The race between Spencer Rattler and Tyler Shough to claim the title of New Orleans Saints starting quarterback is neck and neck. Rattler's final drive against the Jacksonville Jaguars was the highest high either quarterback has seen so far, and it almost didn't happen.
It felt like Rattler was losing steam, but he came roaring back in the second preseason game with a game-tying drive. His performance was strong outside of that drive, but that possession was certainly an exclamation point that elevated his day.
From the time on the clock to the two point conversion to the adversity, that drive has been the standout of the battle. It feels like that drive alone was enough for Rattler to even up or even inch ahead of Shough in the competition. There's a chance if Rattler doesn't even come back on the field didn't throw an interception on the drive prior.
Spencer Rattler's biggest mistake led to his biggest triumph
Rattler had a really strong day on Sunday. He showed some decisiveness in last week's game, but that was primarily with his legs. This week, the ball came out of his hands much faster. It was something we were looking to see if he could carry over into game action and he did.
The one blemish on Rattler's resume is his fourth quarter interception. This was his second straight game with a turnover and continued the offense's struggles in the red zone. At that point, the interception felt like a deflating end to Rattler's attempt to even the score. Then the final drive happened.
When asked about the whether or not Rattler's interception played a part in the decision making to put him back on the field, Moore made it clear that evaluating how Rattler responded to that mistake was critical and labeled how a player responds as a "big time moment."
There's, of course, a chance Moore would have sent Rattler out there with a chance to win the game to see how he played. However, it's clear he wanted to see how his young quarterback played after a big mistake.
Shough threw a pick-six in his first preseason game, and responded with a long touchdown pass on the following drive. This was Rattler's opportunity to do the same with higher stakes. Moore saw the value of the opportunity and couldn't pass it up. "I thought it was important just from an evaluation standpoint on Spence. Those are critical moments. Tough situation, you got to respond," Moore said in his postgame presser.
Rattler definitely responded with a couple of big time throws. The offense got to fourth down during the drive and Rattler remained poised throughout. He looked like a player who just threw a red zone pick. Instead he looked like someone who had been here and done this before. Seeing that type of resiliency from both players is what keeps this battle close.