Stephen Lew-Imagn Images
By Ross Jackson
METAIRIE, La. – The biggest story in New Orleans spots is the Saints’ quarterback battle. Often seen as a two-man battle between rookie Tyler Shough and second-year QB Spencer Rattler, the Saints have made it clear there’s a third name in the mix: Jake Haener.
The fiery, confident underdog is always a sure bet for an exciting play throughout training camp practices, but his opportunities have been limited to third team reps over the first two days.
While both general manager Mickey Loomis and head coach Kellen Moore have been adamant about their belief in Haener, the actions are contradicting the words for the time being. This feels like a bout between the team’s two top options, but that doesn’t stop Haener from knowing what it takes to win and putting it on display.
“Coaches are going to want to put the most consistent guy out there,” he said. “[One that] doesn’t turn the ball over, has a great command of the offense, can get the guys into the right situation at the right time. And I think with a guy like Kellen, he wants to be able to kill plays, check plays and be able to alert things.”
Haener’s sentiment echoes Moore’s previous comments about the importance of the operation and “above the shoulders” play of his quarterbacks being a key factor in finding the next passer.
“I think a lot of it comes into the operation,” Moore said. “And the way they operate the offense, the way they communicate with everyone on the field. Again, the quarterback has no choice, it’s a leadership role, and there’s no real way around that. So, it’s really, really important to see those guys take ownership and go for it.”
While Moore’s scheme is said to be very player friendly, it will still include some wrinkles and challenges for each of his young passers to work through over the course of training camp. That was another important element that Haener highlighted as a demand he, Rattler and Shough are trying to answer.
“I think in this system, yeah the play calls are cut down a little bit,” Haener said. “But there’s a lot on our play as far as recognizing coverage, understanding protection and then obviously getting our guys in the right play going from one play to another. So, I think that’s obviously really important, but I think showing consistency day in and day out with those key things helps win a job.”
This offers a real glimpse into what it takes to run “the operation,” managing the huddle, getting teammates set, reacting to the defense, all with a 40-second play clock winding down and 70,000 fans screaming around you. Nothing about it is simple.
Moore’s approach to camp so far, which has been a busy one, won’t leave questions about handling the operation (and more) unanswered for very long. Through two days Rattler has already seen 31 reps, Shough has been given 30 and Haener has seen 21. 82 full-team or 7-on-7 reps through two days is a heavy workload. If that pace keeps up, all of the elements that Haener emphasized will eventually yield undeniable results.
