Rattler to Johnson for a 27-yard gain on the first play 🙌#Saints | 📺: FOX pic.twitter.com/Jp5GZIvdZA
— New Orleans Saints (@Saints) October 13, 2024
That’s a nice way to start your NFL career. Rookie quarterback Spencer Rattler took the field for the New Orleans Saints and made an immediate impact, throwing a dart to tight end Juwan Johnson downfield. Johnson made some moves after the catch and gained 27 yards on the play.
It’s good to see Rattler throwing to his big tight end early and often. Johnson went into Week 6’s game with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers having totaled just 9 receptions for 70 yards; that’s an average of 7.8 yards per catch and only 14 yards per game. That’s a far cry from his breakout 2022 season or his strong finish in 2023. Offseason foot surgery had slowed him down but it’s not like Derek Carr was looking his way often, either.
The Saints are desperate for Rattler to make a spark. Carr is on the mend with an oblique muscle injury and the team is preparing for their rookie to start three or four games until he’s back. It would mean the world if Rattler can make some big plays and keep them in games, but if nothing else his success could keep fans engaged amid a tough-to-watch losing streak.
