How Rattler and Shough handled live pass rush will be another data point in Saints' QB competition
Not just the pressure of the competition to be the Saints' starter, but pressure from pass rushers of the two Los Angeles teams, first in a preseason loss to the Chargers on Sunday and again in a joint practice with the Rams on Thursday.
Evaluating how Rattler, who started six games as a rookie last season, and Shough, a second-round NFL draft pick in April, handled that steady duress could go a long way in deciding who starts the season opener on Sept. 7.
'It's got to be process-focused,' coach Kellen Moore said. 'Just make sure they're going through the right process. And so a couple of those plays, sack, no sack, we'll see. Certainly there may have been (sacks), but you just got to finish the play.'
The two young quarterbacks split work with the first-unit offense against Los Angeles' starters in a quickly arranged workout, which came together over the weekend after the Rams had a previously scheduled session with the Chargers canceled.
That meant subjecting Rattler and Shough to the Rams' fierce defensive line four days after they took five sacks combined against the Chargers in a 27-13 defeat. Rattler immediately found himself staring down a free rusher in the first period of the scrimmage, only being spared from having to pick himself up off the grass because defensive tackle Tyler Davis ran past him.
But in the infrequent instances where the pocket was kept clean, Rattler and Shough were able to move the ball. Rashid Shaheed caught a deep go route from Rattler for the Saints' biggest gain of the day, while Shough was able to drive the offense into position to kick a field goal during an unscripted two-minute drill.
'When you play in some un-scouted situations, it's great work,' Moore said. 'You got to respond, you got to trust yourself, you got to react. And so there's plenty of opportunities to grow, I think, first and foremost. But they did respond, and they kept fighting, and they kept making some plays, and so it'll be great film for our guys to watch.'
Moore, a first-time head coach after stints as offensive coordinator for the Dallas Cowboys, Chargers, and Philadelphia Eagles, would like to pick a quarterback as soon as possible. At the same time, he doesn't want a rushed decision to impair the development of the 24-year-old Rattler and the 25-year-old Shough.
'They need experience, they need exposure,' Moore said. 'There's some things they are doing for the first time, maybe the second time, and so we just need time on task for them.'
Getting to run 83 plays on offense against another opponent helped in that process. There were also chances for Rattler and Shough to experience everything that comes when things aren't going well, with their leadership and attitudes being factors that will help determine who gets the first snap against the Arizona Cardinals in less than a month.
'Because you know there's going to be highs, there's going to be lows within drives and games, and how you kind of get the guys rallied together, I think it's an important aspect,' Moore said. 'These guys have done a nice job. They just got to keep getting better.'
Moore has certainly had a good look at the resilience of Rattler and Shough this week. Center Erik McCoy acknowledged the struggles in pass protection, saying the Saints started 'a little slow' but felt there was improvement as the practice went on. How the offensive line fares will go a long way in determining how much success whoever gets the nod at quarterback has.
'I think our quarterbacks have done a nice job of facing adversity, experiencing adversity, and then responding,' Moore said. 'Now, we just got to limit the adversity as much as we can and keep growing.'
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