Overreactions: Saints vs. Commanders

Two takeaways following New Orleans’ Week 15 loss to Washington.

The New Orleans Saints’ miraculous comeback came up short as their game-winning two-point conversion attempt fell incomplete, resulting in a 20-19 defeat to the Washington Commanders in Marshon Lattimore’s return to the Superdome.

Despite not leaving the field with a victory, there was plenty to take away from Sunday’s matchup, including who should start at quarterback if Derek Carr remains sidelined in Week 16 and the natural position of one of the defense’s rising playmakers. Additionally, the Saints now hold the 10th pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.

Let’s discuss two potential overreactions following the Saints’ Week 15 loss to the Commanders:

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Does Spencer Rattler deserve a shot as the starter next season?

After a long week of debating whether promising rookie Spencer Rattler or second-year backup Jake Haener deserved to start at quarterback for New Orleans while Derek Carr progresses through the concussion protocol and nurses his fractured non-throwing hand, the Saints quickly learned they made the wrong decision the second time around.

Named a starter for the first time in his young career, Jake Haener had a rough showing. He completed just 4 of 10 passes for 49 yards and an interception, while also taking 3 sacks and posting a QBR of 16.2. Though the offensive line started sluggish, Haener had several plays where he either held onto the ball too long or let his happy feet get the best of him, making it difficult for routes to develop and for receivers to get open. It almost felt like he was afraid of getting hit, though he still made some impressive throws that weren’t caught.

The offense totaled just 38 yards in the first half (20 passing and 18 rushing) and managed only 2 first downs on 20 plays. However, interim HC Darren Rizzi made it clear that the Saints’ first-half struggles weren’t solely due to Haener’s poor play. He pointed to a holding penalty that wiped out a 15-yard first down to WR Cedrick Wilson Jr. and a 20+ yard dropped pass by WR Marquez Valdes-Scantling.

Haener expressed his disappointment in the way things played out but said he won’t sit there and feel sorry for himself and will keep his head down and ignore the outside noise.

Ultimately, Rizzi made a bold decision that paid off—one we likely wouldn’t have seen under Dennis Allen. With 8:07 left in the third quarter, the Saints pulled Haener, and Spencer Rattler took over for their first drive of the second half. He immediately provided the offense a desperately needed spark, finishing with 10 completions on 21 attempts for 135 yards and a clutch touchdown pass to TE Foster Moreau to cap off the final two-minute drill. Rattler completed five of seven passes for 28 yards on the game-deciding drive and was responsible for 8 of the 15 second-half first downs.

Rizzi credits Rattler’s preparation and resiliency for his impressive performance and his ability to handle being thrown into the fire. He added that Rattler kept a positive attitude throughout the week and never moped about not being named the starter.

Something I found noteworthy:

Though they lost the game, the Saints may have discovered something extremely valuable about Spencer Rattler. It was already evident that Rattler is physically talented enough to be a starting quarterback in this league but seeing that he can face adversity with poise at a professional level is highly encouraging. And with the uncertainty surrounding Derek Carr’s future in New Orleans, it could be worth giving Rattler a shot as the starter next season, especially since a severely underwhelming draft class at the quarterback position just got even thinner with Penn State QB Drew Allar returning to school for his senior season.

If Derek Carr is forced to miss Monday night’s matchup with the Green Bay Packers, should Spencer Rattler get the nod to start? Furthermore, does he deserve a shot at being the full-time starter next season if the Saints decide to part ways with Carr?

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Has Alontae Taylor actually been better on the outside?

Following the Saints’ trade of CB Marshon Lattimore to the Commanders, the defensive staff decided it’d be best to let Alontae Taylor go back to where he played in college, even after having him perfect the techniques of an entirely new position this offseason. Since then, I’ve seen some call for Taylor to be moved back to the slot, though the stats suggest he may actually be doing better than initially thought.

When this decision was made, I was skeptical because I thought the excessive switching could hinder Taylor’s confidence. Last season, when he was moved to the slot, he looked completely lost, and it was obvious that nickel wasn’t a natural fit for him. However, Taylor made the most of the 2024 offseason by fully embracing his new role. He continuously expressed his desire to be the best slot corner in the league, and before being moved back outside, it appeared he was close to achieving that goal. A year-three Alontae Taylor has taken a significant leap in production and has been one of the more consistent playmakers for the New Orleans defense this season. He ranks among the most disruptive defenders across the league when it comes to interceptions, passes defensed, forced fumbles, or tackles for loss.

Alontae has allowed 30 receptions on 46 targets for 540 yards and 3 touchdowns, along with 5 pass breakups and 7 stops in seven games since taking over as the primary outside corner opposite Kool-Aid McKinstry. In contrast, he allowed 38 receptions on 47 targets for 338 yards and 1 touchdown while tallying 4 PBUs, 15 stops, and 1 forced fumble during the seven games he played primarily in the slot.

If the plan is for Taylor to stay on the outside next season, he’ll need to clean up some bad habits—four of his six penalties this season have occurred while playing out wide.

What do you think? Should the Saints let Alontae focus on his development as a lockdown outside corner while Ugo Amadi continues to emerge in the slot, or should they consider moving him back to the nickel so guys like Shemar Jean-Charles or Rico Payton can see some reps alongside Kool-Aid?