https://www.nola.com/sports/saints/...cle_a861d2d4-1ea8-11ef-b963-17490fe7864f.html
The praise
Jake Haener received during last year’s training camp was scripted. Or rather, the compliments were partly the product of a script.
The way the New Orleans Saints ran practices last summer, players could look at the practice script to see what plays the offense and defense were running ahead of time. So for a rookie quarterback like Haener, that information went a long way in providing answers to the test. He performed well in those circumstances, and teammates and coaches commended him.
But then when the preseason began, and there was no script to reference, Haener struggled. He didn’t process plays nearly as fast as needed. He hunted for big plays instead of taking the easy completions.
“When you get in the game situations, it kind of sets you up to fail because you don't know what's going on,” Haener said.
Haener isn't deflecting blame or throwing anyone under the bus. But things are different this year.