The quarterback matchup for the New Orleans Saints vs. Los Angeles Rams this week will be fun to watch. The Saints will most likely hold starting quarterback Tyler Shough out again this weekend, but during the joint practice session with the Cowboys yesterday, Shough performed well. Given the intensity of the practice and the number of fights that took place, the Saints and Cowboys were still able to get a lot of great work in. Shough finished the day unofficially completing 19 of 22 passes with two
touchdowns and one interception. The joint practices will provide the highest level of competition for Shough, and the Saints will shift their focus to joint practices with the Rams for the remainder of the week.
Now, the Saints seem to be leaning toward starting Spencer Rattler for the second straight preseason game. After a very underwhelming performance against the Jaguars on Saturday, Rattler had a pretty solid day during the joint practice against the Cowboys.Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.Football stated that Rattler finished the day completing 7 of 8 passes with no turnovers. His lone incompletion was a batted ball at the line of scrimmage.
Rattler needs to come out and establish a rhythm early for the offense and make sure he can sustain his confidence as the game progresses. At some point, the Saints will play Zach Wilson, and it will be intriguing to see just how much of an opportunity Wilson gets this week. Wilson left Saturday’s game having arguably been the best quarterback on the field for either team. He finished 11-of-16 for 145 yards and one touchdown.
During the joint practice session yesterday, however, Wilson had eight attempts but completed only four and threw an interception. This is what makes this “battle” for the No. 2 job so interesting. Rattler may have the better week in practice, but if Wilson can start stringing together better game-day performances, it may give him the edge.
The Rams have their own interesting quarterback situation brewing in Los Angeles. League MVP and former Georgia Bulldog Matthew Stafford will not play a single snap during the preseason, and at this point in his career, he does not need to. However, the Rams are built to win right now, and during the offseason, many people thought they would add a key piece that could help push the team over the top for the 2026 season.
Instead, they opted to invest in the future by drafting former Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson in the first round with the 13th overall pick. This selection was head-scratching for another reason, as the Rams have also spent the last four seasons investing in the development of Stetson Bennett. Bennett was viewed as having a legitimate shot at being the primary backup this year, but drafting Simpson has complicated that path for him.
Bennett got the start in the first preseason game against the Chiefs, but Simpson took all of the headlines after coming in and delivering a great performance. Bennett finished the game 4-of-6 for 38 yards with no turnovers, while Simpson finished 21-of-25 for 190 yards and two touchdowns.
Simpson’s situation is interesting because the Rams have to ask themselves whether they really want to enter a season in which they have a legitimate chance to win the Super Bowl with a rookie quarterback as their primary backup. It’s a difficult question to answer. At this point, Rams head coach Sean McVay has not committed to a starter for the game against the Saints.
The game kicks off at 3 p.m. on Saturday, and there are plenty of storylines to follow in this one. Who do you think should be the backup quarterback for either of these teams and how do you feel about Rattler after last week’s game?
