By Tim Peterson
(Inglewood) – The Chargers trailed 2-0 at the end of the first quarter and only scored nine points in the first half but ultimately pulled away late in the game to beat New Orleans 26-8 Sunday before 70,240 fans at SoFi Stadium.
It looked like a baseball score early when the Saints picked up a safety in the first quarter and a field goal by the Chargers’ Cameron Dicker early in the second made it 3-2 LA. But the Chargers got it going in the second half.
New Orleans scored first when the Chargers JK Scott fumbled the snap out of the end zone on a punt attempt resulting in a safety and a 2-0 lead with 10:20 left in the first quarter.
On the first play of the second quarter Dicker “The Kicker” kicked a 46-yard field goal to give the Chargers a 3-2 lead. The kick was set up by a 38-yard run by Justin Herbert down into New Orleans territory.
Later in the second J.K. Robbins capped a 15-play, 90-yard drive with a one-yard touchdown run with 1:37 left in the second quarter for a 9-2 lead after the extra point failed.
The Saints then quickly worked their way down into Chargers territory before being halted. Blake Grupe kicked a 40-yard field goal to cut the LA lead to 9-5 with five seconds left.
The Chargers took the four-point lead into halftime.
There were 8 punts combined by the two teams in the first half- three by the Chargers.
After another New Orleans punt in the third quarter the Chargers hit on a quick strike. Herbert hit Ladd McConkey on a pass and McConkey did the rest weaving his way 60 yards for a touchdown to give LA a 16-5 lead.
Grupe kicked a 43-yard field goal for New Orleans late in the third quarter to make it 16-8. That was the last time the Saints scored.
Spencer Rattler started at quarterback for New Orleans in place of the injured Derek Carr but he was replaced by Jake Haener in the second half. However the Saints were still held scoreless the rest of the way.
A 45-yard pass from Herbert to Joshua Palmer down to the New Orleans 16-yard line set up a 29-yard field goal by Dicker with 11:55 left in the fourth quarter to make it 19-8.
The Saints missed an opportunity when Grupe missed a 44-yarder with 6:45 left in the fourth.
The Chargers then pieced together a 9-play, 66-yard drive capped by a nine-yard touchdown pass from Herbert to McConkey to increase the lead to 26-8 with 3:22 left.
The Chargers then shut out the New Orleans over the final three plus minutes.
For the Saints Rattler completed 12 of 24 for 156 yards. Haener was 9 of 17 for 122. Alvin Kamara ran for 67 yards on 10 carries and also had 5 receptions for 55 yards. Chris Olave had 8 catches for 107 yards.
For the Chargers Herbert was 20 of 32 for 279 yards and 2 touchdowns without an interception. McConkey had 6 catches for 111 yards and 2 scores. Dobbins had 17 carries for 57 yards and a touchdown.
The Chargers improved to 4-3 with the victory while the Saints dropped to 2-6. The Chargers will travel to Cleveland next Sunday to take on the Browns.
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