Saints' Kellen Moore to make starting QB decision next week between Spencer Rattler, Tyler Shough

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Saints head coach Kellen Moore is closing in on a decision, but he isn’t quite ready to name his starting quarterback after Saturday’s 28-19 loss to the Broncos.

“We’ll go through this process,” Moore said after the game. “We’ll study the film Sunday, we’ll have those discussions, and then at some point next week we’ll make that decision and communicate with certainly the players, first and foremost, and we’ll get it to everyone else as well.”

The battle between Spencer Rattler and rookie Tyler Shough has been tight all training camp and preseason. Did anything that happened Saturday tilt the battle? If so, Moore wasn’t tipping his hand.

“I thought there was a lot of good by the quarterbacks,” Moore said. “There were a couple missed opportunities, but I thought they were going through the right process. Both guys I think had some opportunities there.”

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Rattler started the game and played three series, leading two field-goal drives to start the game. The Saints’ third possession ended in a turnover on downs, with Rattler being stuffed on a 4th-and-1 QB-sneak attempt from the New Orleans 36-yard line.

Rattler completed 5 of 8 passes for 43 yards, taking one sack and gaining no yards on his one rush attempt. Most of Rattler’s throws were of the shorter, higher-percentage variety. He misfired on a screen pass and threw a dangerous off-target ball to Brandin Cooks that was knocked down. But generally speaking, it was a solid showing.

Moore said he liked what he saw from Rattler.

“Spence did some really good work today,” Moore said. I thought he made some excellent decision-making.”

Rattler is probably the favorite to be the Week 1 starter right now. But Shough isn’t going away, and Moore had plenty of praise for the rookie, too.

The second-round pick entered Saturday’s game midway through the second quarter and played into the early fourth quarter, earning four offensive series, not counting the kneel down before halftime. Shough started a bit slowly and lost a fumble on a strip sack, but he found his rhythm eventually and made some plays as a runner.

Shough completed 12 of 20 passes for 102 yards, with the Saints’ two longest completions of the game for 14 and 21 yards. The latter was a pretty hole shot to Thomas Welch on the first play of the third quarter.

After a punt and the lost fumble, Shough ended his day on a high note in leading the Saints on a 12-play, 77-yard touchdown drive against Denver’s deeper reserves. Shough ran in an 11-yard touchdown on a read-option keeper early in the fourth quarter to finish his day.

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