In an electric preseason showdown against the Jacksonville Jaguars, Spencer Rattler turned heads with a clutch performance that ended in a 17-17 tie and raised as many questions as answers in New Orleans’ QB race.
Rattler, entering in the second half after Tyler Shough’s opening stint, orchestrated an impressive 87-yard, 11-play drive culminating in a touchdown pass to Dante Pettis and a daring two-point conversion run—both executed with just 21 seconds left on the clock. His total stat line: 18/24 passing for 199 yards, one touchdown, one interception, and three scrambles for 19 yards.
Meanwhile, rookie second-round pick Tyler Shough showed brief flashes in the first half: completing 9 of 12 passes for 66 yards and engineering the drive that led to a Blake Grupe field goal. But his performance lacked the spark to shift the momentum decisively, especially compared to Rattler’s impactful finish.
As head coach Kellen Moore noted, while Rattler’s late-game poise undoubtedly boosts his case, the decision remains far from settled. The near-identical production from both quarterbacks—statistically and situationally—has extended the QB competition into the final preseason week, with the starting gig still very much up for grabs.
—
Photo Credit: Sergey Nivens / Shutterstock.com