Tag: QB

Saints haven’t started the same quarterback vs. Packers in their last 4 meetings

Spencer Rattler will be the fourth New Orleans Saints quarterback to start against the Green Bay Packers in as many games:

The New Orleans Saints and Green Bay Packers are about to play each other for the fourth time in the last five years, and the Saints have never started the same quarterback in any of those matchups. This is indicative of life after Drew Brees.

Ironically, the Packers have been a picture of consistency at quarterback. They went from Brett Favre to Aaron Rodgers to Jordan Love. The Saints haven’t been nearly as fortunate post-Brees. While the Packers have found their quarterback of the future, New Orleans has struggled to find the quarterback of the present.

Brees started against the Packers in 2020. Since then, Jameis Winston, Derek Carr and soon to be Spencer Rattler have started against Green Bay.

Winston started in the 2021 season opener against Green Bay and relieved an injured Carr in 2023. He’s the only quarterback to play twice in this stretch, but he didn’t start both games.

Since Brees’ retirement, New Orleans has started eight quarterbacks: Winston, Trevor Siemian, Taysom Hill, Ian Book, Andy Dalton, Carr, Rattler and Jake Haener.

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Jake Haener, Spencer Rattler will compete to start vs. Commanders

The question of whether Jake Haener or Spencer Rattler will start on Sunday will be answered at practice this week. More from Darren Rizzi on the Saints QB competition:

The question of whether Jake Haener or Spencer Rattler will start on Sunday will be answered at practice this week, according to interim head coach Darren Rizzi. The New Orleans Saints are having a real quarterback competition in the wake of Derek Carr’s injury.

Rizzi said earlier in the week that he wasn’t going to be a fence-sitter about this, but after meeting with his offensive coaching staff he felt a competition between the two young backups was the best path forward.

“We all met, staff-wise. Both Jake and Spencer bring certain attributes to the table. They’re very similar in a lot of ways, so game-plan wise, it doesn’t change much,” Rizzi told reporters after practice on Wednesday.

While he acknowledged that it was a “horrible example” Rizzi said it wasn’t like comparing Michael Vick with Jim Everett, as in there isn’t a clear answer here. There are things each passer does well that Rizzi and the staff see value in.

“They’re both guys that throw the ball well, they’re both similar-size guys, athletic ability is very similar. There’ll be some nuances in the game plan, depending on which guy starts, naturally,” Rizzi said. “But it’s not going to be this wholesale deal.”

So may the best man win. Both Haener and Rattler will have the opportunity to make their case over the next three days.

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Saints won’t wait long to make a decision on their starting QB

The Saints won’t wait long to make a decision on their starting quarterback after Derek Carr’s injury. Darren Rizzi says he likes both Spencer Rattler and Jake Haener:

The New Orleans Saints have a big decision to make. Starting quarterback Derek Carr went down with a broken hand in Sunday’s win over the New York Giants, and if he can’t play next week against the Washington Commanders, one of his backups will step in.

The question is whether it would be Spencer Rattler or Jake Haener. Interim head coach Darren Rizzi told reporters Monday afternoon it’ll be decision he makes with input from the offensive coaching staff, but that Rattler won’t be starting just because that’s who got the nod last time.

“I think this is new ground, if you will, so we’re going to press the reset button here, it’s a clean slate, and make a decision,” Rizzi said. “Again I’m not ruling Derek out, and I’m not declaring a starter just yet. We’re going to kind of put it all on the table and see what we feel. But I think both guys, I go back there purposefully with the look squad every week, and Jake and Spencer both have really done a great job at practice. So I think both guys bring positivity to the table.”

Rizzi previously said that Carr won’t be going on injured reserve, and the team is exploring all options to see if he can continue to play through injury. But he’s also working his way through the NFL concussion protocol and there’s a good chance he won’t be cleared in time for next Sunday’s game. So Rizzi plans to choose either Rattler or Haener soon.

