METAIRIE, La. -- New Orleans Saints quarterback Spencer Rattler didn't need the free weekend to get his mind off football.
Most of the Saints' roster, with the exception of players rehabbing injuries, got the weekend off to rest and relax after a Thursday night 33-10 loss to the Denver Broncos on Oct. 17.
The idea was to get everyone healthy and get the players' minds back on track following their fifth straight loss. But Rattler hung around New Orleans instead, wanting to stay focused ahead of his next start against the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday.
"Pretty quick turnaround, so I didn't go anywhere," Rattler said.
Rattler is preparing to make his third NFL start as quarterback Derek Carr is still sidelined with an oblique injury. Saints coach Dennis Allen said that Carr is targeting next week for his return, meaning this week's game against the Chargers could be Rattler's last start for a while, barring another injury.
It has been a rocky beginning for Rattler as the team tries to stop its five-game losing skid -- the longest since the 2021 season, when it lost five between Weeks 9 through 13. Rattler has completed 62.7% of his passes in his two starts for 415 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions. He has been sacked 11 times and has carried the ball nine times for 61 yards and three fumbles.
"A lot of young guys in, including myself, making our first few starts," Rattler said. "There's going to be bumps in the road, but we've got to find a way to make it work."
Allen has stuck with Rattler, saying the film has shown that the rookie has played well when the offensive line has been able to protect him, and he has been able to get on the move and make some plays with his feet as well. Allen said he has seen a lot of good things, but the focus now is to eliminate rookie mistakes. Turnovers have been a problem the past few games -- some on Rattler and some out of his control.
A pass to wide receiver Chris Olave in Rattler's first start against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers was ruled a fumble and returned for a touchdown, while a sack fumble against the Broncos also was returned for a score. Rattler also had another fumble that was nullified by an offsides penalty against the Broncos.
Rattler echoed Allen's challenge to eliminate those types of mistakes, citing the nullified fumble as one where he could do a better job of taking care of the ball, even though he knew the defender was offsides.
"Just catch the ball and go down. Don't try to throw it away. Throw it out, throw it away on time," he said. "I mean there was two fumbles on balls I was trying to throw away. Get it out quicker."
Rattler said the biggest thing he has learned is: "Don't make a bad play worse."
"Don't try to be a superhero and try to make that big play, just take us to the next down when it's needed," Rattler said. "I think you feel much better if you take out two plays from each game coming out of it. It's a simple fix, and it'll get done."
Allen said that Rattler has handled himself well throughout the two starts and doesn't think he "lets stuff get to him too much."
"I think he's a true competitor. He's somebody that loves a different challenge each week in the league presents to him, especially as a rookie," said Saints quarterback coach Andrew Janocko. "I think when you look at him and you look at things he's been through, he's been prepared for this. ... Each week in the NFL obviously is a different beast every week, but the challenges that he's faced ... throughout his career, he's been prepared for this, and he's the type of kid that just keeps everything kind of centered and, 'OK, next play up and next task.'
"And it's been a lot of fun working with him through all the good stuff he's done and the stuff we've been improving on and just taking those first couple starts in stride and seeing how we can get better."
Rattler, who said his confidence hasn't waned at all, said he approaches game film by looking at the positives instead of simply focusing on one or two negative plays. He said he's still hard on himself but knows how to deal with adversity from his college playing days.
"A lot of guys, rookies especially, have struggled this year early on in their first starts," Rattler said. "I wouldn't say we're struggling, too much. I think we've just got to make it work, take advantage of the opportunity, lean on your teammates, but your confidence can't drop. You can't be negative about it. You have to keep pushing because it will get better."
Rattler has several reasons to feel confident ahead of his next start. His first two NFL games have come in the middle of what Saints general manager Mickey Loomis recently called "an avalanche" of injuries.
The injured Saints have included three starting offensive linemen (Erik McCoy, Lucas Patrick and Cesar Ruiz), starting linebacker Pete Werner, tight end Taysom Hill and the team's top two receivers in Rashid Shaheed and Olave.
McCoy remains on injured reserve, and Shaheed is out for the season, but the rest of the group, including Olave (concussion protocol) returned to practice on Wednesday with a chance to play against the Chargers on Sunday.
Saints running back Alvin Kamara, who said he has played with a broken hand and fractured ribs, said it was good to see some of the players again.
"[Cesar] is crazy, he's out there, he's moving around, Lucas, Taysom, he's out there jolly, he's all happy and stuff," Kamara said. "When guys get hurt ... you lose some of those personalities, and so, when they come back, it feels good."
The return of several injured players has also given Rattler a boost as he prepares to play with some teammates who haven't been around the past few weeks.
"Having a full week of practice this week with everybody, guys coming back, we had a break. It's just a new revived energy. That's what we need coming into this game. So, we've got to get a win this week," Rattler said.