. Dude, come on. You can’t have a lack of concentration. That hurt, well he got his feelings hurt. Catch the ball. If you’re the stud on the team you can’t be a drive-killer and I’ll tell you, watch how the quarterbacks have noticed, whether it’s Shough or Spencer Rattler, they don’t trust Chris Olave more than Rashid Shaheed. Oh, so Chris Olave is the No. 1, I don’t know, you know who’s No. 1? Whoever the quarterback thinks is No. 1 and Kellen Moore and all that, so right now we need Chris Olave to excel at a very high level along with Rashid Shaheed."
On the RB competition
"I think running back is still open. Now, Kendre Miller, they want to give it to him. They want it to work out so bad. He’s No. 2, but he might be No. 2 and Alvin might only be able to rest a couple of plays, because Kendre Miller hasn’t earned to get double-digit carries yet. I mean, he had that one little gain of 13. … And Alvin even got frustrated against the Rams because we can’t run up the middle, well, they've got to block. I don’t care who is the running back. We could’ve had, against the Rams, we could’ve had Saquon Barkley back there and we were trying to block the Rams, they wouldn’t have did anything.”