He was asked whether the typical gameday arrangement with Haener being the active backup behind Carr and Rattler inactive as an emergency third quarterback suggested Haener was ahead, but Rizzi downplayed that notion: “That’s been the case the entire season. He’s been the number two in every game we played whether Derek or Spencer was the starter. We felt like, the offensive staff felt like, that was the (best) situation.”

While it’s possible Carr’s situation could change drastically enough in the next 24 hours that he’s cleared to start in this week’s matchup, odds are either Rattler or Haener will be leading the first-team offense when the Saints kick off their next practice on Wednesday.

“I’m not trying to be a fence-sitter here,” Rizzi continued. “I think both guys give us a chance to win.”

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Report: Derek Carr suffered ‘significant fracture’ to non-throwing hand

NFL Network’s Ina Rapoport reports that testing revealed Derek Carr suffered a ‘significant fracture’ to his non-throwing hand. His season is likely over:

This was expected, but that doesn’t make it easier to stomach. NFL Network’s Ina Rapoport reports that testing revealed Derek Carr suffered a “significant fracture” to his non-throwing hand. Rapoport added that while Carr is expected to miss multiple weeks recovering from this injury, the timing means it’s “almost certainly” going to end his season. There just aren’t enough weeks left for him to safely return in time, barring a late playoff run.

And that might be Carr’s saving grace. The Saints only trail the first-place Tampa Bay Buccaneers by 2.5 wins, with a rematch waiting in Week 18. The Bucs have had their injury woes as well and if they slip up, New Orleans could make this competitive. That would extend Carr’s window to return.

Either way, it’ll be Jake Haener or Spencer Rattler starting at quarterback for the foreseeable future, beginning with next week’s game against the Washington Commanders. Getting something out of either young passer would do a lot to not just keep the team’s chances alive right now, but maybe usher in some optimism about their future, too.

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Saints bench rookie QB in the second half vs. Chargers

The Saints benched rookie quarterback Spencer Rattler in favor of Jake Haener after falling behind in Week 8 against the Los Angeles Chargers:

The New Orleans Saints have made another change at quarterback. Second-year backup Jake Haener stepped in for rookie passer Spencer Rattler late in the third quarter of Week 8’s game with the Los Angeles Chargers.

To that point, Rattler had completed 12 of 24 passes for 155 yards, taking three sacks. The Saints were trailing 16-5 and clearly hoped Haener could provide a spark.

We’ll see if it works. Haener led the team’s only touchdown-scoring drive a week ago in the Saints’  Thursday night loss to t he Denver Broncos, so he clearly has some command of the offense. Both quarterbacks are backing up Derek Carr once he returns from an oblique injury but the starter is likely still a week away.

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Opinion: Spencer Rattler should remain Saints’ starter until Derek Carr returns

Opinion: Jake Haener looked good at the end of the Broncos game on his few plays, but the Saints should stick with Spencer Rattler as the starter

Spencer Rattler left the New Orleans Saints game against the Denver Broncos on the final drive. If he’s healthy, he should continue to be the Saints starter until Derek Carr returns.

Jake Haener finished the drive Rattler departed with a touchdown. It was a struggle for the offense all night, but Haener looked smooth in the few plays he played. The most notable difference was how quickly he got rid of the football even when the Broncos sent the house after him on a blitz.

Despite this difference in performance, Dennis Allen should continue rolling with the rookie. As much as the decision was meant for the present, playing Rattler benefitted your future. That likely played a part in the decision, if it wasn’t the driving factor.

Rattler has the ceiling to be your next starting quarterback after Carr. He showed promise in his debut, but struggled with ball security against Denver. Sitting him after a bad game would be counterproductive to his development.

Ratter should be given a chance with some of the returning weapons. His two starts have come without any of the starting interior linemen or Taysom Hill. Rattler played just three snaps with Chris Olave and one full game with Rashid Shaheed. It would nice to get an evaluation of him with his top weapons available and better protection in front of him.

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Steelers’ legendary QB supports Justin Fields remaining as starter

Ben Roethlisberger recently spoke on his podcast, Footbahlin with Ben Roethlisberger, about Justin Fields remaining the starter.

