New Orleans Saints interim head coach Darren Rizzi announced Friday that Jake Haener will be the team’s starting quarterback for Sunday’s home matchup against the Washington Commanders.
Week 15 will mark the first start of Haener’s young NFL career with Derek Carr listed as doubtful after suffering a left hand fracture during last week’s 14-11 win over the New York Giants. Haener played five snaps and was sacked on his only passing attempt during New Orleans’ final two offensive series in the fourth quarter.
The 2023 fourth-round draft pick out of Fresno State has appeared in seven games this season, completing 14-of-29 passes for 177 yards and a touchdown. Most notably, Haener went 9-of-17 for 122 yards in place of backup Spencer Rattler, then starting for an injured Carr, during a Week 8 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers.
Washington (8-5) enters Week 15 with a middle-of-the-pack defensive unit allowing the 12th-fewest yards (327.7) and 17th-fewest points per game (22.8). However, Joe Whitt Jr’s unit — which will see former Saints Pro Bowl cornerback Marshon Lattimore make his team debut Sunday after November’s trade deadline deal — is particularly stingy against the pass, allowing only 190.7 yards per game, good for fifth-best in the NFL.
Haener and the Saints (5-8) will now look to pick up their fourth victory in the last five games, the start of a season-ending four-game stretch that may not include Carr with the veteran considered week-to-week going forward.
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