Tag: Stats

Should Spencer Rattler start the Saints’ final three games?

The Saints managed to nearly pull off a win behind Spencer Rattler in Week 15’s second half, but should he get the remaining three starts of the season?

The New Orleans Saints had a very interesting quarterback scenario unfold in their Week 15 loss to the Washington Commanders. Jake Haener started things off, getting his first career start in the NFL, and he looked pretty rough for the 21 snaps he got on offense.

He went 4-for-10 on completions for 49 yards with an interception and picked up 7 yards on a scramble, but was sacked 3 times for a loss of 29 yards. This resulted in a 2.3 QB rating and a 16.2 passer efficiency rating. For context, a PER for not completing a single pass would be 39.6.

On the other hand, Spencer Rattler came in at halftime and got 34 snaps, going 10-of-21 for 135 yards and a touchdown, with an 81.0 QBR and an 84.4 passer efficiency rating. On top of that, when looking at the final drive where the Saints scored a touchdown and had a chance to win the game, he was 5-for-6 for 26 yards and a touchdown, 5-for-7 if you want to include the two-point conversion (though that was a strong throw regardless).

So, now the Saints have a decision to make. Do they stick with the guy they went into the game with, and see if he can improve enough to keep the job, or should they give it to the metaphorical hot hand and see if he has improved from his three starts earlier this season. Obviously this is presuming Derek Carr is out for the year, which seems likely as the Saints would prefer to let him heal and be ready for his spring medical evaluation which will determine his guarantees on his contract. If he fails, he would receive the $30 million guaranteed no matter what, which is less than optimal even if they want to stick with him next season.

In my opinion, you have nothing to lose at this point if you are the Saints, so letting Rattler get some more NFL experience is not a bad thing at all. Giving him a chance to prepare over the course of the week to start this game would likely result in an even better outcome. The difficulty is Rattler would be playing an away game at the Green Bay Packers, and if current weather projections are anything to go off of, it will be somewhere between 16 and 23 degrees out with a 6% chance of snow.

That’s asking a lot of anyone, but especially so with Rattler and Haener. But Rattler proved to be the safer option in this game, not taking a sack after it was an issue earlier in the season with him, and not turning the ball over at all. So I would say you go with Rattler this week and just see what he can do with this matchup.

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Saints bench Jake Haener to start the second half vs. Commanders

The Saints benched Jake Haener for Spencer Rattler to start the second half against the Commanders. The second-year pro had a very rough first half:

Here’s another change at quarterback for the New Orleans Saints. The black and gold benched Jake Haener for Spencer Rattler to start the second half against the Washington Commanders. Haener’s first half was hard to watch — he only completed four passes on 10 attempts, gaining 49 yards but losing 29 yards on 3 sacks. Most of that came on a 29-yard pickup by Alvin Kamara after the catch.

Each of Rattler’s first two passes fell incomplete, but he connected with a wide-open Dante Pettis to convert a long third down and a few plays later hit Marquez Valdes-Scantling deep downfield to push into Washington territory.

We’ll see if Haener returns to the lineup later, but his day may be over already. Rattler didn’t win a game in three starts earlier this year and was benched in favor of Haener himself, so this battle may not be over.

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New Orleans Saints set season-high in sacks vs. Commanders

In just the first half, Saints have recorded their most sacks in a game this season vs. the Commanders and rookie QB Jayden Daniels:

It’s only the first half, but the New Orleans Saints have already recorded five sacks. That’s more than New Orleans has recorded in an entire game this year. To make it more impressive, they are doing this against the elusive Jayden Daniels

Ugo Amadi,  Demario Davis, Willie Gay, Cameron Jordan, and Chase Young all recorded a sack in the first 30 minutes.

Containing Washington Commanders was a point of emphasis for the New Orleans Saints. Joe Woods told reporters this week that “We’re going to have different ways to control him and keep him in the pocket.”

There have been a few plays Daniels has used his legs to extend a play, but the Saints have done a better job than expected against him. You have to tip your hat to the secondary as well, because some of these sacks have been a product of Daniels having nowhere to go.

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Cameron Jordan sacked the 48th quarterback of his 14-year career

Saints defensive end Cameron Jordan sacked the 48th quarterback of his 14-year career, bringing down Washington Commanders rookie Jayden Daniels on Sunday:

Cameron Jordan sacks Jayden Daniels for his 119.5th sack. Daniels is the 48th quarterback Jordan has sacked in his Saints career.

