Preseason Week 3 – Chargers @ Saints recap

The Saints defense looked shaky on the Chargers first drive and aside from one near-pick by Greer, the Chargers seemed to move the ball at will. On the Saints second drive the same could be said for them. The drive ended with a 46 yard bomb caught by Devery Henderson.

Brees really started rolling in the 2nd quarter and they looked like the Saints of old. By the Saints 3rd drive, Brees had already connected passes with 6 Saints. The ability to spread the ball so well is what gives the Saints such a potent offense. The 2nd quarter ended with a 40-yard Saints field goal.

On a 3rd and 10 in the 3rd quarter, Malcolm Jenkins broke up a pass over the middle; his first big play of the game, on that same play, Jonathan Vilma was injured. Patrick Ramsey came into the game halfway through the 3rd quarter and drove down the field relatively easily, ending the drive with a 27-yard Garrett Hartley field goal.

With about 7 minutes left in the 4th quarter, Chris Ivory stiff-armed and juked his way into a 76-yard touchdown reception. Chris Ivory looked great on that play and it may have locked up his spot on the 53 man roster. Later in the 4th, Ramsey headed a drive down to the Chargers 17-yard line that ended in another Hartley field goal. With 15 seconds to go in the 4th quarter, Leigh Torrence returned an interception 87 yards for a touchdown, one play after he allowed a catch, virtually uncontested.

Final score: New Orleans 36, San Diego 21.

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All in all, the Saints looked like they were getting back on track; their 1st team offense was clicking and driving down the field great. Brees looked just as good as he did in 2009, and Reggie Bush and Pierre Thomas both looked like they have stepped up their games.

The defense had a lot to improve on, and left a lot of questions, but as a Saints fan I have to remember that the Chargers have a great offense, and even the best defenses struggle to stop them.

There are a lot of great players on the Saint's roster, and the staff is going to have a tough time cutting that roster down to 53 players.

By Tyler Douglass
ProFootball-fans.com New Orleans Saints Correspondent