Can the Chargers get it done in New Orleans next week?

I can tell you several of the reasons the Saints are in the state they're in right now and two of them are coaches. Aaron Kromer is in over his head as an interim HC, he's effectively been leaving it up to Brees to coach the offense and in some respects the entire team as their main captain, and Kromer lacks the creativity and (for lack of a better term) balls to make the kind of gutsy play-call to try and spark his team out of a rut when things start to slip away from them.

Spagnuolo is just plain overrated as a DC and is trying to fit square pegs in round holes. He's insisting on force-fitting players that don't fit into his scheme and it's showing horribly. He's had Malcolm Jenkins (a corner converted to safety and a quality cover safety) playing up close to the line and blitzing, while playing the 2011 sack leader among DB's in Roman Harper (who also happens to be a coverage liability) playing in the deep third and manning up on TE's. Will Smith is the only player on their DL getting any kind of consistent penetration and because Spags is really only blitzing DB's and not LB's they're allowing him to be consistently doubled. This is a front seven that looks eerily reminiscent of the variety we fielded last season that got minimal meaningful pass-rush and couldn't get off the field on 3rd down.

If we limit the 1st half turnovers we should be able to get out to a lead against them and with a lead and them having to play from behind we very much can hang with this Saints team. Honestly what worries me the most about this game is that the real refs are back which means the blatant bias for the big name QB's and for popular home teams is in full-effect.

Lets go to the Football 101 book. How do you beat a prolific passing offense? Book says "Power Run Offense mixed with high pressure defense". Listen to the book, it knows its ****.

My mistake: I read the topic of the thread as being less of a diatribe, & more of a question, along the lines of:
Can the Chargers get it done in New Orleans next week?
I wrote that I worried about the Saints because they'd just played a very good Packer team,
straight up, in Green Bay. That's what would be expected of a very good team...which is why I called their
0-4 misleading. Why any team's most recent performance would be more relevant than more distant
ones seemed too obvious to mention. I could go on and on about how crazy it would be to look past
Brees--in the Superdome--but honestly, I felt that day's effort in Green Bay, alone, proved that they
are dangerous. Why you'd think for a moment that I was somehow "ignoring" data I didn't like,
because I didn't type things that were less flattering to the Saints, is a complete mystery to me.
I just don't follow that line of reasoning. If I was arguing that people should vote for Mitt, I would NOT
be typing about him putting the family dog on the roof of the car. That doesn't mean I stick my fingers
in my ears & hum whenever someone brings Seamus up. Anyway, you misunderstood what I was saying...
I choose to believe it was an entirely innocent misunderstanding, and am happy to leave it...

I'll watch the All-22 footage from the past few weeks and get back to you.

But my snap judgement says that if the offense can avoid a repeat of last week's 3 possession pathetic 3rd quarter... this should be a 10 pt win for the Chargers.

I rewatched the game and too much is being made of the 3rd quarter. I recall last year at the Jets in the 3rd quarter when Norv came out passing with a 10 point (I think?) half time lead and thinking it was stupid. I was happier to see conservative play calling there rather than let Rivers (who has been making some forced throws) wing it into a Chief in our own territory. It showed confidence our our D, and they stepped up and showed they deserved that confidence. Again, the loss to the Falcons is not on our D. Tom Jackson said that he feels the Chargers front 7 could become one of the most fearsome in the league.

As to Gates and Floyd dropping passes? Early days, a few drops happen, do you think for a second almost any other NFL team wouldn't kill to have them in their lineup? Gates looks healthy, running like a youngster, Floyd looks stronger to me than he ever has been. But nah, not elite.

Not only CAN we beat the Saints, we will ... with another stout defensive effort this week & a smashmouth running game where we control both the tempo & TOP. Mathews will have 2 rushing TD's, Ingram will play more snaps & introduce himself rudely to Brees.

"On any Sunday" there will be no Luck involved, the Bolt's will win this game straight up. River's, Meachem and Royal will start making the connection and the flood gates will be jarred loose from the oxidation that's held them shut. It will only be the beginning but how beautiful it will be.

Bolts should definitely win in New Orleans. Wy?

1) Our running game is getting better each week and key to win will be to keep Bree's off the field.
2) We actually have the coaching advantage here and Saints are a mess. I'm inclined to believe they are closer to falling apart then they are to getting it together.
3) our guys will be ready to smash little Darren.
4) running game will open up the pass. Rivers can shoot out if he needs to.

Keys to Beating New Orleans IN New Orleans:

• Manage the clock
• Take the crowd out of the game
• Convert on 3rd downs; defensively make stops on 3rd down
• Must win all 3 phases of the game (Offense, Defense, and Special Teams)

Sounds easy but really the Chargers can make it hard at times. I really like Norv's idea of starting Jackie Battle. We have to beat the Saints D up and most importantly manage the clock. Keep Brees off the field. You insert Ryan Mathews in the 2nd half of the game and its automatically a change of pace and running styles. Then we can really attack there defense when they start loading up the box and throw quick slants to Royal and Gates and pick up YARDS.

I see a big game from Meachem in this one. He's returning to the N.O., I can really see him having a game.

I expect a fairly high scoring game. Chargers still have trouble with decent TEs, and the Saints have one. Our CBs will be gassed by the 4th as well. Hopefully the front 7 gets to Brees. A lot. They'll need to.
On the flip side, the Saints D has been porous. Their coach claims it's fixed but I doubt it.
Still, the Saints can go through the air to multiple options and have a good set of RBs. At 0-4 in front of home crowd with a talented offense, they're going to be lighting it up.
Saints 31-28.

The New Orleans game is going to be won so much by the offense as it will be by the defense. Last week I saw more safety blitzes called than the previous three weeks and they're getting better at it. To beat the Breeszer he has to be controlled, you may not be able to stop him but he can be slowed down. Of course the offense has to score when the opportunity arises no stupid PICKS and for Gods sake no FUMBLES period in this game. No need to give Brees extra chances cause he'll kill you and laugh about it. The weight is definitely on the defense, contain, control and force some turnovers and there is a very good chance of winning.

Knock , knock
Who Dat?
Owen
Owen who?
Owen Five

Well it happened again. This time the offensive meltdown had to do with not being able to run an up-tempo offense when the Saints D was absolutely dead tired. Instead, the Chargers muddled their way through most of the 3rd and 4th qtr trying to run out the clock and get some points.... Which they couldn't do... had to punt... and gave up the TD on the Saints' next possession. That brought the team back to life along with the crowd.

Then in the 4th quarter when they had to run no huddle offense they were bad at it.

Yeah, point to the refs all you want. But this game should have never come down to this ending.

The Chargers lost to a team that doesn't have a Head Coach and has the worst Defense in the league.

That's pathetic.

well, I think we can not stop stating the obvious.

And I was bashed for this thread..

Still think we were robbed though, but that's besides the point. We had plenty of opportunities, we can't kick FG's when we get inside the 5.

I think Norv is just to much of a "NICE" guy and won't lower the boom and crush his opponent.