Why do Saints trust that the QB Spencer Rattler-with a 0-6 mark to supply Carr-will stop his drought of four campaigns without going to playoffs?
Metairie, Louisiana – the coach of the New Orleans Saints, Kellen MooreI was not joking when he said at the beginning of the training camp that he would wait for all the time that was necessary to choose a titular field marshal.
After selecting Tyler Shough With the number 40 team, the Saints took three and a half months to make a decision between him and the second year passer Spencer Rattler.
“We use the whole process, clearly as everyone has perceived,” Moore said Tuesday. “I think it was an important part for these young people.”
Moore was satisfied to announce that Rattler had won ownership. He commented that he liked Rattleler's growth after a difficult rookie season. While supplying a Derek Carr By injury in two different periods, the fifth round of 2024 was captured 22 times after an injured offensive line and saw the then coach Dennis Allen fired mid -season.
“The experience is very valuable, and Spence went through some difficult things last year. That he has left that as a better player and that he has responded very, very well throughout the preseason, I think it was a great proof of his work ethics and his mental capacity,” said Moore.
“It has (the) ability to recover from an entry, an interception, an error, whatever. That is one of the things that make Spence great. You see your ability to continue playing your game, to continue trusting itself, to continue fulfilling, and that is what it will do for us throughout the season.”
The watch began to run to find a new field marshal when Carr retired surprisingly on May 10. Carr's decision to retire due to a persistent shoulder injury put things in motion for the next era of the franchise.
Moore, a debutant chief coach who was hired in February, promised that the Saints would not rush to make a decision, probably knowing how fundamentally his choice would be for the future of the team.
To make this decision, the Saints analyzed practice data, took into account how Rattler and Shough learned from mistakes and took their game performances into account.
When the Saints resume the practices on Wednesday afternoon, it will be with Rattler as a field marshal Arizona Cardinals September 7.
It will also be the first time in decades that the Saints begin the season with a field marshal that recruited and formed. The Saints have not started a season with the intention of having as a starter a field marshal who recruited from Archie Manning in 1971.
“This is something that I have worked for my whole life,” Rattler said. “It's something I have dreamed from (which was) child, and it's here now and I don't want to waste it. (I) I want to go out there and make the most of it.”
Moore was not there been scheduled to talk to journalists on Tuesday, so when they put it on the agenda approximately one hour before going to the podium, it seemed that a decision would finally be announced.
Moore had ensured that the players were informed before the public found out, and when programming the session with the media near a team meeting, the news never leaked. The coordinators, who spoke with the media before Moore's announcement, tried to reveal anything.
Moore made three decisions about Marshal to Campo that afternoon. Liberated the third field marshal, Jake Haenerwith an offer to return to the practices squad. He also met individually with Shough and Rattler to present their new roles.
When he finished meeting with the field marshal, Moore had a team meeting where he announced the headline and what he expected of each position group this season.
“He announces the position of each one in the team, simply speaks publicly about his role,” said Shough.
Moore said he wanted to make sure that the whole team was in tune, not only with respect to the field marshal, but also with all other roles.
“Part of the next week will focus on defining the roles of each one on this team, and that is also a challenge of this,” said Moore. “Everyone wants to enter the countryside, but to be a really successful team, to be a connected team, everyone need to know their piece and how to fit while competing.”
Rattler barely had time to check his phone on Tuesday afternoon after the news was known. He said he sent a text message to his parents to communicate the decision and then dedicated himself to plan the party against Los Cardinals.
“The news comes out and everyone contacts you, but probably spoke with nearby people. I don't like to talk about the subject … simply: 'Hey, I still continue the next day, the next opportunity and to continue working,'” said Rattleler.
Rattler agreed that he was happy to leave the competition aside and continue forward.
“It's good to know who they are working with week 1, I guess it can be said. So I'm happy,” said Rattler. “I certainly take a weight off me, but it is something I worked for and I expected, so I wanted to come here and compete throughout the training camp, the entire preseason, and I did a great job with everyone.”
Why the Saints They chose Rattleler, who had 0-6 mark as a starter replacing Carr injured?
