The New Orleans Saints' are still seeking their second win of the season. On Sunday, the Saints hosted the first place Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who were coming off of a rough loss to the Detroit Lions and dealing with countless injuries. But the Saints didn't put up much of a fight, as the game was over just as it started.
Spencer Rattler started the game off with a drive-killing fumble. Later in the first half, Rattler threw a pick-six that gave the Buccaneers a 7-0 lead. After the first drive of the second half, Saints head coach Kellen Moore benched Rattler in favor of rookie Tyler Shough. The second-round pick didn't do much, as the Saints went on to lose 23-3, bringing their record to 1-7.
After the game, Moore was asked about his decision to bench Rattler, and said he did it to provide a spark on offense. But when asked if Rattler or Shough would start in their next game against the Los Angeles Rams, Moore would not commit to either.
Moore won’t commit to a starter next week. Said the offense needed a spark.
— Nick Underhill (@nick_underhill) October 26, 2025
Kellen Moore won't commit to either Spencer Rattler or Tyler Shough as Week 9 starting QB
Let's be real here, it's not like Shough lit up the stat sheet upon entering the game or helped the Saints stage a late comeback against the Buccaneers. Shough led New Orleans to just zero points in four drives. On his very first drive, Shough ended up throwing an interception, even though the ball was caught by Rashid Shaheed, but it was ripped out of his hands by Buccaneers defensive back Antoine Winfield Jr. On the final drive, with the Saints in the red zone, Shough was unable to get any points on the board, as he took a sack in the middle of the field to officially run the game clock down to zero.
Shough completed 17-of-30 pass attempts for 128 yards, zero touchdowns, and one interception. Rattler, meanwhile, completed 15-of-21 throws for 136 yards, zero touchdowns, and one interception.
Again, no team really did much to show they are deserving of the starting quarterback job. It may very well come down to Moore watching the tape and determining for himself who would give the Saints their best shot against a tough Rams defense.
For Rattler or Shough, they both have to show some promise at some point this season. with the Saints near the bottom of the league standings, they could very well draft both of their replacements with an early first-round pick.