It was a battle of rookies to kick off the week on Thursday Night Football as the Denver Broncos and Bo Nix took on the New Orleans Saints and Spencer Rattler in just his second start of the season. The Saints struggled to move the ball all night long and looked like a mess of a team from the first snap of the game, giving little help to their rookie quarterback who was flustered early on.
spencer rattler is perfect. this game is perfect. pic.twitter.com/XAZyLi7XHL
— Austin Gayle (@austingayle_) October 18, 2024
It was difficult for Rattler to find any room to operate behind an offensive line that was getting consistently beaten and bullied by the opposing Denver front. Rattler managed what he could ending the night with 25 completions on 35 passing attempts, for 172 yards, and no touchdown. Rattler added another 34 yards on the ground. Without Chris Olave or Taysom Hill in the lineup there was very little for Rattler to work with, and when put under pressure without much help it would be hard to ask any rookie to elevate the rest of the team, especially in just his second start.
Rattler clearly needs more time to sit and learn behind Derek Carr and preferably the next time he goes under center for the Saints, a better roster. It’s promising that Rattler looked even remotely functional given everything around him, even though the backup quarterback Jake Haener came in and moved the ball down the field late, it’s clear there was plenty of dysfunction offensively all night.
We don't have to overreact to a TD drive in the final 2 minutes of a blowout game, but we also don't have to ignore the fact that the Broncos were still sending the house at Jake Haener on that final Saints drive and he handled it *very* well.pic.twitter.com/jFGxkbGbWl
— Jeff Nowak (@Jeff_Nowak) October 18, 2024
