The San Diego Chargers and New Orleans Saints have struggled through disappointing starts to their 2016 seasons. Now, these two teams will meet in a Week 4 showdown with major implications on each team's postseason chances.
Saints vs. Chargers 2016 live stream: Game time, TV schedule and how to watch online
Two explosive veteran quarterbacks and two below average defenses? Bet the over when New Orleans and San Diego meet in Week 4.
At 1-2, San Diego is already two games behind the Denver Broncos in the AFC West. At 0-3, New Orleans is in a similar position in the NFC South. Neither team can afford another loss so early in the season. Only 24 teams have rallied from a 1-3 start to make it to the playoffs since 1990. That number dwindles to one -- the 1992 Chargers -- when you adjust the parameters down to an 0-4 record.
The matchup will pair two veteran quarterbacks with a shared history. Drew Brees spent the first five seasons of his professional career in San Diego and led the Chargers to a 12-win season in 2004 before being cast out to the sea of free agency in favor of rising young passer Philip Rivers. The Purdue graduate signed with New Orleans and became a legend after leading the Saints to a Super Bowl XLIV title. Rivers wasn’t too shabby in his own right; in 11 years since succeeding Brees, he’s been named to five Pro Bowls and led San Diego to the playoffs five times.
Brees isn’t showing any signs of slowing down at age 37. With 1,062 passing yards through three weeks, no one in the NFL has moved the ball as effectively as the Saints’ veteran QB. A cache of young playmakers have emerged as the latest beneficiaries of Brees’ big arm. Willie Snead and Brandin Cooks have combined for 450 receiving yards between them, while Coby Fleener has developed into a major red zone threat for New Orleans.
Rivers hasn’t been as successful this fall, but he’s also without his top target. Keenan Allen tore his ACL in Week 1, accounting for his fourth season-ending ailment in five years. Travis Benjamin and Tyrell Williams have stepped up to keep the San Diego offense rolling, but they weren’t enough to held fend off Indianapolis last week. The Chargers had two opportunities to drive for a game-winning touchdown in the final minutes of the loss, but a pair of fumbles -- from Rivers and Benjamin -- squashed the team’s opportunity to return to the happy side of .500.
The good news is that each offense will have a chance to shine on Sunday. Neither New Orleans nor San Diego is close to being an average defensive team in 2016. The Chargers rank 25th in the league in terms of opponents’ yardage; the Saints are 31st. When it comes to passing yards, the two sides are essentially flipped (San Diego is 30th).
After three games, Brees is on pace for an NFL-record 5,664 passing yards. Given the way both these teams have looked so far in 2016, don’t expect him to fall off his pace when the Saints travel to face the Chargers.
How to Watch New Orleans Saints vs. San Diego Chargers
When: 4:25 p.m. ET
Where: Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego
TV: FOX
Announcers: Chris Myers, Ronde Barber, Jennifer Hale
Online: Sunday Ticket, Fox Sports GO, Verizon NFL Mobile
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