Sunday might be the only time Jake Haener starts in the NFL, and he’s treating it like it. Interim head coach Darren Rizzi said on Friday afternoon that he believes Haener gives New Orleans the best chance to win against the Commanders in Week 15. Rizzi said that Haener operates like a guy who's been there before, and that's he's had a great week of practice. That confidence Haener has is hardly a shock.
"I play with confidence every time I'm in the game, and this week is no different," Haener said on Friday. "I had a full week of prep, feel great about it. And my teammates believe in me and believe in what we can do. I'm excited to go out there and let it spin."
Dan Quinn's defense is a Top-5 passing unit this season, giving up just 190.7 yards/game through the air. It's only going to get better too, as Marshon Lattimore will make his Commanders debut against his old team.
Haener said the week of prep has been big, and Derek Carr actually helped him along in the process by sitting with the second-year quarterback in the film room every morning to help him dissect the Commanders defense. However, Haener has really been preparing for this moment since the offseason.
One of the things Haener told Saints News Network early on in the offseason is that he started almost immediately after the 2023 season wrapped up. While most take some time away, Haener went to work. His first break was when he went to Paris with family. That's when he found out he had a rare form of skin cancer on his face that he had to deal with and overcome.
Obviously, he was very disappointed when the decision was made to go with Spencer Rattler over him earlier in the season when Carr got hurt against the Chiefs and was out for several games. At that time, the Saints believed Rattler gave them the best chance to win. Haener just kept a 'ready to play' attitude throughout the process, being ready to play no matter what.
"I always say, 'Just always stay prepared.' I feel like I've always had this process and I've been practicing it for the last year and a half. So, this week was no different. I do the same process that I've been doing and I feel great about it."
Haener doesn't have a large sample size, just shy of 30 attempts, but just said that he's 'gotta go and be me' when he takes the field, trusting his feet, what he sees and his preparation. He's came in cold during the Broncos and Chargers games, and obviously this is more meaningful. It's an opportunity for him to prove he's a full-time starter.
"You got to earn everything in this league," Haener said. "I feel like that's been the theme of my life. I've had to earn everything I get it. Everyone's doubted me, and I just gotta go prove it."
So, what can fans expect to see out of Haener when he takes the field against the Commanders? Confidence and a 'cut it loose' mentality in a must-win game. It's a 1-0 mentality.
“I’m going to be confident. I’m going to let it rip.” Haener wants to show everybody what he’s capable of and he has nothing to lose with the Saints being 5-8. He's right too, because New Orleans has a very slim chance of making the playoffs, with the division being they're only path to the postseason at this point. Quarterbacks coach Andrew Janocko has been a huge part of helping Haener develop, and the Klint Kubiak offense has been extremely friendly or Haener.
"I think my feet and my timing have obviously improved. I feel like I've always been an accurate passer. I think once you get more and more confident with the reads and progression in the system and you get more reps at it, the better you feel. I feel like this offense has given us the opportunity in OTAs, in training camp, throughout the season to rep a lot of what we're going to do on Sundays. I feel like I've gotten a lot of reps of at what we have in and I feel confident with it."
Saints vs. Commanders: What Must Happen for a Week 15 Upset
Haener's first start is going to have plenty of emotion to it, especially because there's more friends and family that will be in attendance in the Superdome to help support him. Derek Carr actually gave him 10 suite tickets to help accommodate them. New Orleans needs to steal a win and get the upset, and if Haener can pull it off, it could go a long way for him and the Saints.