— John (@johnsigler.bsky.social) December 15, 2024 at 1:45 PM

The New Orleans Saints defensive line started strong against the Washington Commanders in Week 15, and 14-year veteran defensive end Cameron Jordan managed to bring down Jayden Daniels in the first half. This sack was good for the 48th different quarterback he has sacked in his career, which brings his career total to 119.5.

Jordan has had a slow season in that category so far, with this being only his second sack on the season which would tie 2023 as his second lowest total (aside from his rookie year, in which he only had one). This brings him ever closer to 22nd on the all-time sacks list as well, where he looks to pass Clyde Simmons who has a total of 121.5. We will see where Jordan ends up finishing his career in this category, but regardless it will be very close to the top of the list.

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Jake Haener could be the first QB Saints have drafted to win a game since 1998

Jake Haener could become the first quarterback drafted by the New Orleans Saints to win a game for the team since 1998:

If the New Orleans Saints were to win Sunday’s matchup with the Washington Commanders, sophomore quarterback Jake Haener would do something that hasn’t been done in over 25 years.

Haener could become the first quarterback drafted by the Saints to win a game since all the way back in 1998, per New Orleans-based statistician Drew Porche.

The last Saints quarterback to do so was Danny Wuerffel against the Indianapolis Colts. Wuerffel, like Haener was a fourth-round selection. He played in New Orleans for three years before jumping around the league for a couple more seasons.

Of course, this is extended by Drew Brees’ presence as a free agent signing, but the history of drafted quarterbacks has been quite poor in that time.

Ian Book, Spencer Rattler and now Haener are the only quarterbacks drafted by the Saints to even attempt passes in a start for New Orleans in that time. Book and Rattler did not have much success in their outings, Haener will try to curb the trend.

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Former Wisconsin guard registers career outing in narrow loss to Kentucky

Chucky Hepburn continued his stellar start to the season

Former Wisconsin point guard Chucky Hepburn continued his stellar 2024-25 campaign on Saturday afternoon, this time with a career performance in Louisville’s road loss to No. 5 Kentucky.

The former Badger star finished the 93-85 defeat with 26 points, five rebounds and five assists on 9-of-18 shooting. His play in 39 minutes of action almost single-handedly kept Louisville in the game against a Kentucky team that appears to be among the best in the country.

The strong outing on a national stage is the second time Hepburn has surpassed 25 points this season, the previous was a career-high 32 points in a Battle 4 Atlantis win over West Virginia.

His season averages are up to 15.2 points, 3.5 rebounds, 4.8 assists and 3 steals on 47.7% shooting from the floor and 33.3% from 3.

It’s safe to say both Hepburn and Nebraska shooting guard Connor Essegian are faring well at their new destinations. Kansas’ A.J. Storr, meanwhile, is still trying to find a consistent role in the lineup.

Wisconsin is off to a strong start to the 2024-25 season without those three transfers. Wing John Tonje has mostly filled the scoring void left by Storr, and a combination of players have worked to fill the leadership void left by Hepburn.

Of all who left via the portal, Wisconsin still likely misses Hepburn the most. His three steals per game rank No. 5 in the sport — that paired with a career-best output on the offense end of the court. Max Klesmit, John Blackwell and Kamari McGee have all played well to begin the season, but none have risen to the level of Hepburn’s.

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Jayden Daniels’ versatility is a huge challenge for Saints defense

Joe Woods understands Jayden Daniels can hurt you with arm and legs, but the Saints are stressing the need to keep him in the pocket:

Jayden Daniels’ ability to pass and run provides the New Orleans Saints with one of their most difficult challenges of the season.

New Orleans has a poor history of stopping quarterbacks from running the football. It’s been this way for years, and Daniels is the wrong quarterback to face when that’s one of your struggles.

Defensive coordinator Joe Woods recalled when he knew the Washington Commanders quarterback would transition to the league seamlessly. “One game against a really good team he had about 100 yards on three scrambles, so right then I was like this dude is going to be a problem.”

Daniels’ speed gives him the upper hand if he has to get to the edge. Woods told reporters “We’re going to have different ways to control him and keep him in the pocket.”

Woods was sure to highlight Daniels’ ability to throw at a high level, not just run. Woods said: “I think he’s a pocket passer. I think he goes through his progressions. I think he has the arm strength to make all the throws, very accurate on his deep balls.”

