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Don't Miss the Action: Saints Week 8 Live Game Alerts and Notes!

The Saints are in a must-win situation when they play the Chargers, and we'll see what team shows up on Sunday afternoon.

John Hendrix

Oct 17, 2024; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; New Orleans Saints quarterback Spencer Rattler (18) passes against the Denver Broncos during the first half at Caesars Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images
Oct 17, 2024; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; New Orleans Saints quarterback Spencer Rattler (18) passes against the Denver Broncos during the first half at Caesars Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images / Stephen Lew-Imagn Images
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INGLEWOOD -- The Saints have to produce a win on Sunday, and there's no other outcome that would be acceptable. New Orleans, who has lost five straight games, has to stop the bleeding and at least attempt to get their season back on track. They're down on strikes and can't afford more losses if they want to get back into the postseason, but the Chargers will prove to be a tall task for them. Keep updated with all of the action in our Week 8 game thread.

Pregame Notes

  • Not seeing Marquez Valdes-Scantling active today isn't really a surprise. I mean, he got here five days ago. While there is some understanding of the offense based on his time with Matt LaFleur, he still has to learn some things. I'd expect him to make his Saints debut against the Panthers.
  • There was a small chance that Derek Carr could have been the emergency third quarterback going into Sunday, according to Dennis Allen. However, I didn't see him on the field at all, and even if he was, the important thing would be seeing him throw passes.
  • Not activating Dallin Holker today really gives some confidence in where Taysom Hill is at for the offense. I don't expect many limitations for him.
  • Getting the offensive line back at almost full strength should help Spencer Rattler out in more ways than one. The protection is one thing, but getting the run game going with Alvin Kamara, Kendre Miller and Taysom Hill should be helpful.
  • Saints offensive line in walkthroughs (left to right): Taliese Fuaga, Lucas Patrick, Connor McGovern, Cesar Ruiz, Trevor Penning.
  • Saints called tails and won the toss. They'll defer to the second half kickoff.

First Quarter - Saints 2, Chargers 0

Scoring

  • Saints, 10:20 - JK Scott fumble out of bounds in end zone for a Safety.

Notes

  • Pete Werner made his return felt immediately, stopping the first passing play for a loss of 2 yards.
  • Great job by Kool-Aid McKinstry to break up that sideline pass to Josh Palmer. That is exactly what you want out of the rookie.
  • Jermaine Jackson has to make a decision and go with it on the punt.
  • Alvin Kamara's first run picked up 23 yards, and it was off that right side with Cesar Ruiz and Foster Moreau.
  • Getting Taysom Hill involved early was also a good thing for the New Orleans offense, but unfortunately that drive stalled. Still, not a bad start.
  • Good pressure by Chase Young on the Justin Herbert 2nd Down play. New Orleans got another stop to force a three-and-out.
  • The holding call on Lucas Patrick backed the Saints up to a 2nd-and-19, and then Spencer Rattler found Taysom Hill for a 14-yard gain. The 3rd-and-5 play left a lot to the imagination. Saints drives stalling out after at least moving the ball isn't ideal.
  • Chargers found some success on their third drive, but it ended up stalling out after Ugo Amadi was the extra DB on the field and got the sack on Herbert.
  • That's a really rough sequence by Rattler hooking up with Chris Olave. That got him popped and he's in the injury tent. Dennis Allen is challenged the play and won, but the bigger story is Olave is not in the game currently.
  • Rattler ended up giving himself up which led to the 3rd-and-16. Chris Olave ended up rejoining the sideline and had his helmet in hand. He was evaluated for a concussion.
  • Complete breakdown on the Justin Herbert running play. He picked up 38 yards. That's beyond tough for the Saints defense.
  • Another great play by Pete Werner to sniff out the screen play, this time forcing a loss of 5.

Highlights

Second Quarter - Chargers 9, Saints 5

Scoring

  • Chargers, 14:55 (6-56, 2:43) - Cameron Dicker 46-yard field goal.
  • Chargers, 1:37 (15-90, 8:07) - J.K. Dobbins 1-yard run (extra point wide left)
  • Saints, 0:05 (9-48, 1:32) - Blake Grupe 40-yard field goal.

