New Orleans Saints quarterback Derek Carr will miss his third straight week of action this Sunday when the team plays at the Los Angeles Chargers. Carr suffered an oblique injury late in the fourth quarter of a Week 5 loss at the Kansas City Chiefs.
Dennis Allen said earlier this week that Carr is progressing and that there could be a possibility he’s back in the lineup for the Week 9 matchup at the Carolina Panthers. The Saints have scored just 20 offensive points in the last two weeks without Carr and a lengthy list of offensive contributors.
Rookie quarterback Spencer Rattler has started both games in Carr’s absence. In those games, Rattler has completed 62.7% of his throws for 415 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions. He’s also been sacked 11 times and has rushed for 61 yards.
A fifth-round choice out of South Carolina, Rattler was the first quarterback selected after a record six were chosen in the first round. Three of those have started since opening day for their teams.
Caleb Williams (1st – Chicago) has a 65.3% completion percentage for 1,317 yards with nine touchdowns and five interceptions with 20 sacks for the 4-2 Bears. Jayden Daniels (2nd – Washington) has an NFL-best 75.6% completion percentage with 1,410 yards, six touchdowns, two interceptions, and 15 sacks for his surprising 5-2 squad. Bo Nix (12th – Denver) has completed 61.2% of his attempts for 1,246 yards with five touchdowns, five interceptions, and nine sacks for the 4-3 Broncos. All three have also made plays as runners, rushing for a combined 880 yards and 10 touchdowns.
Drake Maye (3rd – Patriots) didn’t get his first start until two weeks ago. He’s completed 64.1% of his throws for 541 yards with five touchdowns and two interceptions. Michael Penix (9th – Atlanta) and J.J. McCarthy (10th – Minnesota) have yet to take a snap for their teams. McCarthy won’t play at all because of a season-ending knee injury.
Rookie Comparison
Rattler’s statistics in his first two starts compare favorably to Williams, Daniels, and Nix in their first two outings. Rattler had a 62.7% completion percentage with 415 yards, one touchdown, and two interceptions. Williams, Daniels, and Nix have combined for a 62% completion percentage and an average of 353.7 yards with zero passing touchdowns and an average of two interceptions (six total picks) in their initial two starts.
There are two major things to also consider when evaluating Rattler’s first two games. First is a difference in preparation. Three of the other four rookies have been starters since opening day. The fourth, Maye, was in a quarterback competition throughout training camp.
Secondly, the other rookies had a mostly full supporting cast around them, though the talent differences can certainly be debated. On the other hand, Rattler was operating with a skeleton crew and most of his major contributors in street clothes on the sidelines.
