Reality Check, Saints Turning to Rookie for Help

By Jim Gazzolo

Three weeks ago, the Saints were the talk of pro football.

Off to a record start with two wins by lopsided scores, their fans had the Saints headed for great things this season.

Quarterback Derek Carr was considered an early MVP candidate and offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak was being talked about as somebody’s next head coach.

Now the Saints are reeling. Carr is out for a considerable period with an injury, and Kubiak is being asked to find a way to save the offense with a rooked quarterback.

Three straight losses have the Saints at 2-3 as they enter a stretch without their starting QB who was injured in last Monday night’s loss to Kansas City. Injuries are a big part of the Saints’ story, especially on the offensive line.

After the first two games, New Orleans was the best offense in the game, led by Carr’s big throws and Alvin Kamara’s all-around game. The last three weeks not so much.

Over that span, the Saints ranked 20th in the league in rushing. That has also hurt the passing game, taking away some of the play-action options as defenses no longer need to worry about the run game.

So, with their quarterback hurt, the Saints will turn their season over to Spencer Rattler, a rookie from South Carolina who started his career with high expectations at Oklahoma. 

Rattler would lose his starting job to a young freshman back at Oklahoma who went on to win a Heisman Trophy at USC and was the No. 1 pick last spring in the NFL. 

While Caleb Williams is starting in Chicago, Rattler has waited his turn in New Orleans. 

The fifth-round pick will get that chance now. 

In a somewhat surprising move, Saints head coach Dennis Allen named Rattler the starter over Jake Haener.

“There were a lot of factors that go into it,” Allen said. “Certainly we felt like (Rattler) has got some mobility.”

Allen was also quick to point out Rattler has a lot to learn and Haener’s time may also come.

“It is really basically going to be kind of a week-to-week deal and we just felt like this was, for this game, going to give us the best option,” Allen said. “(Rattler) has been tested in the fire and he's come out on the other end. We're excited about him. We're looking forward to watching him play, and it's going to be incumbent upon us as coaches to put him in the best position to be successful.”

Rattler finished 20-for-38 passing for 202 yards and a touchdown during the preseason. A tiny sample size for the Saints, who will roll the dice with Rattler for now.

Not sure they have much of a choice.

Jim Gazzolo is a freelance writer who covers McNeese athletics. He is the host of Poke Nation on CBS-Lake Charles