Spencer Rattler is preparing for his second preseason game with the New Orleans Saints, who will kick off against the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday night. And you can take some time to get ready for his next action by checking into this film breakdown of his debut with the Arizona Cardinals.
Former Saints quarterback J.T. O’Sullivan has done great work analyzing quarterback play around the league, and he took time to review Rattler’s debut last week against the Arizona Cardinals. O’Sullivan developed a wealth of experience after being drafted by the Saints in 2002 and spending nine years in the NFL, plus a couple of years in NFL Europe and the CFL. These days he’s sharing film breakdowns for “The QB School” YouTube channel.
And for the most part he was impressed by what Rattler showed last week. The young quarterback’s arm talent and mechanics are clearly there. But he acknowledged this wasn’t a perfect game and there are things Rattler needs to improve upon. If he’s allowed time to study tape, get practice reps, and develop, he’ll have a real shot at meeting his potential.
One flaw he says Rattler needs to work on? Not bailing out of the pocket when there’s room to step up and find an open man. Another one? Throwing “muddy” balls to tightly-covered receivers with other opponents nearby than just the one trailing them. O’Sullivan points to Rattler’s lack of NFL experience as the cause for some poor decisions, and he says these are the kind of errors you expect a rookie to make — and hopefully learn from. He adds that Rattler’s arm strength gives him opportunities to make a play other quarterbacks wouldn’t try. Finding the balance between risk and reward is key.
So we’ll see what Rattler has learned over the last week of practice when he gets into Sunday night’s game with the 49ers. Expecting massive growth is unrealistic. But if Rattler can clean up his feet and get the ball out a little faster, that’s a win. We’ll be watching.
