Saints’ preseason quarterback battle yields surprisingly similar results

By Ross Jackson

As the quarterback battle continues for New Orleans Saints’ passing options Spencer Rattler and Tyler Shough, the first two preseason games illustrate just how close this battle has been when it comes to live-game action.

Through two preseason matchups, the stats are uncanny.

Remarkably Similar Performances

Both quarterbacks have shown strengths in different areas but remain nearly even overall. The Saints will use a third preseason game to see if one pulls ahead.

The similarities don’t stop there. Rattler has earned a passer rating of 89.2 while Shough’s isn’t far behind at 86.8. Rattler has been sacked three times to Shough’s four. Even their adjusted completion percentages (which take drops into account) are close at 82.4% and 83.3%, respectively.

Another key similarity is that neither put the ball in harm’s way too often. Sure, they’ve both thrown preseason interceptions. But Pro Football Focus has both tracked with turnover-worthy passes of 2.1% (Rattler) and 2.4% (Shough). 

There Are A Few Key Differences

It has been quite the battle so far between the two when on the gridiron. But there are a few analytics that highlight some key differences between the two.

For instance, Shough’s time to throw metric times out slightly faster (2.79s) than Rattler’s (2.96s). On the other hand, Rattler has a better pressure to sack percentage (15.8%) than Shough’s (30.8%). While they have both done a compelling job against pressure, Rattler slightly outpaces Shough in completion percentage and quarterback rating under pressure.

Hence, A Third Part To The Battle