NFL Matchups: All-Time History Between The New Orleans Saints And Chargers

A look back at the series history between the Saints and their Week 8 opponent, the Los Angeles Chargers.

New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara (41) against the Los Angeles Chargers / Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

Week 8 of the 2024-25 NFL season sees the New Orleans Saints traveling to the west coast to take on the Los Angeles Chargers. It will mark the third game against an AFC West opponent in four weeks for the Saints, who will be coming off a Thursday night battle with the Denver Broncos the prior week.

New Orleans is coming off a 9-8 finish last season. They finished tied for the NFC South lead, but missed out on the playoffs because of tiebreakers. It was their third consecutive year without a postseason berth.

The Chargers finished 5-12 in 2023. They've made the playoffs just twice in the last 10 years, but had high expectations in 2023 after a postseason trip the previous season. Their collapse caused a coaching change, resulting in luring Jim Harbaugh back to the NFL after a National Championship at Michigan.

This will be only the 14th time that the Saints and Chargers franchise has met. There hasn't been much in the way of storied matchups between the teams, but one with a few significant player ties over the years.

Saints vs. Chargers Series History

• 6-7 all-time record
• 4-3 on the road* (one ''home'' game was played between these teams in London)

Quarterback Drew Brees throws a pass while with the San Diego Chargers / Andrew T. Malana

The first ever meeting between the Saints and San Diego Chargers occurred late in the 1973 season. Despite outgaining the Chargers by nearly 100 yards, the Saints dropped a 17-14 decision in San Diego, one of only two wins that year for the Chargers.

These teams first met in New Orleans during the 1977 season. Neither team managed even 270 yards of total offense in a defensive battle that resulted in a 14-0 victory for the Chargers.

San Diego registered another shutout of the Saints two years later in 1979, again in New Orleans. This time, an explosive Chargers offense led by QB Dan Fouts and WR John Jefferson rolled up 400 yards and a 35-0 halftime lead on their way to a win by the same score.

San Diego and New Orleans would not meet again until the 1988 season, this time in San Diego. The outstanding Dome Patrol defense of New Orleans held the Chargers to just 206 offensive yards as the Saints put up 20 points through the second and third quarters to overcome an early 14-0 deficit. New Orleans would hold on for a 23-17 victory, their first win in San Diego and first victory of any kind against the Chargers after three tries.

That game would be followed by three more victories by the Chargers in this series through the 1990s. A 1991 24-21 New Orleans loss in San Diego, along with two home losses to the Chargers in 1994 and 1997 left the Saints with a 1-6 all-time record in the series heading into the 2000 season.

Wide receiver Wes Chandler (89) starred for both the New Orleans Saints and San Diego Chargers in his NFL career / nflpastplayers.com

A New Orleans team with low expectations traveled to San Diego in the second game of the 2000 season. The Chargers held a 24-13 halftime lead. However, the New Orleans defense recorded five sacks, intercepted two passes, and held the Chargers to only 188 yards of total offense. Saints QB Jeff Blake threw for 259 yards and connected with WR Joe Horn 12 times for 116 yards and two touchdowns as New Orleans rallied for a 28-27 win.

The Saints traveled to San Diego again in 2004. A young Chargers quarterback named Drew Brees threw for 257 yards and four scores as San Diego rolled to a 43-17 win. Brees would wind up in a New Orleans uniform just two years later. This would also be the last victory that the Chargers would register against the Saints, perhaps the last ever as the San Diego Chargers.

Drew Brees exacted a measure of revenge against the team that drafted him during the 2008 season. Brees outdueled his replacement, Chargers QB Philip Rivers, by torching the San Diego defense for 339 passing yards and three touchdowns. The Saints rolled to a 37-20 lead and held on for a 37-32 victory in a game played overseas in London.

Four years later, Brees again bested Rivers and the Chargers with a 31-24 win in 2012, this time in New Orleans. In that game, Brees threw for 370 yards and four scores as wideouts Marques Colston and Devery Henderson combined for 254 of those yards and all four touchdowns.

New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees (9) throws a pass against the San Diego Chargers / John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports

Late in the first quarter of that 2012 win, Brees connected with Henderson for a 40-yard scoring strike. It marked the 48th consecutive game with a touchdown pass for Brees, breaking a 52-year NFL-record held by Johnny Unitas.

The last time the Saints and Chargers met in San Diego was in October of the 2016 season. Rivers and the Chargers outgained the Saints in total yardage on the day and held a 34-21 lead with less than seven minutes to go in the game. Brees directed the Saints to two touchdown drives in the final moments, aided by three turnovers forced by the New Orleans defense, as the Saints pulled out a 35-34 win. After the season, the Chargers would relocate to Los Angeles.

In the last meeting between these clubs, the Saints and Los Angeles Chargers met in New Orleans on a Monday night in 2020. Brees, playing in his final season, would throw for 325 yards as he faced off against star Chargers rookie QB Justin Herbert.

New Orleans would need every one of those yards. Trailing 27-20 with under four minutes to go, Brees completed five of six passes for 54 yards on a 73-yard touchdown drive to tie the game with just seconds remaining. The Saints would ultimately pull out a 30-27 overtime victory.

Los Angeles Chargers guard Austen Pleasants (75) blocks New Orleans Saints defensive tackle Bryan Bresee (90) / Orlando Ramirez-USA TODAY Sports

The Chargers are expected to adopt a new offensive philosophy under Harbaugh. Despite the presence of Herbert, we could see a more balanced approach because of a decimated receiving corps and Harbaugh's traditionally conservative style.

New Orleans, also under new offensive leadership, counters with a defense expected to be among the best in the league from a coverage aspect. However, the Saints struggled to pressure the passer last year and have issues against the run the last two seasons.

The Saints have won four consecutive games against the Chargers, but this is the first time they've faced them in their Los Angeles home. In this same venue last season, SoFi Stadium, New Orleans was routed by the Rams in a 30-22 loss that wasn't nearly as close as the final score.