Justin Fields appears to be making friends and supporters in all the right places. Two-time Super Bowl champion, Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger, believes that the only stat Pittsburgh should hold Fields accountable for is the win-loss record. 

While Fields posted his worst passer rating of the 2024 season in Week 6, the Steelers’ young QB made up for it with his athletic prowess—11 rushes for 59 yards and two rushing touchdowns. 

Roethlisberger spoke highly of Fields’ ability to keep the Steelers winning, talking about what he does right on his podcast, Footballin With Ben Roethlisberger: “What he did with his arm, what he did with his legs, I thought was really, really impressive.” He also added that it would take around two awful turnovers to give the starting duties back to Russell Wilson. 

Is Roethlisberger correct in his assessment, or should the defense truly be credited as the reason for Pittsburgh’s success? Only time will tell, but the former 2020 Walter Payton Man of the Year, Wilson, may push Fields to reach even higher levels. 

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Dennis Allen explains why he’s starting a rookie QB after Derek Carr injury

Dennis Allen explains why he’s starting Spencer Rattler after Derek Carr injury: ‘In this particular game he gave us the best chance to win’

Dennis Allen delivered a bombshell on Wednesday when he announced that backup quarterback Spencer Rattler would take the reins from Derek Carr in Week 6’s game with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The New Orleans Saints’ starter suffered a significant oblique muscle injury that’s going to keep him out for at least the next two games.

As to why the Saints are rolling with Rattler instead of the team’s other backup Jake Haener? Allen said that was a staff decision.

“We talked a lot as a staff about what we felt like was the best thing for us, and [anyclip-media thumbnail=”undefined” playlistId=”undefined” content=”dW5kZWZpbmVk”][/anyclip-media], that was the decision that we made. And we’re excited about him getting an opportunity to go in there, and  we’ll let him go play and see what he can do,” Allen said.

However, Allen kept his cards close to his vest in talking about what went into making this decision — as far as matchup preferences or the state of the offense given all of the injuries impacting the offensive line. Still, after meeting with his coaches, this was the course of action Allen felt was best for them this week.

“Internally we talked a lot about it and felt like in this particular game that he gave us the best chance to win,” Allen continued, “Both he and Jake have been practicing extremely hard, preparing to be the starter. It was kind of the conversation that we had at the beginning of the year, Jake would be the two to start but there wasn’t going to be any, basically, a kind of a week-to-week deal. And we just felt like, for this game, was going to give us the best opportunity.”

It’s surprising to see the Saints shift gears now after Rattler was inactive for each of their first four games. It was Haener going in each week whenever Carr missed time with an injury or the game’s result was put out of doubt. But Haener wasn’t drafted by this coaching staff. Offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak, quarterbacks coach Andrew Janocko, and their assistants made the decision to draft Rattler and now they want to see what he can do with a full week of practice under his belt.

That just might save Allen’s job. He’s led the team into a 2-3 record for the second time in three seasons as their head coach, and they need some kind of a spark to snap their three-game losing streak. If Rattler can navigate a muddy pocket and bounce back from the occasional negative play as well as he did at South Carolina, it would give the team some real hope for the future. He added that Rattler will have a bit of a long leash. Allen feels that the rookie needs to play if he’s going to learn and improve, and fearing he could be pulled out of the game after one or two mistakes wouldn’t be helpful.

But that still means he’s got to play better than he did in preseason. Few of Rattler’s opponents from those exhibition games are dressing out on Sundays, and those that are got the better of him in his second preseason matchup with the San Francisco 49ers. For now, all Rattler should worry about is studying and preparing for his next opponent so he can earn another opportunity after that.

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Saints vs. Eagles to feature both starting QBs for the first time since 2018

Injuries under center have haunted both the Saints and Eagles over the years. Week 3 will feature both starting quarterbacks for the first time since Nov. 2018:

The New Orleans Saints have had a decent number of games with the Philadelphia Eagles in recent years, however, many have been marred by quarterback injuries or replacements for one reason or another. That won’t be the case this week with Derek Carr and Jalen Hurts both starting under  center, but poor health at quarterback has hit each team in recent years.

