NEW ORLEANS — During Sunday’s game at the Superdome, rookie quarterback Spencer Rattler sparked a glimmer of hope among the raucous crowd that he might lead the New Orleans Saints to a monumental comeback victory not seen since 2009. However, the enthusiasm quickly faded as Rattler and the Saints faced a harsh defeat.
As the starting quarterback in his NFL debut, filling in for the injured Derek Carr (oblique), Rattler threw two interceptions and endured five sacks in the second half, which turned a three-point lead into a lopsided 51-27 defeat against NFC South rival Tampa Bay. The Saints, having engineered a comeback scoring 20 points within a span of just over five minutes in the second quarter to overcome an early 17-0 deficit, were unable to put any further points on the board in the second half.
“We made several mistakes that hurt us, and I take responsibility for a lot of it,” Rattler remarked. “We need to improve in the second half, but we fought hard and will learn and develop from this experience.” Rattler, who had previously been inactive behind Carr and second-year player Jake Haener for the first five games, initially found success against the Buccaneers with planned rollouts. The final stats showed Rattler completing 22 of 40 passes for 243 yards, but he struggled after halftime, completing just 11 of 23 for 103 yards.
All five of Tampa Bay’s sacks came during the second half. “We adjusted our strategy and focused on pressuring him in the pocket effectively,” said Tampa Bay coach Todd Bowles. “Our game plan was to keep him as a pocket passer, allowing us the chance to apply pressure.”
After the Saints regained possession near midfield following a Bucs punt in the third quarter, Rattler was sacked twice consecutively. This sequence led to Chris Godwin’s 55-yard touchdown catch-and-run, giving the Buccaneers a 31-27 lead that they would not relinquish. Just seconds into the fourth quarter, cornerback Zyon McCollum intercepted an underthrown deep pass intended for receiver Rashid Shaheed, setting up another touchdown for Tampa Bay.
When safety Tykee Smith intercepted another poorly thrown ball, it capped a challenging stretch for the Saints, marked by five consecutive series that produced only one first down and two turnovers. “They executed their game plan effectively in the second half,” Rattler said. “It all comes down to what we could have done differently, including my performance.”
During pregame introductions, Rattler received significant applause, shared with star running back Alvin Kamara, and made a strong start by completing his first pass for 27 yards. Unfortunately, on his next pass, Chris Olave lost possession after being hit, leading to a 58-yard return for a touchdown by Antoine Winfield Jr., quickly giving Tampa Bay a 14-0 advantage. Olave also suffered a concussion from a helmet-to-helmet hit and was unable to return, which hurt the Saints significantly.
“It was disappointing to lose our primary receiver so early in the game,” Rattler reflected on Olave’s absence. “We had planned to involve him heavily.” Responding bravely to the initial setbacks, Rattler completed a drive going 4 for 4 for 40 yards that brought the score to 17-3. He later threw his first NFL touchdown pass to Bub Means, who caught it in the end zone, turning the game around briefly as the Saints took a brief lead at 20-17. A 41-yard connection to tight end Foster Moreau set up Alvin Kamara’s 4-yard touchdown run, granting the Saints their final lead before falling behind for good.
While Rattler faced considerable struggles, the Saints’ defense allowed an impressive 594 yards—just 11 shy of the franchise record—and were dominated in the rushing game with a 277-81 deficit. “We didn’t do enough to assist him out there,” remarked Saints coach Dennis Allen. He also confirmed the plan to have Rattler start again in the upcoming game against Denver, stating, “They controlled the line of scrimmage, making it difficult for us to establish the run. Rattler performed well initially, but as the game progressed, their pressure intensified.”