There are so many reasons why the New Orleans Saints are at a crossroads as they head into the 2023 offseason. The Saints are running out of time with just days before their September 7 opener against the Arizona Cardinals. As we write this, they have not yet announced a starting quarterback. That nonetheless puts them in the unenviable position of being the last team in the entire NFL without a designated starting QB on their depth chart.
Here’s what head coach Kellen Moore had to say to the media on Tuesday. He provided insight into the fierce battle between QBs Tyler Shough and Spencer Rattler. Both players have made solid cases with their play thus far in preseason action. Moore adds that this has resulted in an extremely tight race to win the starting job.
“It’s really, really close — numbers, experiences, reps, everything — it’s going all the way back to the start of training camp,” Moore stated. It’s really, really tight among this group. We’re looking forward to seeing how it all shakes out.”
As the clock ticks down to the decision deadline, Moore stressed their determination. The coaching staff will continue to assess both quarterbacks for the duration of next week. He expressed confidence in their abilities, stating, “I think both these guys are putting in tremendous effort, tremendous work. They’re both doing a ton of good things, so we’ll see how it goes.”
From a statistical standpoint, you can’t argue that either Shough or Rattler have had a bad first couple of preseason games. Rattler was an efficient 71.4% for 252 yards and had a TD and INT to his credit. Yet, even he has been stymied, having been sacked on three occasions.
Shough has been remarkably accurate, hitting 70.6% of his passes while accumulating 231 yards. He has at least one touchdown and one pick on the books, but he’s had a rough go of it, taking four sacks in the preseason.
Moore is still considering his options. Acknowledging their similar performances, he still hasn’t determined who will start for the Saints when they host the Cardinals.
“We haven’t named one. So we haven’t gone through that,” he explained. Once we decide, they will know and then you all will know.… We’re not trying to pull a fast one on you people, don’t worry.
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