Saints rookie quarterback Spencer Rattler is ready for the spotlight that comes with making his first NFL start

Spencer Rattler said he has a ton of text messages he has yet to respond to, but understandably the New Orleans Saints rookie quarterback hasn't had time yet.

Preparing for his first NFL start – Sunday at noon at Caesars Superdome, when the Saints (2-3) face Tampa Bay (3-2) in their second NFC South game of the season – was extensive.

The process began Tuesday morning when he was told he would be the starter after Derek Carr suffered an oblique injury Monday night against Kansas City.

“It was exciting,” Rattler said. “They have confidence in me, but I love our group. We have so many talented guys that I can rely on and I don’t have to do much other than pass the ball to them.”

“I talked to (offensive coordinator) Klint (Kubiak) about it. Klint said, hey, let's have a great week, let's prepare at a high level, come up with a great plan. It was short and sweet and we got to work, so that was good.”

The unanimous consensus is that Rattler, the first of the Saints' three fifth-round picks (No. 150 overall), has the personality for the job.

“He's got it. He’s got some chops, man,” Kubiak said. “He has a natural lightness about him, he feels comfortable in his skin.”

That being said, Kubiak said a personality that doesn't test the waters would be just as good if the position is productive. And New Orleans, which has lost three games in a row, knows the Buccaneers will be reluctant to allow the rookie to perform.

“They are such a good defense, talented and aggressive,” Kubiak said. “But he won’t be able to do it alone. It’s a team game.”

And the team has rallied around Rattler, who completed 20 of 38 passes for 202 yards and a touchdown and ran seven times for 26 yards and a touchdown in the preseason.

“We’re really happy for him,” said receiver Rashid Shaheed. “We feel like he's prepared really well for this moment and we know he's ready for it. He has played big games in his career and we look forward to watching him do so.”

“I see that he is super concentrated and focused. He pays attention to details – he always asks questions in meetings and is just super focused. And that’s what you have to be as a rookie quarterback.”

“We all need to commit to the offense so we can come out and play fast for him.”

New Orleans won't focus on frugality so much as it will be careful offensively.

“Something I love about Klint and our offensive team is that we adapt it to the players,” Rattler said. “I really like it, I’m confident and we’ve had a great week so far.”

“I go against the first team every day on the scout team – I know I'm not going to get hit or this and that, but these are full-throttle reps and I took full advantage of them because this is one of the best defenses in the league, and that is.” I will prepare you for this whenever you have your chance.

“The great thing about him and Jake (Haener) is that they are very intelligent guys,” Kubiak said. “They really battled through the first four weeks, stayed involved in the game plan and really committed.”

“(Quarterbacks) coach (Andrew) Janocko does a phenomenal job of dealing with them early and late, so I don't feel at all like we need to dumb it down for him. I think he's quite capable of handling one.” Full game plan.

Shaheed, who has averaged 57.3 yards per catch on his three touchdown receptions this season, likes what this week's game plan presents.

“I feel like this game plan will allow him to go out there and just play,” Shaheed said. “We know they're going to give him a lot of different reads and try to rattle him, but we know he's super confident and that's what defines his game, his confidence. Smart player.”, and he will play well.

Kubiak said the freshman was a respected teammate whose humility and work ethic shone and his awareness was top-notch.

“His feel in the pocket around him,” Kubiak said. “I just feel like I have all five eligible. Things you can’t train for.”

Perhaps best of all for the Saints is that Rattler didn't seem overwhelmed by the opportunity.

“As a quarterback, you have to be fearless,” Rattler said. “I think that’s the No. 1 key to have.”