Notes

  • Saints with an ugly offensive drive that led to another punt. It didn't even get going after a 2-yard loss to start. Then on the 3rd-and-12 play, Rattler found Taysom Hill, who made a good effort on the play to get 11 yards. However, Bub Means was flagged for a block in the back and it made it 3rd-and-15 afterwards and they just handed it off.
  • Great defensive play on 3rd-and-2 by Alontae Taylor getting there immediately to force an incompletion.
  • Bub Means is probable to return with a hand injury.
  • That's a great screen play for New Orleans with Connor McGovern and Cesar Ruiz out in front. They might not be Erik McCoy, but that went for 37.
  • Real nice cut by Kendre Miller to make something happen on the 1st-and-10, but Lucas Patrick got called for a hold that backed them up. They have to get out of their own way.
  • Saints catch a break. Rattler's pass was high for Taysom Hill and he tried to get it and it falls up into the air where the Chargers tried to get the pick. It was ruled incomplete and they challenged, but the ruling on the field stood as called.
  • Nathan Shepherd and Bradley Bozeman got called for personal foul penalties. Shepherd had Herbert's ankle wrapped up and wouldn't let go and Bozeman took exception to it (rightfully so).
  • Really weird sequence where the Chargers looked to have a touchdown in the end zone to Simi Fehoko. I don't know that he had possession, but the feet looked pretty good. Then the Chargers called a timeout, got flagged for 12 men in the huddle, the refs picked it up and then Marshon Lattimore gets called for a pass intereference on Fehoko. This game is tough.
  • Chargers finally get to punch it in with J.K. Dobbins on the 3rd-and-Goal from the 1. It was going to happen.
  • Saints finally get something in the middle of the field in the two-minute offense with Rattler hitting Olave for 15, but then they go backwards on the next play with an ineligible man downfield penalty on Connor McGovern.
  • Nice hookup from Rattler to Juwan Johnson for 22 yards with under 30 seconds. They could at least get a field goal here.

Highlights

Third Quarter - Chargers 16, Saints 8

Scoring

  • Chargers, 8:48 (2-61, 0:48) - Ladd McConkey 60-yard reception from Justin Herbert.
  • Saints, 1:05 (8:45, 3:45) - Blake Grupe 43-yard field goal.

Notes

  • Good return by Kendre Miller to start the second half. He picked up 41.
  • First drive out of the half was lackluster and led to another three-and-out. The offense has to find something.
  • Matt Hayball has had some good punts today.
  • Chargers get out of less-than-ideal field position on the first play after Herbert hooks up with Josh Palmer for 27.
  • Why are they fair catching at the 5-yard-line?
  • Good runs by Kendre Miller to start the drive, but then they go backwards.
  • That's a heck of a hookup from Herbert to McConkey and he was able to run it in for the score. This deficit feels like 28 at this point.
  • Not sure what Rattler was doing running to the sideline and then trying to throw the ball going out of bounds, but the Saints got bailed out with a personal foul penalty.
  • Kendre Miller just came out of the injury tent for the Saints and is back on the sideline.
  • Good start to the defensive drive with Khalen Saunders getting the sack on Herbert.
  • Jake Haener is warming up on the sideline. He has his helmet on too.
  • That was a really nice run by Alvin Kamara shedding a tackle and picking up 24. Haener at least has the offense moving in the right direction now.
  • That double pass almost ended in disaster, but that was some call. I'll say that.
  • Looked like Olave turned a little before securing the catch on the 3rd-and-5.

Highlights

Published |Modified
John Hendrix
JOHN HENDRIX

I officially started covering the New Orleans Saints & other NFL topics in 2011. My work has been featured on various outlets over the years. I worked closely with Skyhorse Publishing in Fall 2018 to update the book, Tales From the New Orleans Saints Sidelines, which filled in all Saints material from the 2013-2017 seasons. Prior to joining Saints News Network, I served as the Managing Editor of SB Nation's Canal Street Chronicles for 3.5 years, and before that with FanSided's Who Dat Dish as the Managing Editor for several years. I have also had experiences of being a freelance Saints reporter for The Sun Herald in Biloxi, MS and a contributing writer for WDSU, a local NBC TV station in New Orleans. I have appeared on a vast amount of TV and Radio shows, both nationally and locally. For tips, comments, or suggestions, please contact me at johnhendrix@saintsnews.net

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