Tag: attempt

Spencer Rattler weighs in on what went wrong during Saints’ two-point try

Spencer Rattler voiced his thoughts on the Saints going for two points, and what went wrong in the pivotal attempt:

Spencer Rattler and the New Orleans Saints did not get the outcome they were after when they faced the Washington Commanders, falling 20-19 at the Caesars Superdome on Sunday afternoon.

One of the biggest talking points after a game that was much more closely contested than it was originally expected to be was the insane way it ended. Rattler and the Saints scored a touchdown with no time remaining to defy the odds in a comeback effort.

But, some may say interim coach Darren Rizzi got a little too greedy there at the end, which would have likely otherwise been termed “playing to win” if things had worked out.

The aggressive effort to go for two points and the win instead of kicking the extra point and sending the game to overtime did not pay off. And, of course it yielded some criticism. That’s how these things go.

Rookie quarterback Spencer Rattler, who took over for a benched Jake Haener after roughly two quarters of action, gave his thoughts on the mentality behind going for it all at the end of the game.

“We knew before the drive. We wanted to go down there and win the game. I think that’s the mindset our whole team had,” Rattler told reporters after the game. “I’m proud of the team, nobody flinched that whole game.”

He didn’t have any quibble with it and made clear that this wasn’t a last-minute decision, but rather one that the Saints went into the possession having made up already.

After the Foster Moreau touchdown, Rattler was unable to locate an open target in the end zone, and a fastball to Juwan Johnson fell incomplete when the tight end dropped the ball.

“I thought Juwan got held,” Rattler added, “but there are good players in this league. It is tough to make those plays. I liked the aggression. I liked what we did there.”

Something to watch as the Saints head down the final stretch of the schedule is if they will roll with Rattler permanently until Carr is able to return from injury. Rizzi has not given any clear indication as to who will be taking  snaps for the Saints moving forward.

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Darren Rizzi on decision to go for two points late vs. Commanders

New Orleans Saints interim head coach Darren Rizzi says he doesn’t regret his decision to go for two points late against the Washington Commanders:

No one could have predicted the New Orleans Saints’ Week 15 game with the Washington Commanders would have ended the way it did, coming down to a last-second attempt at scoring two points. Interim head coach Darren Rizzi led his team out of halftime with a change at quarterback, and he put the game on the line with Spencer Rattler rolling out to pass in a bid at winning outright rather than hoping for a kick to go their way in overtime.

Part of that decision was all of the injuries to Alvin Kamara, Kool-Aid McKinstry and Marquez Valdes-Scantling. Another part was the challenge of stopping Jayden Daniels, who Rizzi called a “phenomenal player” when recapping the game with local media.

Rizzi said he felt a confluence between momentum shifting their way and the personnel available dictating his decision: “Listen I know there’s the old adage about go kick the extra point at home and go for two at home, we would’ve went for two in the Rams game too, just how the games played out. … But just with where we were, I just felt it was the right call. I don’t regret it.”

He emphasized that he had “zero regret” in the decision to go for two points, and that he believed the locker room supported that call. To come back and be that close to winning the day after trailing so badly at halftime is impressive. And while Rizzi acknowledged he has mixed feelings about a loss, he was proud of the fight his team showed, and he saw some things that could carry over into their final three games this season.

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