It wasn’t intentional, but in Pro Football Focus analyst Trevor Sikkema’s analysis of Spencer Rattler, he landed on one trait Rattler possesses that Derek Carr lacks. Rattler remains calm in the face of pressure and that should benefit the New Orleans Saints.
Sikkema joined ESPN’s Mina Kimes on her podcast, “The Mina Kimes Show featuring Lenny.” Both analysts looked at how poor South Carolina’s offensive line was during Rattler’s last two seasons. As PFF’s lead draft analyst, Sikkema discussed Rattler through the lens of a prospect. This is still fair as Rattler hasn’t taken a snap yet.
“That’s something I don’t think he got enough credit for. He stayed calm under a ton of pressure,” Sikkema said. The Saints offensive line is dealing with a lot of injuries, and that will naturally lead to some breakdowns during the game.
When those breakdowns occur, there’s trust Rattler won’t panic. That is a weakness of Carr’s. The interception on the first drive against the Chiefs is just one example of this.
To be crystal clear, Rattler possessing the trait doesn’t mean he’s a better quarterback than Carr. It’s a straightforward statement. Based on his experiences in college, Rattler may handle poor blocking better than Derek Carr has.
That could be by either still stepping into throws when possible, or escaping the pocket with his legs. Regardless of the method, poise under pressure will benefit Rattler and the Saints offense.
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