Kellen Moore won't commit to Spencer Rattler or Tyler Shough as the New Orleans Saints quarterback next week, and that alone is disappointing. It's hard to blame Moore, however. Just like this offseason, Shough did nothing on Saturday to take the job.
That was the story of training camp and the preseason. Rattler and Shough were neck and neck throughout the whole process. While many believed it was Shough's job to lose, and he'd only lose it if the gap was wide. The final result showed that wasn't the case. Through that process, though, Shough never snatched the job.
Shough came in firing. He threw 30 passes, despite not playing even an entire half. Way too many passes and an flaw in the play calling. Fans should be patient, but if you were looking for an immediate jolt, Shough didn't give you that. Luckily, Shough starting may be more about Rattler's performance anyway.
Spencer Rattler may have finally lost the job to Tyler Shough as the Saints bye week approaches
Once Rattler was named the starting quarterback, this was the only route for Shough to the field. He wasn't going to win the job as the scout team quarterback. Shough had to wait for Rattler to lose his grip on the position. Rattler's grip on the job has at least loosened, hence Shough playing last week, and Moore's decision will tell you if Rattler has lost his grip completely.
Rattler has turned the ball over way too much over the last two weeks. The Saints were losing but his individual performance saved him for a while. Fans were right to point out he wasn't the reason the team was losing. Unfortunately, he did become one of the leading reasons over the last two weeks.
In an ideal world, Shough would have given you reason to be excited in his Week 8 action. That didn't happen. All it did was further prove it wasn't just the quarterback. Things didn't magically change when Shough entered. Players made the same mistakes, and Shough didn't wow you individually either.
That lack of excitement allows fans to speculate what Moore's decision will be. Not making the decision immediately after the game would have probably been the outcome regardless, but an inspiring performance would have likely resulted in a starter being named on Monday.
It wasn't undeniable, and that isn't all Shough's fault. It is reflective of how the offseason went, however, and keeps the door open for Rattler to start. Rolling with Shough feels like the right call moving forward. With a true week of preparation, maybe we do see a separation between Rattler and Shough. Regardless, it's time for the Saints to see what they have in the rookie.