Tyler Shough got the start, but Spencer Rattler led the comeback drive in round two of the Saints' quarterback competition.
The rookie and second-year quarterback received a half of football each to make their case, with Rattler outplaying Shough but both experiencing highs and lows during a rollercoaster tie that's left head coach Kellen Moore still ruminating over his QB1 decision.
The most momentous drive of the game belonged to Rattler, who shook off a red-zone interception at the tail end of a 52-yard possession to come back stronger on an 87-yard march that began with 2:39 remaining, trailing, 17-9.
That drive ended with Rattler finding Dante Pettis for a touchdown, then scampering the two-point conversion in on his own to knot the game -- a response to turmoil Moore loved to see.
"That was a big moment and opportunity for him," Moore said after the 17-17 tie against the Jaguars. "To have that great drive going down the field, you throw an interception and have to respond. And he responded really, really well. He put the team in an excellent position. Did a great job with situational football in that two-minute drive. His ability to play with his feet came up in a number of situations."
Regardless of Rattler's heroics, Moore said he's not yet ready to name his starter.
If the decision was solely based on Sunday, though, Rattler would seem to have nudged ahead.
He went 18 of 24 for 199 yards, a touchdown and a pick, methodically scratching back from the 17-3 halftime deficit he inherited to leave things tied at the end of regulation. Unlike Shough, Rattle was a threat on the ground, as well. He scrambled three times for 19 yards, including an 11-yarder that moved the chains during the game-tying two-minute drills.
"I think it's just so dynamic," Rattler told Saints team reporter Erin Summers regarding the importance of his running ability. "Helps your O-line out. Keeps the defense on their toes. I think it's easy for a play-caller to feel more free if they know you can get a few yards with your legs."
Rattler's favorite target was 2024 undrafted free-agent signee Mason Tipton, who led both teams with six catches for 100 yards but was also a part of a couple of Rattler's more noticeable mishaps.
On the aforementioned interception, which came with 4:32 left in the final frame, Rattler appeared to be going Tipton all the way. He locked in during the play fake and fired, but thanks to what Moore described as a "traffic situation," Tipton's route was flat, allowing Keni-H Lovely to break on the interception. Rattler also missed an open Tipton in the end zone on the subsequent drive.
However, as Moore pointed out, Rattler came back from both. He led a long drive following the pick and threw a dart to Pettis to score three plays after the miss.
Shough ended up playing four drives to Rattler's five.
He was mostly accurate, going 9 of 12 for 66 yards, but outside of a 55-yard drive for a field goal didn't spark New Orleans' offense, which for 17 of Shough's 20 snaps included starters Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed.
Shough was a little panicked under pressure, which can be expected from a rookie even with Shough's extensive college experience, but just as he did last week on a 54-yard TD strike, he displayed the ability to uncork the deep ball. His biggest chunk play came on a 28-yard toss placed where only tight end Treyton Welch, draped by coverage, could get it.
He didn't possess the same "wow" factor as Rattler, but given New Orleans' draft investment in Shough, the only definite takeaway from Sunday's game is that a three-way QB competition is truly down to two.
Although the plan was to get Jake Haener in toward the end of the game, Moore opted instead to see how Rattler would respond to adversity.
"It's tricky. The one downfall to how this game played out was we just had less drives," Moore said. "Jake didn't get a chance to go in there, which we certainly wanted him to get in there. But I thought it was important just from an evaluation standpoint on Spence. Those are critical moments. You have a tough situation, you've got to respond."
Respond Rattler did, making a mark sure to be considered in Moore's continued evaluation.