It is somewhat of a weird trend as their last four matchups, including one playoff game, have seen a quarterback who was not the initial starter playing for at least one of the two teams. Andy Dalton, Gardner Minshew II, Trevor Siemian, and Nick Foles are just some of the backups who have to step into a starting role during this series.

Starting off with the most recent matchup, Jan. 2023 (Week 17 of the 2022 season), we saw the normal Saints’ starter in Andy Dalton at the time. However, Jalen Hurts missed the matchup due to a sprained shoulder. This moved Minshew into the lineup and ultimately led to a 20-10 victory for the Saints on the road.

Then we go back to Week 11 of the 2021 season for their next matchup, which was the last matchup Hurts played in against the Saints. But with Jameis Winston and Taysom Hill both injured New Orleans had to turn to Trevor Siemian. This is also the year they had to start Ian Book for one game, which was not so great to say the least. Siemian would go 0-4 in his four starts, including this game which the Saints lost 40-29.

The Week 14 matchup in 2020 between these two teams also featured Jalen Hurts as the Eagles’ starting quarterback, except Drew Brees did not play due to his vast array of injuries; Brees suffered shoulder and foot issues in addition to his 11 broken ribs and collapsed lung. This led to the Saints starting Taysom Hill at quarterback, who actually didn’t do half bad with 291 passing yards and two touchdowns against one interception. Despite this, the Saints lost 24-21.

Then we have the one playoff game in this string of games, which was the 2018 NFC divisional round. This was the season Carson Wentz suffered his vertebral fracture around October, and missed the rest of the season, pushing Nick Foles back into the starting spot after his previous year’s heroics. This time he did not play as great, with only 201 passing yards and an touchdown to two interceptions, one of which being the notable Alshon Jeffrey drop and Marshon Lattimore interception off of it to seal the game.

Ultimately, the last time these two teams played with their normal starting quarterbacks was earlier that 2018 season in Week 11, when the Saints won 48-7 in dominating fashion on the back of 363 passing yards and 4 touchdowns from Drew Brees, as well as 103 rushing yards and 2 touchdowns from Mark Ingram II. Here’s hoping for another landslide on Sunday.

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Panthers bench Bryce Young, turn to former Saints QB Andy Dalton

The Carolina Panthers have benched Bryce Young and turned to former Saints quarterback Andy Dalton. He’ll start in Week 3 and potentially beyond:

https://twitter.com/NFL/status/1835737829923491918

The Carolina Panthers have decided to go a different direction at the quarterback position after a tough start to the season for Bryce Young. They will now be starting former New Orleans Saints quarterback Andy Dalton for Week 3, and potentially beyond. The Panthers will visit the Las Vegas Raiders next, on Sept. 22.

Young has had a tumultuous first 18 games in his NFL career, going 2-16 in the games he started with 3,122 passing yards and 11 passing touchdowns against 13 interceptions, worth a 33.4 quarterback rating.

One of the last games he played before this benching was the Panthers’ 47-10 loss to the Saints in Week 1, in which Young went 13 for 30 with 161 yards (5.4 yards per attempt) and 2 interceptions without a touchdown, which yielded a 12.2 QBR. He was also sacked 4 times for a loss of 26 yards, and has been sacked 68 times for 518 yards in his career (on 10.45% of his dropbacks) which is also worth noting.

Ultimately this was a quick decision, as Young had very little opportunity to really grow under new head coach Dave Canales, and will now have to work to take that opportunity back from the veteran journeyman. Dalton unexpectedly started 14 games for the Saints in 2022 (in which they went 6-8) after replacing an injured Jameis Winston, completing 252 of his 378 passes for 2,871 yards (7.6 yards per attempt) with 18 touchdowns against 9 interceptions. He was sacked 25 times. In his career Dalton has started 163 games but he has a 83-78-2 record. We’ll see if he remains the starter when the Saints visit Carolina on Nov. 3.

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