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The New Orleans Saints' first game of the season without quarterback Derek Carr and rookie Spencer Rattler under center was a forgettable experience, as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers thrashed them 51-27 at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome, handing them their fourth straight loss.
The game was an offensive shootout in the first half. The visitors scored 17 unanswered points in the first quarter before the Saints fired back, outscoring the Buccaneers 27-7 in the second quarter.
However, the Saints didn't score a point in the third and fourth quarters, while Tampa Bay put up 27. Despite the loss, franchise icon Drew Brees was impressed with what he saw from Spencer Rattler. In a video posted on the Saints' social media page, he gave the rookie a glowing review:
"I saw from Spencer Rattler exactly what I'd thought I'd (see), which is a guy who plays with a ton of confidence and can make all the throws. And then you can just kind of have to make some of the mistakes and work through those, just like every young player does."
Rattler also excused his underwhelming second-half performance and pinned the blame on his inexperience and the defense's inability to stop the Buccaneers, forcing him to try risky plays.
Spencer Rattler stats: A tale of two halves for QB on debut
Spencer Rattler looked the part in the first half on his New Orleans Saints debut. He completed 11 of 17 pass attempts for 140 yards and one touchdown. He also rushed for 21 yards on three carries.
The second half was a different story altogether. He completed only 11 of 23 pass attempts for 103 yards and threw two picks.
Rattler also rushed only once for six yards. His first interception proved to be a backbreaker, as the Buccaneers, who were leading by four points at that point, marched down the field to extend their advantage to 11.
However, it was a decent showing, considering it was the rookie fifth-round draft pick's debut against a divisional rival. The Saints will focus on Spencer Rattler's first-half display and devise an offensive game plan around that for their Thursday Night Football clash against the Denver Broncos.
The game will be Sean Payton's first against the Saints since he unretired and took over as the Broncos coach. New Orleans will hope that Rattler can lead to victory against their former coach and his new team.
