By Ross Jackson
Even with a handful of returners in the lineup, the Saints offense never got gong Sunday. Eventually the defense gave way, too. The Chargers cruised to a 28-6 win, sending New Orleans back home losers of six in a row.
After a sluggish first half for both teams, the New Orleans Saints and Los Angeles Chargers came out of the gate exactly the same to start the second half. A pair of quick punt drives led to the eventual dam breaking thanks to a 60-yard catch and run by Charger wide receiver Ladd McConkey. The wideout’s big play was the fourth 60+ yard play the Saints have surrendered this season.
The Saints offense on the other hand continued to struggle and do so to the point that the coaching staff made a quarterback change. After rookie passer Spencer Rattler started the game 12-of-24 for 156 passing yards and took 3 sacks for a loss of 16 yards, the team made a change to second-year passer Jake Haener.
Haener did well in moving the ball with quick and decisive throws. But it was not nearly enough to propel the Saints offense out of their rut enough for a win. The protection again did not hold up. Penalties were a huge factor forcing far too many third-and-longs.
Meanwhile a couple of explosive plays surrendered on defense ended up making a huge difference in this one.
The Saints have lost six games in a row for the first time since 2005. That season brought on some massive changes for the organization. It remains to be seen how the team will react to this steep fall following the outstanding 2-0 start.
The Plays:
- Saints running back Alvin Kamara had a 37-yard catch and run down the right sideline.
- Chargers wideout Ladd McConkey reeled in a tough catch and took it 60 yards for a touchdown.
- New Orleans got its first safety since 2020. Taysom Hill showed up right in the middle of the play, tackling the punter and keeping the ball free in the endzone.
The Injuries:
- Wide receiver Chris Olave was in and out of the injury tent and locker room all game after returning from concussion protocol. He played through the concerns.
- Wideout Bub Means had his hand taped up during the second quarter but returned to the game. He later exited with an ankle injury, per head coach Dennis Allen, after a big catch downfield.
- Cornerback Marshon Lattimore left the game early with a hamstring injury. It’s the second week in a row he has had to leave with a hamstring issue.
- Running back Kendre Miller was ruled out with a hamstring injury. Such an injury sideline him for all of training camp and several games to start the season. He had just returned against the Broncos last week.
- Tight end Juwan Johnson was evaluated for a concussion.
The Stats:
- The Saints were 2-of-16 on third downs.
- New Orleans committed seven penalties for 66 yards. Those penalties also forced the team into several third-and-long situations.
- The Chargers defense put up six sacks.
- The Saints punted nine times in the loss.
- New Orleans only possessed the ball for more than 3 minutes on two drives, including the final drive of the game.
- Olave had more than 100 receiving yards for the first time this season.
- Kamara crossed 100 scrimmage yards for the fifth time this year. The first time since Week 4 at the Atlanta Falcons.
- McConkey’s 111 receiving yards were the most of his inaugural season. His previous high was 67.
