After managing to score only three points against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 8, the New Orleans Saints realized a quarterback change was necessary. While Spencer Rattler did guide the team to a 26-14 victory over the New York Giants, his overall play failed to spark the offense. With Tyler Shough waiting in the wings, the Saints eventually made the switch, and he has since started five games.
Saints Benched Spencer Rattler For Tyler Shough
Through roughly seven and a half games, the Saints had seen enough. This season, Rattler is 174/256 for 1,586 yards with eight touchdowns to five interceptions. He’s been sacked 18 times but has added 167 yards on the ground. Ultimately, while his numbers are far from abysmal, he hasn’t done enough to get the job done.
When the Saints selected Shough with the No. 40 overall pick, it was always understood that his opportunity would come at some point. As the season has progressed, the team felt the timing was right to give him that chance. With the trade deadline approaching, New Orleans is eager to evaluate whether Shough can be the long-term answer at quarterback.
Head coach Kellen Moore said the team is not looking back, and they’re solely focused on Shough moving forward. Rattler is currently 35th in PFSN’s QB Impact Metric. His D grade indicates how poorly he has performed.
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Shough led the Saints to a huge win over the Buccaneers last week. So far this season, the rookie has thrown for 1,212 yards, five touchdowns, and five interceptions. He has also rushed for 106 yards and two touchdowns on 28 carries.
New Orleans Saints’ Stats and Insights for Week 15
Team: The New Orleans Saints have an NFL-worst -73 point differential in the first quarter. The next lowest is the Dallas Cowboys at -60.
QB:Â Tyler Shough posted his best QBi 80.4 (B-) of the season in the upset win over the Buccaneers. It was the fifth best in Week 14 and his second B- in six games.
Offense:Â The Saints are the only team in the NFL not to score at least 27 points in a game.
Defense: New Orleans posted a DEFi score of 79.8 (C+) against the Buccaneers in Week 14. It is the seventh time in the last nine games that the Saints graded at a C+ level or better
Fantasy: Devaughn Vele has now led the Saints in receiving in back-to-back games. He’s seen a total of 20 targets over his last three and is the clear WR2 opposite Chris Olave. Unfortunately, the Panthers have actually been great against wide receivers, allowing the third fewest fantasy points per game to the position.
