Saints QB battle tracker: Tyler Shough, Spencer Rattler both have uneven performances vs. Jaguars

Daniel Chavkin

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Saints QB battle tracker: Tyler Shough, Spencer Rattler both have uneven performances vs. Jaguars image

As the second week of the preseason comes to a close, the Saints are getting closer to deciding a starting quarterback.

New Orleans' quarterback competition this year is between second-year player Spencer Rattler and second-round pick Tyler Shough, as the two vie to replace the recently-retired Derek Carr. Last week, Rattler got the start, but Shough produced the highlight plays against the Chargers.

This week, Shough got his first start in the NFL as the Saints hosted the Jaguars on Sunday afternoon, with Rattler coming in for relief. As there is just one more preseason game left, this was likely the final opportunity for both players to make their case as the starter against another NFL team.

Here's a breakdown of the Saints' quarterback competition after week two of the preseason.

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Saints QB depth chart

RankPlayer
1.Spencer Rattler
2.Tyler Shough
3.Jake Haener

Entering Sunday's game, the Saints had Rattler listed as their starting quarterback, with Shough in second and Jake Haener as the third string. This depth chart is subject to change, but for now Rattler has the edge over Shough largely due to him being the more-experienced of the two.

Tyler Shough stats

  • Comp/Att: 9/12
  • Yards: 66
  • TD: 0
  • INT: 0
  • Rating: 87.5 
  • Sacks: 2
  • Fumbles: 0
  • Rush attempts: 0
  • Rush yards: 0

Shough played the entire first half for New Orleans, which only resulted in three points for the offense. With Shough under center, the Saints got off to a slow start but started to find a groove in the second half.

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Tyler Shough highlights

It took a while for Shough to get going, but he finally produced an impressive deep completion in the second quarter to Treyton Welch.

For the most part, Shough was efficient with his passes and didn't take too many risks, but also didn't produce many explosive plays. He also took a few sacks as the offense sputtered at times, failing to cross the endzone in the first half.

Spencer Rattler stats

  • Comp/Att: 16/24
  • Yards: 199
  • TD: 1
  • INT: 1
  • Rating: 95.7
  • Sacks: 0
  • Fumbles: 0
  • Rush attempts: 3
  • Rush yards: 19

Playing the entire second half, Rattler started off with a stronger showing than he did as a starter last week. The second-year quarterback threw for almost 200 yards in his half of football as he led the Saints offense to a few scoring drives.

Rattler's day turned on a sour note, as he threw an interception late in the fourth quarter for the Saints' first turnover of the day. However, he was able to bounce back with a touchdown on his next drive, producing the only touchdown of the day for New Orleans, and he followed that up with a two-point conversion run.

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Spencer Rattler highlights

Rattler's best throw of the day was perhaps a deep completion down the sidelines to Mason Tipton for a 45-yard gain.

Rattler's day ended o a high note, as he found Dante Pettis for a touchdown, then tied the game by scrambling for a two-point conversion.

Daniel Chavkin

Daniel Chavkin is a Digital Content Producer for The Sporting News. A 2018 graduate from the University of Maryland, he has previously written for Sports Illustrated, NBC Sports and NFLTradeRumors.com.