Saints go back to Rattler, lose on failed 2-point try

NEW ORLEANS — New Orleans Saints interim coach Darren Rizzi said he had no regrets about trying to win a game against the Washington Commanders on a two-point conversion attempt instead of playing for overtime.

The Saints (5-9) lost 20-19 after rookie quarterback Spencer Rattler‘s pass went off the hands of tight end Juwan Johnson in the end zone on the untimed two-point attempt.

“I’m not going to sit here and tell you it was predetermined before the game. I just felt like the way the game played out, [Alvin Kamara] had gone out, he was out for the game. [Marquez Valdes-Scantling] got banged up, we started to lose more offensive weapons. You guys felt the momentum shift there at the end. Listen, I don’t regret it whatsoever. I don’t think the players regret it. They were all in favor of it and so I just thought it was the right thing.”

The Saints were without their starting quarterback and running back Kamara, who left with a groin injury after catching a touchdown pass from wide receiver Cedrick Wilson Jr. in the third quarter. Rizzi said Kamara will get imaging to determine the severity of the injury.

Rattler finished the game 10-of-21 passing for 135 yards, a touchdown and no interceptions after replacing Jake Haener, who was benched after throwing for only 49 yards in the first half. Haener completed 4 of 10 passes, threw an interception and was sacked three games in his first start.

“We knew before the drive we wanted to go down there and win the game. I think that’s the mindset our whole team had,” Rattler said. “I’m honestly proud of the team because nobody flinched that whole game. At halftime coming out, nobody flinched. We believed that we could come out and go win the game and we were an inch away. So got to be proud of that.”

Rizzi said after a Week 13 loss to the Los Angeles Rams that he would have attempted to win that game in a similar manner if the Saints had gotten a chance. The Saints failed to reach the end zone on fourth-and-3 with 1:19 remaining in that loss.

“I know there’s the old adage about kick the extra point at home and go for two on the road and all that. We would’ve went for two in the Rams game, too, just the way the games played out,” Rizzi said Sunday.

The Saints had zero points and only 38 net yards in the first half, their fewest in a half since 2002. The struggles on offense prompted Rizzi to pull Haener after just two quarters. Haener was making his first start in place of an injured Derek Carr, who fractured his non-throwing hand against the New York Giants last week.

“Obviously it was a tale of two halves. We did not play the game we wanted to play in the first half. That’s a little bit obvious,” Rizzi said. “We had one first down and we had 14 total plays and that wasn’t all on the quarterback. We felt like we needed to make a change there.”

This was Rattler’s fourth game with extensive playing time this season. He went 0-3 in his three starts earlier this season while substituting for Carr, who was out with an oblique injury.

“I think we had some more guys in healthy than last time. I think that’s big,” said Rattler, who was sacked 14 times in his first three starts and wasn’t sacked against the Commanders. ” … It was good to have all those guys out there. Defense, same thing, played lights out I thought, kept us in that game and we were one play away.”

Haener said he was told at halftime that Rattler would be going in to start the second half. Haener praised Rattler for moving the offense but said he was disappointed not to get the opportunity to keep playing.

“They just came up to me and told me that Spencer was going to get the first opportunity to go in the second half. And obviously, like I said, disappointed, would’ve loved the opportunity to go out there and compete with the guys in the second half and have a chance to go and see what their second-half game plan was. … But for whatever reason, we didn’t have those opportunities in the first half and we made ’em count when it mattered in the second.”

The Saints ran only 14 offensive plays in the first half and had the ball for only 9 minutes, 52 seconds. Haener said he wasn’t going to make excuses for the lack of opportunities to make a play.

“At the end of the day, my job is to move the team and if I’m not doing that, then I’m not doing my job,” Haener said. “So I could sit here and feel sorry for myself and go cry to all you guys, but at the end of the day, I just got to go get better and put my head down and not listen to all the hate that I’m about to receive from everybody and just keep being myself.”

Rizzi said he was not yet ready to commit to a starter next week on “Monday Night Football” against the Green Bay Packers.

“I mean certainly Spencer just came off a really good second half here, so we’ll certainly take that into account, but I don’t want to make any proclamations yet. Well, we got the extra day off and we’ll kind of see where everybody’s at,” Rizzi said.