New Orleans Saints quarterback Spencer Rattler (18) passes in the second half of a preseason NFL football game against the Arizona Cardinals, Saturday, Aug. 10, 2024, in Glendale, Ariz. The Saints won 16-14.
(AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin) A few days before the New Orleans Saints opened their preseason against the Arizona Cardinals, coach Dennis Allen said he wanted to see how his young quarterbacks fared when the lights were bright and the pressure was on. Consider that initial test passed.
Both Jake Haener and Spencer Rattler played extensively, both faced demanding situations and both put points on the board. Neither was perfect, but the positives outweighed the negatives for both quarterbacks competing for the No. 2 job behind Derek Carr.
“Both of them made plays, both of them did some good stuff, both of them led 2-minute drives,” Allen said. “You can never get enough of that type of situational work, and in particular for those young guys to be put in those situations, both of them responded well.” Haener got the first crack, entering for the third offensive drive, and he led two scoring drives, including one that started at his own 21-yard line with just 22 seconds remaining in the first half.
Rattler led a game-winning drive in the final two minutes, connecting on six throws to set Charlie Smyth up for the decisive kick. It was a positive affirmation of what both young quarterbacks have been putting on display in training camp. Both have displayed impressive ability in practice, and neither wilted under the lights.
Less than a week ago, Haener had an operation to get skin cancer removed from the right side of his face. He played Saturday with a patch covering stitches on his face. The experience has left him grateful for what he has in front of him.
“I get to play this game for a living,” Haener said. “I'm super fortunate and I'm going to do it for as long as I can." The Saints offense got off to a slow start with Haener under center, some of which had nothing to do with Haener — both his first and second drives featured holding penalties that put the team in disadvantageous down and distance.
But on his third drive, Haener started to find a rhythm. He completed his first four passes on that drive, including a dart on a fourth and short play action to Kevin Austin. That drive broke a scoreless tie.
The next time the Saints touched the ball showed off what Haener could do, though. The Saints took over with just 29 seconds remaining in the half at their own 12-yard line. After a short completion and a timeout, Haener hit the longest professional throw of his career.
He saw the Cardinals were playing in a quarters coverage. The Saints were playing with three receivers to one side, and A.T.
Perry alone to the other. Haener knew Perry would effectively have single coverage, and Perry was running a double move on the play. “A.
T.'s on an island and they gave us an opportunity to throw the ball down the field," Haener said. The result was a 58-yard lightning bolt that flipped the field and gave the Saints a chance to put at least three points on the board before halftime.
“I'm a competitive dude,” Haener said. “I play my ass off every step of the way, even when I'm getting hit and things are tough, I'm going to bring that energy because my team needs it, right? There needs to be that X factor I think when you're playing quarterback. That's always how I've played and I'm not going to change.
" Next it was Rattler’s turn. The rookie fifth-rounder received the entire second half, and he took over shortly after the Cardinals put together an impressive touchdown drive to start the third quarter. One of the things that has become evident about Rattler while watching him practice is the trust he has in his talented right arm, which has manifested in a willingness to make aggressive throws.
His first throw in a professional football game was a deep shot down the sideline to Perry that resulted in a 34-yard pass interference penalty. Rattler added a 15-yard completion on a bootleg to Dallin Holker before finishing off his first drive with a 4-yard touchdown run. On his touchdown, Rattler said the Cardinals covered the play well and he “just created.
” He experienced a lull after that. By the time Rattler took the field inside the final two minutes of the game, Arizona had regained the lead, he’d completed just three of his seven passes and the Saints offense had stalled with three straight punts. But Rattler showed the poise that Allen was looking for when he mentioned wanting to see his quarterbacks play in pressure situations.
Needing a field goal to take the lead, Rattler and the Saints took over at their own 25 and began a methodical march down the field. Rattler completed each of his first four passes, pushing the Saints into Cardinals territory. He saved his best throw of the night for that final drive, a perfectly-executed back-shoulder throw to Samson Nacua on the sideline that set New Orleans up inside the 20.
A few plays later, Charlie Smyth jogged onto the field for the go-ahead field goal with five seconds remaining. “We went down and executed,” Rattler said. After years of ignoring the quarterback position in the NFL draft — a luxury the team was able to afford with a Hall-of-Famer under center — the Saints used mid round draft picks on Haener and Rattler in consecutive years.
It may have found something in both of them. Now New Orleans just needs to figure out which will be the No. 2 in 2024.
Based on Saturday’s game, that decision may come down to the wire. “It’s contagious,” Haener said. “You've just got to bring that and compete your a** off every step of the way.
...
It's a long road and Spencer's really talented, right? I can do some nice things as well, so I've just got to stay the course, keep my head on straight and go one day at a time.".
