INGLEWOOD, Calif. — In an impressive display, Ladd McConkey caught two touchdown passes, including a remarkable 60-yard touchdown in the third quarter, leading the Los Angeles Chargers to a resounding 26-8 victory over the New Orleans Saints on Sunday. With this performance, McConkey became the first rookie receiver for the Chargers in over a decade to surpass 100 receiving yards in a game.
Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert had a standout performance, accumulating a total of 328 yards, with 279 coming through the air and 48 on the ground. He also tossed two touchdown passes, assisting the Chargers (4-3) in recovering from a heartbreaking loss against the Cardinals the previous week.
The Saints, suffering from a six-game losing streak for the first time since 2005, managed minimal offensive impact. Alvin Kamara, who had recently agreed to a two-year contract extension worth $24.5 million, totaled 122 yards of offense, while Chris Olave contributed eight receptions for 107 yards. Jake Haener took over for an ineffective Spencer Rattler in the third quarter and completed 9 of 17 passes for 122 yards. Rattler, starting his third consecutive game with Derek Carr sidelined by injury, finished 12 of 24 for 156 yards, failing to lead the Saints to the red zone and only managing two field goals through Blake Grupe.
McConkey, selected in the second round of the draft, secured six receptions for 111 yards, marking a significant milestone as the first rookie to achieve a 100-yard game since Keenan Allen’s impressive five such games in 2013. His third-quarter touchdown was particularly significant as it marked the Chargers’ first second-half touchdown since the initial week against Las Vegas.
In a thrilling moment, McConkey caught a pass from Herbert near the Saints’ 35-yard line, reversed direction, and narrowly evaded a tackle attempt, finding his way into the end zone to extend the Chargers’ lead to 16-5. In the final minutes of the game, Herbert managed to connect with McConkey yet again, sealing the game with another touchdown as he scrambled out of the pocket. Herbert concluded the day with 20 completions on 32 attempts.
The Saints opened the scoring with their first safety since late 2020 when Chargers long snapper Josh Harris mishandled the snap, resulting in the ball rolling out of the back of the end zone. Cameron Dicker put the Chargers on the board with a 46-yard field goal early in the second quarter. The team widened its lead on a 1-yard touchdown run by JK Dobbins, capping off an impressive 90-yard drive that consumed eight minutes of the clock. Although Dicker missed an extra point attempt, the Chargers maintained control.
Injury-wise, the Saints saw WR Bub Means suffer a hand injury during the first quarter, while RB Kendre Miller and CB Marshon Lattimore both sustained hamstring injuries in the second half and did not return. CB Rico Payton exited later in the fourth quarter with a back issue. Additionally, TE Juwan Johnson was evaluated for a concussion. For the Chargers, CB Kristian Fulton aggravated his hamstring injury, and both WRs Quentin Johnston and Derius Davis were not available for the game due to injury.
Looking ahead, the Saints will travel to face Carolina next Sunday, while the Chargers will head to Cleveland for their next clash.