Consistency was one of the main reasons, but not the only one.
The offensive coordinator of the Saints, Doug NussmeierHe commented that he liked the confidence and “style” of Rattler. Moore liked his mobility and his ability to make plays with his legs. He joked saying that the speed of 4.9 seconds of Rattler in the 40 -yard race was the “4.9 most false in history.”
“He is an aggressive player and that is one of his super powers,” said Moore. “But he has done an excellent job balancing that and making very good decisions with the ball.”
At the beginning of the training camp, there was a clear separation between Rattler and Shough. Rattleler had gone through a training camp and a full season, while Shough was still settling as a rookie.
Rattler was more comfortable by directing the offensive in his first week than Shough, and even Haener, considered unlikely for the position, had impressive practices. Rattler seemed more prone to trying to launch a field below in those first training, something that Moore liked, while Shough was less prone to risk.
If Shrouch and Rattler had looked for clues about who had the advantage, something that Shough admitted to having sometimes done this summer, they could have interpreted certain things:
Rattler was the field marshal of the first team at the beginning of the first practice of the training camp. He was the Marshal of the Firm Field both in the first and in the last preseason game.
While the Saints divided the plays with the first team among all the field seafood, Rattleler was the one who received the initial plays with the first team in the practice matches and the joint practices of the Saints against Los Angeles Rams. Throughout the training camp, he only participated in a practice with the third team offensive.
“They have done an excellent job when giving us … the same opportunities in terms of repetitions and times to control the room or to share the different roles,” Shough said. “… but it is also difficult because you can't get a definite rhythm, but I think it's part of it. For me, it's natural to want to do it.”
But Rattler's initial advantage did not last.
The Saints did a training of 126 played on August 3, an exhausting session where the coaches directed the play live. Shough has said he feels that he shines in these situations, and that day he took a remarkable step.
Although Shough made some mistakes in the red zone, he managed to move the offensive up and down in the field and completed the only offensive series for TouchDown that day. When the team left for California, Haener was clearly fading from the competition and Shough was pressing the competition against Rattler.
In the first preseason game against Los Angeles ChargersShough, who entered as a substitute, launched a pick-six but recovered well with a 54 yards touchdown pass to Mason Tiptonshowing his arm and staying in the conversation.
“Both players have been very resilient,” said Nussmeier. “They have had excellent days, and not so excellent days. They have recovered. Just when you think that someone is about to take off, the other guy recovers and makes great plays. So it has been a fun competition to see.”
But it would be difficult to get rid of Rattleler's initial advantage, especially after the second preseason game, in which Rattler led the field below against the Jacksonville Jaguars To tie the score with a touchdown of Dante Pettis In the final seconds.
“His end to the game against Jacksonville was an incredible opportunity for him,” said Moore. “He did an excellent job. He got the team to turn around … we felt that we had another excellent week, where, having three practices, we had many game situations within them. I know that most people do not come to see them. We see them, and obviously we evaluated them and then culminated with the game. I felt that he had very good performance the last seven to 10 days.”
While Shough ran for a 11 -yard touchdown in the final game of the preseason, it was Rattler who worked with the starting offensive for three series before leaving the game, an indication that the Saints may already already know what they wanted to do.
“In the last two weeks of practice, I thought he had had performances consisting day after day … I felt that he sealed him in the last preseason game,” said Moore.
Although both field marshal said after the game that they felt ready and capable of being the headline, Moore said the decision would not be made for a few days.
So, like everyone else, field marshals waited.
“We were all dark, just like you. We all expected,” Shough said. “But for us, the daily approach did not change, and that was the best of all this: compete day by day, Spence and me, and simply have fun.”
Now that the decision was made, all those involved insisted that there would be no controversy over the field marshal. While Shough admitted to being disappointed as a competitor, he said he planned to support Rattler as much as possible.
From this moment on, Rattler is the man.
“This decision is not easy,” said Moore. “I think the important thing is that Spencer is a starter. We support it. He will lead the team. Tyler will continue to form, and I think we are in an excellent position.”
