Spencer Rattler and the Saints go on the road for the first time this year. Can Rattler keep up the good play at Lumen Field on Sunday? Let’s get into it.
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Game Information
Matchup Information
- Location: Lumen Field; Seattle, Washington
- Date: Sunday, September 21st, 2025
- Kickoff: 4:05 PM EST
Quarterback Matchup
- New Orleans Saints: Spencer Rattler (0-7; 2024 – 188.1 YPG | 4 TD | 5 INT)
- Seattle Seahawks: Sam Darnold (14-3; 2024 – 254.1 YPG | 35 TD | 12 INT)
Betting Odds
Odds via BetOnline, an industry leader in the sports betting world.
Analysis & Breakdown
New Faces, New Places
After winning 14 games for the Minnesota Vikings, putting up career highs across the board with 35 touchdowns, 4,319 passing yards and coming within one game of winning the NFC North; he was allowed to walk in the offseason. The plan was always for J.J. McCarthy to take over and Darnold’s playoff performance only solidified that.
Darnold finished his first playoff game with 245 passing yards, one touchdown and one interception. He completed 63% of his passes but the offense never got rolling. The Rams won 27-9 and that was the last game for Darnold in a Vikings jersey. Darnold signed a 3-year deal with the Seahawks and was handed the starting job here in Seattle.
So far this year, the Seahawks have gone 1-1; losing their Week 1 matchup with the Niners and winning 31-17 at the Steelers last week. Darnold finished with 295 yards through the air with two touchdowns and two interceptions. There’s definite room for improvement but Darnold’s off to a decent start and the Seahawks have some great pieces on both sides of the ball.
AK-41
It finally happened last week, we saw this Saints’ team put the ball in the hands of their best player. Alvin Kamara carried the ball 21 times in Week 2, recorded 99 yards on the ground and averaged 4.9 yards per carry. He added in six receptions on six targets for 21 yards through the air and was on the field for 86% of the Saint’s offensive snaps.
Kamara touched the ball a total of 27 times in Week 2 and the Saints ran a total of 67 offensive plays. That means he touched the ball on 40% of the Saint’s offensive plays and that’s the kind of usage we need to see more of this week.
Spencer Rattler is 0-9 as a starter in his career, averaging just 193.1 passing yards per game with seven touchdowns and five interceptions. Despite the 0-2 record to start this year, Rattler’s looked much better through two weeks this season. He’s completed 65% of his passes so far this year for 421 yards, three touchdowns and no turnovers. What’s even more insane is that his best game came against a tough Niners defense.
Rattler threw for 207 yards in Week 2, completing 73.5% of his passes and throwing all three of his touchdown passes against San Francisco.
Sunday’s Best Bet
Jaxson Smith-Njigba o75.5 Receiving Yards (-110)
The Saints pass rush ranks 30th in the NFL with a 22.2% pressure rate. Sam Darnold has been one of the NFL’s better quarterbacks when kept clean, posting a 108.6 quarterback rating over the last two seasons when not under pressure. Through two games this year with Darnold this year, JSN is seeing a 39% target share; recording 23 targets, 17 receptions and 227 yards through the air.
It’s pretty clear, Darnold’s got a favorite target. Last season we saw Darnold do the same with his WR1 in Minnesota. Justin Jefferson finished the season with a 29.8% target share, finishing the season with 103 catches, 1,533 yards and 10 touchdowns. This year Darnold’s bringing that same energy to Seattle.
Last year war Smith-Njigba’s breakout season. The second year wideout recorded his first every 1,000 yard season, averaged 66.5 receiving yards per game and scored six touchdowns. This year he’s seen an even bigger jump in target share and it’s clear he’s a big part of Seattle’s gameplan. Last year we saw Darnold favor his receivers out wide, with both Jettas and Jordan Addison leading the team in targets, this year it’s the same with 71% of JSN’s routes coming from the outside.
The lack of pass rush for the Saints will be a problem this Sunday, giving time for deeper routes to develop and Smith-Njigba to get open.
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