Saints Vs Chargers Week 8 Preview

Travis Himel • October 27, 2024

WEEK 8 PREVIEW


   The Saints have had a very disappointing game stretch after starting the season 2-0. Injuries have plagued this team heavily while the on-field performance has been questionable. The Saints face a Chargers team this week that has been pretty banged up as well. Our Saints look to get back in the win column to give the fans something to cheer about. Let’s dive in and see what’s in store.


THIS WEEK’S MATCHUP:

   The Saints will be taking on the Chargers in Los Angeles this week. The two teams have only faced each other 13 times with the Chargers leading the series 7-6. New Orleans is looking to even this series to take advantage of a struggling Chargers team. The Chargers come in at 3-3 and would love to stay above .500 for obvious playoff implications. Can the Saints be the spoilers to that plan?


 YOUR SAINTS:

   This Saints team has been very underwhelming as of late! The team we saw in Weeks 1 and 2 has not been the same team we’ve seen since. A 5 game losing streak is as bad as it gets. Many players have been out hurt, including key contributors. Paulson Adebo is out for the season so Kool-Aid McKinstry will step up in the secondary. Alontae Taylor has been having a breakout year between forcing incompletions and getting sacks. Can getting some key players back help the rest of the team step up and deliver? 

   The offense has been struggling heavily. For some reason, we have not seen the same type of game plan from earlier in the season. This team was playing its best by getting a push from the offensive line on run plays to set up the play action. I, for one, am very disappointed with the lack of targets for Chris Olave. Olave is among the league’s top receivers in getting separation from his defender. Separation usually equates to catches, but not in this case. Marquez Valdes-Scantling is a new name to the team. He comes in looking to give Spencer Rattler another target to get the ball to. Having Kendre Miller should help take some of the load off of Alvin Kamara to keep him fresh each week. Let’s take a look at injuries going into Sunday.


 INJURY REPORT:

   Derek Carr is listed as doubtful. Nick Saldiveri and Cedrick Wilson Jr. are listed as out. Cesar Ruiz, Lucas Patrick, Pete Werner, Chris Olave, Khalen Saunders, Taysom Hill, Spencer Rattler, and Marshon Lattimore all had full practices on Friday. 


 MY PREDICTION:

   Call me crazy but I think the Saints break the losing streak this week. The way the Chargers have also had their growing pains, I expect the Saints to be extra hungry to get a win. Having Tayson Hill and Chris Olave back while also getting Marquez Valdes-Scantling should be refreshing for the offense. Klint Kubiak should dial up some bigger plays. I think the Saints improve to 3-5 with a score of 31-27. Geaux Saints!

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Saints Pregame: Domecoming vs Falcons

By Matt Miguez • October 5, 2026
Twenty years ago, the city of New Orleans was forever changed. The "Rebirth" game when the Superdome reopened after Hurricane Katrina was more than a football game already. However, when Steve Gleason blocked the first punt of the game and it was returned for a touchdown, everyone in the building knew it was over.

Recap: LSU Pummels McNeese in Non-Conference Game

By Chrissy Smith • October 5, 2026
BATON ROUGE -- No. 11 LSU did exactly what it was supposed to do Saturday night — and then some. The Tigers dominated McNeese from the opening whistle, rolling to a 63-14 victory inside Tiger Stadium while putting together one of the most productive offensive performances in school history. LSU finished with 731 yards of total offense , the second-most in a single game in program history. The Tigers also ran 101 offensive plays, setting a new school record. For head coach Lane Kiffin, though, the night was about more than piling up points against an FCS opponent. Kiffin Wants LSU Playing Its Standard LSU led 35-0 at halftime and had every reason to take its foot off the gas. Kiffin chose not to. When asked about using a running clock in the second half, Kiffin said LSU needed to continue playing its game. “You play the game and we decide when the game’s over, by the way that we play, and how physical that we play,” Kiffin said. That mentality showed up throughout the night. Even with the game firmly in hand, LSU continued to play with energy and gave plenty of younger players valuable snaps. Kiffin said the number of plays was particularly important because the Tigers will need that depth during the stretch ahead. “A lot of snaps for guys,” Kiffin said. “The goal was to get (that up) to evaluate those guys because they are going to need to play with the injuries we have down the stretch.” Offense Finds Plenty of Contributors Quarterback Sam Leavitt completed 18 of 23 passes for 176 yards and three touchdowns, while Corey Barber Jr. caught two touchdown passes. The running game was just as impressive. Harlem Berry rushed for 125 yards and a touchdown, while Stacy Gage added 110 yards and two touchdowns. Five different Tigers — Berry, Dilin Jones, Gage, Landen Clark and freshman defensive tackle Deuce Geralds — scored rushing touchdowns. Geralds' touchdown was particularly memorable. Kiffin joked afterward that he had checked with LSU historian and former Tiger Anthony “Booger” McFarland to determine whether anyone had previously recorded a sack and offensive touchdown in the same game. Kiffin said Geralds now holds the record outright. After a 35-6 victory over Texas A&M last week, LSU has now put together back-to-back dominant performances. The competition gets much tougher from here. But Saturday night showed that LSU has plenty of players capable of making plays — and Kiffin is making sure they understand the standard doesn't change simply because the opponent does. LSU is 4-1 and now turns its attention to Kentucky next Saturday on the road.
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