Questions surround the Saints' QB situation after a switch during a listless 23-3 loss to the Bucs

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NEW ORLEANS (AP) — When Spencer Rattler tried to throw over 6-foot-7 Tampa Bay Buccaneers outside linebacker Anthony Nelson from his own 2-yard line, the result could not have been worse.

Nelson deflected the second-quarter pass with his left hand at the 5, caught it at the 3 and delivered a right-arm shiver that knocked Rattler to the turf as the Bucs' edge rusher rumbled into the end zone.

It was Rattler’s sixth turnover in two weeks and maybe one mistake too many.

He was benched for rookie Tyler Shough during the third quarter as the bumbling New Orleans Saints (1-7) lost 23-3 and fell into a tie with the New York Jets and Tennessee Titans for the NFL’s worst record.

“This had more to do with the whole offense just not playing well and hopefully trying to generate some sort of spark there,” first-year Saints coach Kellen Moore said. “Unfortunately, it wasn’t able to be done.”

Moore refused to commit to a quarterback for next Sunday’s game against the Rams in Los Angeles. Rattler is 1-13 as a starter in two years after being taken in the fifth round of the 2024 draft out of South Carolina.

“We’ll navigate this thing over the next 48 hours,” Moore said. “I’m not into flip-flopping quarterbacks and all that sort of stuff, but we do have to make some decisions moving forward really as a whole offense collectively — with a lot of positions.”

Shough, a second-round pick out of Louisville who lost a preseason competition with Rattler, played briefly in the fourth quarter of a 44-13 loss to Seattle on Sept. 2. This time, he entered when the Saints trailed 17-3 with 3:57 left in the third quarter, but produced no points.

On his fourth snap, Bucs cornerback Antoine Winfield ripped the ball away from receiver Chris Olave’s grasp for an interception — the Saints' fourth turnover of the game. Tight end Juwan Johnson dropped a fourth-down pass on his next series as he was hit by safety Tykee Smith.

Shough also overthrew an open Rashid Shaheed for what could have been a 34-yard touchdown before another turnover on downs, and he was sacked on the game’s final play.

“I was ready to go,” he said. “Just got to continue to keep building. I feel ready. I feel ready every single week.”

Shough finished 17 of 30 for 128 yards. Rattler was 15 of 21 for 136 yards when Moore made the switch.

“It’s part of the game,” Rattler said. “I understand you can’t control everything. But I’m going to be a great teammate and respond the right way, be a pro about it and help in any way I can.”

The Saints defense kept it close for a half, holding the Bucs to 109 yards while sacking Baker Mayfield three times, but the offense made far too many mistakes. Rattler fumbled on the opening series when Nelson stripped the ball from him at the Tampa Bay 34 on a scramble.

“I’ve got to protect the ball better when I’m running, make sure it’s tight,” Rattler said. “I got careless. I would have had a great run there.”

His interception came a few plays after New Orleans stuffed Tampa Bay’s running backs on four consecutive downs from the 1 in a goal-line stand. It was one of three Saints turnovers in the first half.

New Orleans’ only points came on Blake Grupe’s 48-yard field goal with one second left in the first half after Chase Young forced and recovered a fumble by Mayfield.

The Saints' errors kept coming in the third quarter after the Bucs’ Sean Tucker finally scored on fourth down for Tampa Bay’s first successful attempt in eight plays from the 1-yard line (nine, if counting an accepted Saints penalty on another run for no gain). New Orleans was flagged for holding on the kickoff return, then was called for holding twice around a delay-of-game penalty before punting from its own 8 amid a smattering of boos.

Rattler’s day was done. Whether or not he gets another chance, he knows the offense needs to change something. New Orleans' defense limited the Bucs to one touchdown and three field goals of 50-plus yards in the second half.

“The defense is doing their thing,” Rattler said. “The offense has got to wake up.”

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