Saints QB Spencer Rattler and coach Kellen Moore get 1st win over mistake-prone Giants, 26-14

Audio By Carbonatix

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Spencer Rattler was so fired up by the sight of Rashid Shaheed hauling in his deep throw down the right sideline that the second-year quarterback started sprinting the length of the field to join the celebration.

Rattler’s pivotal completion to Shaheed went for an 87-yard touchdown, safety Jordan Howden returned a fumble 86 yards for a score, and New Orleans defeated the turnover-prone Giants 26-14 for the Saints’ first victory under rookie coach Kellen Moore.

“Probably the fastest I ran all game,” Rattler quipped when asked about chasing Shaheed to the end zone. “Those plays create energy for the whole team, the whole crowd and we definitely want to have more of those.”

Such moments had been rare for New Orleans since late last season, which ended with the Saints on a four-game skid before the Moore era began with four more losses to start the 2025 season.

That changed Sunday against the New York Giants (1-4) — also the previous team to lose to the Saints last Dec. 8.

And after the game, the Saints transformed their home locker room — equipped with a sound system and color-changing LED lighting — into “Club Dub” for the first time since beating Cleveland last Nov. 17.

“It’s been a while since we had the fog and the music playing afterward,” Howden said. “I almost forgot how that was.”

The 37-year-old Moore celebrated his first victory since last season's Super Bowl — a game also played in the Superdome, when he was Philadelphia's offensive coordinator.

“This is a special group,” Moore said, praising Saints players' “resiliency to hang in there through some challenging times the first month.”

Rattler earned his first victory in 11 career starts, passing for 225 yards without turning the ball over or taking a sack, while Shaheed finished with four catches for 114 yards for the Saints (1-4).

“It feels good to get that first win,” Rattler said. “It was a team win. The defense played great. The offensive line was elite.”

Giants rookie QB Jaxson Dart, who won his first career start last week, passed for 202 yards and two touchdowns, but also turned the ball over three times, the first when the ball slipped from his hand during a scramble in the third quarter. Defensive end Cameron Jordan recovered as Dart, laying across Jordan's legs, disgustedly put both hands over his face.

“We had a lot of opportunities and moved the ball just fine,” Dart said. “We hurt ourselves. We just kind of gave this game away.”

Dart threw his first two career interceptions in the fourth quarter — both caught by Kool-Aid McKinstry for his first career picks.

New York committed five turnovers in all, none more costly than when running back Cam Skattebo was stripped by defensive tackle Bryan Bresee at the Saints 12-yard line, giving Howden the chance to scoop the loose ball on the 14 and sprint untouched the other way early in the fourth quarter.

“It was a game-changing play,” Moore said.

Indeed, the Giants were threatening to score a go-ahead touchdown when Howden saw the ball on the ground behind the line of scrimmage, picked it up and recalled thinking, "Just run — run for my life.”

Dart completed his first five passes for 44 yards, capped by his short TD pass to tight end Theo Johnson. He mixed in a 20-yard scramble with three more completions during New York's next series, which ended with Dart's 15-yard strike to Johnson for a 14-3 lead.

New Orleans closed to 14-13 on Shaheed's TD — the Saints' longest offensive play since Drew Brees connected with Brandin Cooks for a 98-yard score in 2016.

Shaheed said he tried to make safety Tyler Nubin believe he was headed across the field to the left, “and once I saw his hips turn, I broke toward the (right) corner and the rest is history.”

It was also Shaheed's sixth career touchdown reception of 53 or more yards, and his third covering at least 68 yards.

After Saints kicker Blake Grupe missed a 52-yard field goal that would have given New Orleans the lead late in the first half, the Saints got the ball back when linebacker Demario Davis forced receiver Darius Slayton's fumble at the Saints 35 and safety Jonas Sanker recovered.

That led to Grupe's short field goal for a 16-14 Saints lead at halftime.

Giants: Inside linebacker Swayze Bozeman hurt his ankle in the first half and defensive back Dru Phillips had an ankle injury in the third quarter.

Saints: Safety Justin Reid left the game in the first quarter with concussion symptoms. But the Saints said they were uplifted by the season debuts of veterans Taysom Hill and Foster Moreau, who were coming off major knee injuries last season. They led a pre-game “Who-dat” chant and Hill periodically subbed in at QB, completing his only pass for 19 yards.

Giants: Host Philadelphia on Thursday night.

Saints: Host New England on Sunday.

___

AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl