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

A December night game against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field is sure to feature freezing temperatures, posing an inherent challenge for a team from the southern half of the country. So the New Orleans Saints are preparing for that environment in a literal way.

“[Quarterbacks coach Andrew] Janocko took us in the cafeteria freezer, where it was like 10 degrees, and we’re just going through the whole script in there,” Saints rookie quarterback Spencer Rattler said Saturday, according to ESPN. “Just doing that, that helped a lot. So hopefully, it’s not 10 degrees, but we’ll be ready.”

It’s slated to be 31 degrees in Green Bay at kickoff, which is 8:15 p.m. ET on Monday, but it will feel like 27 degrees with 5 mph winds, 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, Rattler came off the bench in relief of Jake Haener against the Washington Commanders, nearly leading the Saints back from a 17-point second-half deficit before an unsuccessful 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.

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

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

“I think there’s something we said about just preparing for [the cold], so you’re not shocked and it’s not something surprising,” Rattler said about the freezer practice. “It’s something that you deal with as far as you prepare for the opponent and prepare for the venue. So I just thought it was good to do something a little different. At this time of the year, it’s fun to do different stuff. It’s a long season and sometimes, other than just sitting in a meeting day after day after day, just doing something different, changing up the scene.

“Guys thought it was hilarious. The cafeteria workers think I’m out of my mind.”

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