The New Orleans Saints are most likely heading back to a rookie starting at quarterback in Week 16, with Spencer Rattler in line to get the start if Derek Carr's hand injury keeps him out for yet another game.
It's news that was announced by Darren Rizzi after Thursday's practice, exactly a week removed from tapping Jake Haener for the start against the Commanders. The Saints changed course at halftime and went to Rattler, who nearly pulled off a rally from a 17-0 deficit in a performance that WWL's Mike Detillier said made it clear he'd improved from his three-game starting stretch earlier in the year.
"He showed a spark there and you need to see a little bit more of him because of what we saw earlier in the year, he was disappointing in that he didn’t seem to have a good feel of the offense, he seemed to be uncomfortable in some of the throws," Detllier said this week on SportsTalk. "This past week, though, I thought that his command of the game, his accuracy skills, his ability to kind of pivot a little bit left and right and throw the ball a little bit on movement was very good, much more improved than what we saw the first time around."
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It was a sentiment echoed by Rizzi, who lauded Rattler for his poise and in particular on the 2-minute drill to close out the game. The rookie churned down the clock and the yardage needed before hitting Foster Moreau for a touchdown as time expired. The Saints opted to go for 2 and the win, but Rattler's pass tipped off Juwan Johnson's and the Commanders escaped with a 20-19 result.
"I really liked how he, under the pressure, he performed and I didn’t see a sense of panic at all," Rizzi said. "I thought the last time, the last three games he was out there, like any rookie quarterback there was a little bit of some times he looked a little bit panicky. I saw him much more relaxed, I saw him much more in control, I saw much more leadership out of him and so that was the impressive part."
What Rattler has to prove now is that he can show the same poise in a starting role as he did in relief. That wasn't always the case in his first three starts when he was sacked 14 times and finished the final two games on the bench with Haener taking over.
He's also got to do it on the road in a frigid environment at Lambeau Field, where there's snow in the forecast, and against a confident Packers squad that is battling for the best possible seed in the playoff race.
"He’s dealing with another defensive team now, far different from the Commanders and that’ll be a huge test for Spencer Rattler,” Detillier said.
The Saints (9-5) visit the Packers (10-4) for a Monday Night Football showdown in Week 16. Catch all the action on WWL and Audacy.
