To open their 2025 NFL preseason schedule, the New Orleans Saints traveled to Inglewood, California, to take on the Los Angeles Chargers. The Black and Gold made some critical errors that compounded into a 27-13 loss on the road.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
Los Angeles received the opening kickoff as Taylor Heinicke was the team’s starting quarterback for the day. Kimani Vidal rushed for nine yards on a 2nd & 4 after an offsides call on Chris Rumph. On third down, cornerback Isaac Yiadom broke up the pass to KeAndre Lambert-Smith, leading to a punt to New Orleans.
Spencer Rattler got the call to start under center on Sunday and dumped the ball off to Kendre Miller for a nine-yard pickup on the first offensive play from scrimmage. On 3rd & 1, Cedrick Wilson Jr got open on a busted coverage by the Charger secondary for a 21-yard gain. New Orleans would have to punt after a pair of first downs, but regained possession after Nyheim Miller-Hines muffed the football. Saints tight end Treyton Welch recovered the ball at the Los Angeles 17-yard line.
On their second drive, Miller picked up the first down with a pair of carries that went for 12 yards, setting up 1st & GOAL from the five. Velus Jones Jr got the ball on a jet sweep and was stopped for a one-yard loss before Rattler scrambled out of bounds for no gain and one yard on second and third down. Head coach Kellen Moore elected to go for it, and Miller was stuffed at the four-yard line, turning the ball over on downs.
Toward the end of the first quarter, second-year defensive lineman Khristian Boyd sacked Heinicke, nearly resulting in a safety.
To begin the second, Rattler was strip-sacked by Caleb Murphy, and Justin Eboigbe recovered the ball for Los Angeles at the New Orleans 33-yard line. The Charger offense couldn’t pick up any first downs, yet was close enough for a 44-yard Cameron Dicker field goal, putting the Bolts up 3-0 with 13:30 to go in the quarter.
Los Angeles extended its lead later in the quarter with a 14-play, 85-yard touchdown drive. The possession drained 6:24 off the clock before quarterback Trey Lance took it in himself for the five-yard score on a designed QB run with 1:38 to play in the first half. New Orleans was flagged on the PAT, leading the Chargers to go for two. Raheim Sanders was stopped short of the goalline as LA held a nine-point lead. Lance rushed for 36 yards on the scoring drive.
Rookie Tyler Shough rotated in at quarterback for New Orleans to lead the two-minute drill. The Saints went 52 yards in nine plays, with Shough completing five passes to three pass catchers for 42 yards. Kicker Blake Grupe lined up and drilled a 31-yard attempt to put the first points on the board for the Black and Gold with five seconds to go.
The Saints went into the locker rooms down 9-3.
New Orleans went backwards on the opening second-half drive as a convoy of Chargers sacked Shough on third down. On their second possession following a three-and-out punt by Los Angeles, Shough’s pass was jumped and intercepted by Eric Rogers. The Charger corner got up and returned the ball 44 yards to the house. LA went for two and converted the attempt as Lance connected with Dalevon Campbell to put the Saints in a 14-point hole with 9:48 left in the third quarter.
Shough responded with a deep shot to Mason Tipton, resulting in a 54-yard touchdown. That score cut it to a seven-point game three-and-a-half minutes after the Charger defensive touchdown.
Five drives later, the Chargers extended their lead back to double digits. Head coach Jim Harbaugh’s group went 48 yards in 12 plays. Dicker lined up and knocked through a 40-yard kick after Lance was sacked by Rumph on third down. That field goal put the Bolts ahead 20-10 with 4:50 to go in the fourth quarter.
Jake Haener was the third and final Saints quarterback to appear in the game. The third-year signal caller’s first possession was going well, completing his first three passes for 27 yards before Dillon Radunz put the offense behind the sticks with a holding penalty. The next play, Haener broke out of a sack, forced the ball near the sideline, and was picked off by Rogers.
DJ Uiagalelei closed out the game for the Chargers and went deep to Campbell for a 49-yard pickup before the two-minute warning. That led to an 11-yard touchdown run by Raheim “Rocket” Sanders to put Los Angeles ahead by three scores.
New Orleans backup kicker Charlie Smyth scored on a 50-yard field goal with 10 seconds remaining. The drive began near midfield after Jones returned the ball 46 yards on the kickoff.
Los Angeles went into victory formation and defeated New Orleans 27-13.
BIG NUMBER: 3
The New Orleans Saints turned the ball over three times in Sunday’s preseason matchup against the Chargers. The Black and Gold quarterbacks combined to throw a pair of interceptions, and the offense turned the ball over on downs after the Chargers muffed a punt in the first quarter.
PLAYER OF THE GAME: Eric Rogers
Rogers was a ball hawk for the Chargers on Sunday, intercepting two passes by Saints quarterbacks. The first came in the third quarter against Tyler Shough and was returned for a pick-six. The other sealed the game for Los Angeles as he picked off Jake Haener near the sideline late in the fourth quarter. Rogers also had five tackles and three passes defended as the Saints lost 27-13.
UP NEXT: The New Orleans Saints will return home for a matchup against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Preseason game number two for the Black and Gold is scheduled for noon on Sunday, August 17th, inside the Caesars Superdome.