His running gets a lot of attention, but Daniels will threaten New Orleans’ defense through the air and on the ground.

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There is a statistical basis behind starting Jake Haener in Week 15

There may be a statistical precedent showing why the Saints chose Jake Haener to start Week 15 over Spencer Rattler:

The New Orleans Saints decided to go with Jake Haener to start in their Week 15 game over Spencer Rattler, who started three games the last time Derek Carr went down. This choice was one that many had not anticipated, as Rattler had the experience with this offense this season, and would have been presumed as the incumbent.

However, Haener had been listed as the No.2 quarterback for the whole season, while Rattler was listed as the emergency No. 3, so logistically this was the option on paper that was going to happen. Beyond that, there may be a statistical precedent for starting Haener in this game over Rattler.

As WWL Radio’s Jeff Nowak noted, in the three weeks Spencer Rattler started, the opposing teams accrued a whopping 16 sacks, over five a game on average. However, in the weeks Derek Carr has started, they have allowed only 8 sacks, half the total in over three times the games. This was one of the biggest issues for the Saints under Rattler, is he had immense trouble sensing pressure and getting away from it on time, and with the injuries to the Saints offensive line previously, that made things even more difficult.

Jake Haener may give you the alternative in that he will get the ball out quicker and get away from pressure, but obviously we do not know that as his playing time is limited to only 61 total snaps, and in those he has taken 3 sacks. Regardless, the Saints having another option at quarterback allows them to try this out and just see if it works, and test out Haener to see what he has in the tank.

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Statistical Breakdown: How the Chargers and Buccaneers stack up before Week 15 game

Here’s how the Chargers and Buccaneers stack up statistically on offense and defense ahead of Sunday’s matchup.

The Chargers and Buccaneers are set to square off this Sunday.

Here’s how Los Angeles and Tampa Bay stack up statistically on both sides of the ball ahead of the Week 15 matchup:

Offense

Category Chargers Buccaneers
Points per game 21.3 ppg (20th) 27.9 ppg (5th)
Passing offense 198.1 ypg (25th) 241.0 ypg (6th)
Rushing offense 111.5 ypg (19th) 138.3 ypg (7th)
Total offense 309.5 ypg (24th) 379.3 ypg (3rd)
3rd down conversions 38.37% (15th) 47.17% (2nd)
Red zone scoring 54.55% (19th) 68.63% (4th)
Sacks allowed 38 (23rd) 32 (16th)
Turnovers 6 (1st) 18 (20th)

Defense

Category Chargers Buccaneers
Points allowed 15.9 ppg (1st) 23.8 ppg (22nd)
Passing defense 206.1 ypg (8th) 253.4 ypg (30th)
Rushing defense 117.6 ypg (14th) 115.2 ypg (11th)
Total defense 323.7 ypg (11th) 368.5 ypg (28th)
3rd down conversions 35.03% (7th) 41.92% (23rd)
Red zone defense 41.94% (1st) 51.02% (10th)
Sacks 39 (5th) 35 (11th)
Takeaways 17 (10th) 16 (14th)

Alvin Kamara is putting the team on his back in a unique 2024 season

Alvin Kamara is the only player in the NFL this season leading his team in both rushing yards and receiving yards. His extension only looks better by the day:

The NFL in recent years has been heavily driven by the wide receiver market, with the top two non-quarterback salaries for the 2024 season being Justin Jefferson at $35 million and CeeDee Lamb at $34 million. This is because the receiving and passing game has become more and more utilized in recent years, and receivers have become even more valuable at the top end.

However, some running backs stand out among the crowd as valuable in both the ground game and the receiving game, most notably Christian McCaffrey in recent years, as well as New Orleans Saints star Alvin Kamara.

Kamara had a tough few years with the injuries he had piling up, and an extension seemed far away at best. Yet, in 2024, he has shown exactly why he deserved and got one. He is the only player in the NFL entering Week 15 to lead his team in both rushing and receiving yards in 2024, with 485 receiving yards and 938 rushing yards.

He is first in the league in receiving yards at the RB position as well, showing how premier this season has been for him. All of that is great, but he has also done it with 0 fumbles, one of only three running backs in the top-10 for rushing yards to accomplish that this year, alongside Jahmyr Gibbs and Bijan Robinson.

With Chris Olave, Rashid Shaheed, and Bub Means all going down from the receiver room, someone needed to step up and handle the receiving part of the offense, and Kamara has done so without a doubt.

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