Game Overview ::
By mike johnson >>
- The Saints appear on track to be starting 5th round rookie QB Spencer Rattler for the third straight game as Derek Carr has yet to practice with his oblique injury.
- The Chargers are playing on a short week after their last-second loss to the Cardinals on Monday night.
- There is a four day rest disparity in this game, as New Orleans played last Thursday and has 10 days of rest while the Chargers are playing on only 6 days of rest.
- The Saints may get star WR Chris Olave back after he missed Week 7 with a concussion.
- Los Angeles is a team that is already run-heavy and is battling several injuries in their receiving corps.
How new orleans Will Try To Win ::
The Saints offensive personnel was slightly above an NFL preseason roster in Week 7 as they took one on the chin from a relatively mediocre Broncos team. Playing on a short week after a wild game against the Bucs, New Orleans did not have much in the tank and were embarrassed by Denver at home by a score of 33-10. The Saints were the talk of the NFL after a dominant opening two weeks into the 2024 season but injuries have ravaged them and they have lost five straight games. Their bye is not until Week 12, so there is no rest for the weary as they travel to the West Coast for a showdown with a stout Chargers defense. Derek Carr seems unlikely to play once again this week, leaving rookie QB Spencer Rattler to run the show, while Alvin Kamara will play through his injuries once again and the Saints should get Chris Olave and Taysom Hill back in their lineup this week.
The Saints offense had a solid first half showing against the Bucs in Spencer Rattler’s first start but then went a game and a half without a touchdown as they have been outscored 60-10 over the last six quarters. The Chargers defense has been terrific this year and has yet to allow an opponent to score over 20 points in a game. The Chargers have been solid against both the run and the pass this season, but their schedule of opposing offenses has not been great. After the Saints depleted offensive line was manhandled by the Broncos, they look like they may get two starters back this week and face a Chargers team that ranks 31st in QB pressure rate, which will be a nice relief after dealing with the Broncos, who are near the top of the league in blitz rate and pressure rate.
We should expect a run heavy game plan from the Saints, and with Taysom Hill back practicing in full and Kendre Miller being activated from IR last week, the Saints should be able to get creative with *how* they run the ball. Those elements should help Rattler be more successful and the return of Olave as an “alpha” in their offense will help directly through Olave’s production and indirectly by bumping the rest of the receiving corps into roles more suitable to their skill sets. This game sets up well for the Saints to keep things competitive as their offensive situation will be much better than Week 7 and the Chargers tendency to play in low-scoring games will allow New Orleans to commit to their risk averse and run-heavy approach. We have yet to see a Chargers game this season where 40 total points were scored, and if the Saints can avoid turnovers and negative plays they should be able to stick around deep into the second half.
You must be logged in to view collective notes about a game.
You must be logged in to add notes about a game.