Even in a loss, Spencer Rattler proved the hype from Saints fans was justified

New Orleans Saints fans finally got what they wanted to see: Spencer Rattler starting a game. Since New Orleans drafted Rattler in the fifth round of the 2024 Draft, there has been a movement from some fans for Rattler to become QB1 for the Saints. His talent is clear, and many feel he can be the future of the franchise.

On Sunday, fans got their first glimpse of the future and they were not disappointed. With Derek Carr sidelined with an oblique injury, Rattler started the Week 6 game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. New Orleans ultimately lost in an embarrassing fashion, falling 51-27, but fans were thrilled with what Rattler displayed.

Saints rookie Spencer Rattler has promising debut

Rattler finished the game completing 22-of-40 passes for 243 yards, one touchdown, and two interceptions. He was also sacked five times, with a few of them being his fault. However, even with the sacks and interceptions, fans are still pleased with what they saw, because no one expected perfection in the rookie’s first action.

While Rattler wasn’t perfect, he did look really good in the first half. He was moving around with confidence and zipping the ball all over the field. He was accurate and decisive with his arm, and even used his legs to pick up 27 rushing yards. Additionally, Rattler was even the victim of some dropped passes and fumbled balls.

With Derek Carr expected to be sidelined for at least a couple of more weeks, Rattler should be able to get a few more starts under his belt. He showed enough for the Saints to stick with him as the starter, and things should only go up for him from here.

With each game, though, opposing teams will get a better idea of how to attack the rookie QB. That was evident on Sunday, as the Bucs gave Rattler and the Saints trouble with blitz and simulated pressures at the end of the first half. As a result, that became the defensive game plan in the second half for Tampa Bay, and New Orleans was held scoreless, with Rattler throwing two interceptions.

Now, he and the Saints will have a quick turnaround, with Sean Payton and the Denver Broncos coming to town on Thursday. This game was already circled as a must win for New Orleans, and that’s definitely the case now that the team has lost four straight.

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