Saints film room: Breaking down Spencer Rattler's performance

Spencer Rattler had a pretty good game.

The kind of game with moments that excite you about what could be to come. He also had moments where you think there's room for growth, which is normal for a rookie making his fourth appearance.

You can debate which way those things will go in the future. Will the good outweigh the bad? Whether he got lucky in a couple of moments and what the perception would be if that luck had turned. But there's no debating Spencer's talent or his arm or his poise and confidence.

Let's start with the great. Rattler's 39-yard pass to Marquez Valdes-Scantling was a dime. If it had been anything less or any other combination — a nickel and five pennies — it doesn't connect. He put the ball in there in the only place it could to avoid disaster and it worked.

If anything had played out even a little bit differently the pass might have gotten picked off. Rattler stood in the pocket for 3.81 seconds, threw the ball 41.1 yards through the air and got the ball to MVS in exactly two seconds. Change any of things by even the smallest margin and it doesn't work.

I think he saw the field pretty well on that this throw. Washington was playing what looked like a disguised Tampa 2, which is a zone defense, and Rattler knew he knew he could thread a pass up the middle over linebacker Frankie Luvu (we'll see his name again) and below the coverage of Jeremy Chinn. The other safety, Quann Mann, is the one who made this interesting. He saw the throw coming, peeled off of Kevin Austin Jr., and almost got in position to jump it, but he was just a split second late.

(I'm not sure why this is the only play of the game not loaded into the video system I'm on, but I'll add it once it becomes available)

That play was the big highlight of the day for Rattler. But he did do some other things well. I really liked his throw to MVS for a 25-yard gain in the fourth quarter. If you watch a lot of football, it's a pretty normal, regular throw to an open player. But for a rookie you look at the timing and the placement, and those things are there on this. He throws it as MVS hits his break and connects in stride. Solid play.

pic.twitter.com/ZzihP5EPMK— Zola (@CoolClips504) December 16, 2024

I also thought this was a really nice moment of improvisation by Rattler and Foster Moreau (yes, there might have been a receiver open over the middle who got missed). It almost turned into a disaster after Adam Prentice failed to pick up the pass rush, and Rattler had to avoid the sack, but he did and found the tight end for a nice little gain. They had to be on the same page to make this happen, and they were.

pic.twitter.com/us8CWvbjen— Zola (@CoolClips504) December 16, 2024

I really liked this play, too. Rattler was willing to stand in the pocket and take a hit while delivering this pass. No panic with his feet in the end zone. No concerns about the blitz coming. Also, no idea what the protection is supposed to be here, but it does feel like something Kendre Miller maybe should have picked up.

Good to see such poise from Rattler, though.

pic.twitter.com/CJrIxKrdtJ— Zola (@CoolClips504) December 16, 2024

Pretty interesting that Rattler's touchdown pass to Foster Moreau required basically the same throw that was needed to execute the ensuing 2-point conversion. Rattler easily hit the throw to Moreau, which he executed from the pocket, but he couldn't connect on the pass to Juwan Johnson, which was thrown on the move.

pic.twitter.com/q3R92VGw9Q— Zola (@CoolClips504) December 16, 2024

Leaving aside all biases and preconceived notions about the players involved, we can all agree on two things about the conversion attempt.

The ball hit Juwan Johnson in the hands, and that means he could have made a play.

Making a catch on this play would have been difficult, but it could be done.

Having said that, I still don't love condensing the field like this and ending up in a do-or-die situation where the quarterback will end up locked in on one route.

I also wonder how fair it is to pick apart the decision. The ball could have come out faster, and probably should have, and that would have made it a bit easier to execute the play. If a more seasoned QB holds that ball that long, does he see the corner sitting on the low route, meaning that the high one (Kevin Austin Jr.) is going to come open? I thought so at first, but I now think that throw is probably impossible (or at least very hard) to do in real life even if it looks possible on film.

You’re talking about a 6-foot quarterback putting the ball over the defense while throwing against his body. Even if he can make the throw, once he loads up the safety is closing the window.

pic.twitter.com/wpvwYDDCZo— Zola (@CoolClips504) December 16, 2024

There were a few negatives. I thought Rattler came out a little hyped up, and his first couple of throws were off the mark, which is to be expected. He almost dropped a dime up the sideline to Austin, but it went out of bounds.

The biggest point of criticism was this throw below. Rattler was blessed this wasn't an interception, and if he had gotten picked off, it would likely have changed the perception of his whole performance. He got lucky and just needs to see it a little bit better.

pic.twitter.com/IJ08cbdsAE— Zola (@CoolClips504) December 16, 2024

But overall, there are things to like. Rattler showed good poise and got the ball out quickly. There remain things to build upon, and his potential is high. If he gets another chance to play, he needs to make sure that he keeps building on the positives.