The Chargers got their first complete win as they dominated the New Orleans Saints, 26-8.
Both defenses dominated at the beginning of this game. The Saints’ defense struck first, forcing a safety after a poor snap on a punt. The rest of the first quarter was filled with punts and a Chargers field goal to close the frame. The Chargers took up a majority of the second quarter on an eight-minute, 15-play drive culminating in a JK Dobbins touchdown run. Cameron Dicker missed the extra point, however, meaning the Chargers only had a 9-2 lead. The Saints scored a field goal in their final drive of the half, heading into the locker room down 9-5.
The second half is when the Chargers offense got clicking. The Bolts went up 16-5 on a 60-yard pass to Ladd McConkey, their longest passing gain of the season. Rookie QB Spencer Rattler was benched in the third for Jake Haener, which provided a spark for the offense. Haener threw for 122 yards and led the Saints to another field goal. The Chargers hit a field goal in the next drive and put the nail in the coffin with another touchdown for Ladd McConkey.
The first thing to note is that the Chargers are lucky Jake Haener did not start this game for New Orleans. While they did their job and beat who was in front of them, Haener had this offense looking different in the
quarter and a half of meaningless football that he played. Of course, this is not a takeaway for LA but there are surely things to take away from the end of this match and work on during practice this week.
The biggest improvement the Chargers showed this week was in their tackling. Missed tackles are what led to a loss against the Cardinals and a nearly-blown lead against the Broncos. While Spencer Rattler is not Kyler Murray, the Bolts were able to neutralize him to the point that he got benched and likely lost his backup job for the season. With big games against Lamar Jackson and Patrick Mahomes coming up soon, the Chargers can use a similar strategy to try and take out the two-dimensional aspect of those QBs’ games.
Another large takeaway heading towards the deadline is how the passing offense looked. Ladd McConkey had 111 yards and two touchdowns as he essentially led the offense to the win. Joshua Palmer also had his biggest game of the year with 72 yards on just two receptions. While this is something the Bolts can carry into a game against the Browns, there is something to be said about this performance.
Sure, Quentin Johnston was out, but the Chargers need to make a deal for a pass catcher. It doesn’t have to be league-changing like DK Metcalf or Tee Higgins (which it arguably shouldn’t be), but any serviceable playmaker would do wonders for this offense. There have just been too many dropped balls for the Chargers this season, and they need another veteran to be reliable for Herbert to give the ball. Mike Williams and Diontae Johnson seem like perfect options for receivers. If they want to make a bigger deal, David Njoku is worth trying to get a for new long-term TE they haven’t had in LA since Hunter Henry.