Saints' QB coach takes Spencer Rattler to freezer to prepare for Packers matchup

A December night game against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field is sure to feature freezing temperatures, presenting a natural challenge for a team from the southern half of the country. So the Saints of New Orleans prepared that place in a practical way.

“[Quarterbacks coach Andrew] Janocko took us into the freezer, where it was like 10 degrees, and we’re still reading all the scripts in there,” Saints rookie quarterback Spencer Rattler said Saturday, according to ESPN. “Doing that, it helped a lot. . So hopefully, it’s not 10 degrees, but we’ll be fine. “

It’s scheduled to be 31 degrees in Green Bay when the game starts, which is 8:15 pm ET on Monday, but it will feel like 27 degrees with a 5 mph wind, according to The Weather Channel.

Janocko, 36, is in his first season as the Saints’ quarterbacks coach. He was previously the QB coach for the Chicago Bears (2022-23) and held several offensive coaching roles with the Minnesota Vikings from 2015-2021.

Last week, the Rattler came off the bench and relieved Jake Haener against the Washington Commanders, nearly leading the Saints back from a 17-point deficit in the second half before a failed two-point conversion attempt as time expired. The rookie out of South Carolina threw for 135 yards and one touchdown in the 20-19 loss.

Monday night’s game against the 10-4 Packers will be the Rattler’s fourth NFL start. So far, he has 706 passing yards, two passing touchdowns, two interceptions and a 73.1 passer rating, while completing 57.5% of his passes. Saints are 0-3 in three Rattler games; He has appeared in four games combined.

New Orleans is 5-9, three games behind the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the NFC South, and a long shot from making the playoffs. Starting quarterback Derek Carr missed three games in October with a groin injury and is now expected to miss the rest of the season with a hand injury, which he suffered during the Saints’ Week 14 win over the New York Giants.

“I think we said something about preparation [the cold]so you don’t panic and it’s not a surprise,” Rattler said about the practice of the fridges. “It’s something you deal with when you’re preparing for opponents and preparing for the place. So I just thought it would be good to do something different. This time of year, it’s fun to do different things. It’s a long time and sometimes, apart from just sitting in the meeting day after day, just doing something different, changing the situation.

“The guys thought it was funny. The restaurant staff thought I was crazy.”

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