There are a lot of ways Jake Haener's first two NFL seasons could've brought him to a starting job, but he may have taken the bumpiest one.
Each step forward has come with a something of a sour note, even this week when his starting nod resurfaced joke photos from the NFL rookie showcase a year ago.
"I would think I’m a clown if I saw that, too," Haener said. "So yea, I mean, it is what is, right, you’ve just got to go let it rip on Sunday and then people forget about that crap.”
It's true. All the speed bumps, which have included a suspension to start his career, an offensive overhaul, another QB drafted, a skin cancer diagnosis -- all in the first 18 months since the Saints made him a 4th round pick out of Fresno State. But just like those Zoolander-esque glamour shots, none of it will matter if he goes out and gets the job done against the Commanders.
The Saints are 5-8 as enter with a 1% chance to make the postseason, according to the NFL's Next Gen Stats. A win and those razor thin hopes stay alive. A loss and the term "mathematically" will be used a lot to describe what happens next.
"What do I have to lose? I might never get an opportunity to start a game again," Haener said. "I’m gonna show everybody what I’m capable of doing and let the guys know that I’m confident in doing that. You go and you win this game, things can change, so I think it’s just a 1-0 mentality, beat the Commanders and show everybody what Jake Haener can do on Sunday.”
One of the bigger frustrations for Haener came earlier this season when, after he had been the gameday backup for the first 5 weeks of the season, the team opted to bypass him and start rookie Spencer Rattler when Derek Carr missed three games.
"Being told you’re not gonna, you know, have the opportunity to start, obviously that was tough, but at the same time it’s all about the team, it’s all about how could we have the best way to get a win on Sunday," Haener said, "and at the time it was Spencer starting the games and, you know, now it’s my opportunity to try to get this win on Sunday."
This time around it's Haener getting the nod, something his head coach announced officially on Friday. Derek Carr is still working back from a concussion and hand injury. Carr was officially ruled doubtful. Rizzi said on Friday that even if he was active it would be in a backup capacity. Sunday is Haener's day.
"You don’t feel any different in practice, at all, whatsoever with him in there," Rizzi said. "I thought he did a really good job these last few days of operating, just in and out of the huddle, the tempo, all those kinds of good things and so hopefully we bring that to the field on Sunday.”
READING THE ROOM
There's one thing that several folks have mentioned throughout the week when it comes to Haener: Confidence.
He exudes it. It's there when he practices and it's there when he plays. The word "moxy" has been thrown around, something of a cliche in NFL circles, but one that applies in this instance. He operates with the demeanor of a player who's seen a lot more than just 7 games and 29 pass attempts in the NFL. That was apparent when he addressed the media on Friday as the starting QB for the first time.
“I’m confident. I’m gonna let it rip," Haener said. "I feel like I’ve worked too hard to go in there with that mentality, 'oh, don’t screw up.' I’ve been preparing for this. I’m gonna do everything I can."
It's that confidence and decisiveness that often seems to make or break young players in the NFL. Processing speed and decision-making. If the first isn't there, the second one doesn't matter. If you bypass the first to get to the second, you're guessing -- eventually you'll be wrong. Knowing when a play is dead can be just as important as anything.
Haener points to that as a contributing factor to one of the more eye-opening stats of the season: Sacks allowed
- Weeks 1-5: 5
- Weeks 6-8: 16
- Weeks 9-14: 3
Derek Carr has been sacked 8 times all season. The Saints allowed twice that number in the three games he missed. Of those sacks, 14 were absorbed by Rattler and two by Haener in his limited action. The offensive line was certainly in flux during that span, but it's not all about the offensive line.
“You’ve just got to process and get the ball out of your hand and trust what you see," Haener said. "I’m gonna do everything I can to go through my progressions, get the ball out of my hand
The quick, confident decisions is one of the things that stood out when in Haener's longest outing to this point, getting the ball into playmakers' hands with room to run often during what was a 28-6 loss to the Chargers. Only one of his drives ended with points, but there were three that went deep into L.A. territory, one that ended in a missed field goal and one that ended with the game clock expiring.
"You go and you see a lot of these young quarterbacks, and I’m not a vet by any means, but some guys don’t trust what they see all the time, and that … leads to sacks, leads to you holding the ball," he continued, "So I’ve just got to trust what I see and use my eyes as my advantage and let it loose.”
One resource Haener said he plans to lean on is Carr himself, assuming he can clear concussion protocol and be on the sideline. Carr has already offered a helping hand in terms of the moment, giving the young QB 10 tickets to his box for the game to accommodate an influx of family and friends who will be coming in for the game.
"It’s a really unique opportunity and something that doesn’t happen a lot, so really grateful for that,” Haener said.
The Saints (5-8) host the Washington Commanders (8-5) for a noon kickoff in the Caesars Superdome in Week 15. Catch all the action on WWL and Audacy.
