Canal Street Chronicles
The New Orleans Saints fell to the Los Angeles Chargers in a Week 1 preseason matchup by a final score of 27-13. This game ushered in a new era of football for the Crescent City, marked by a new coaching staff, position battles, and a genuine rebuild in motion. The matchup, although entertaining, may have just made things even hazier as the regular season approaches ever so steadily. Some players stood out, some players got behind the eight ball, and some… well, injuries are bound to happen. Let’s deep dive into how fans and social media reacted to the contest.
The Quarterback See-Saw:
New Orleans has a two-man race going on at QB. Both Spencer Rattler and rookie Tyler Shough got crucial reps during this game, but both had some good and bad going on. Perhaps you’re leaning one way or another, but the reality of the situation is that after one game, there is no clear-cut frontrunner for the starting gig.
Rattler: 7-11, 53 yards, 0 TD, 0 INT, 3 sacks, 75.2 QBR, one fumble
Shough: 15-22, 165 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT, 2 sacks, 86.4 QBR, pick-six
Defense Wins Championships?
While I’m not sure if the Saints will be winning much of anything soon, a couple of young defensive players stood out in a big way. After signing with New Orleans as an undrafted free agent last year, linebacker Isaiah Stalbird spent time on the practice squad before being elevated to the active roster. Fadil Diggs was the Saints’ final selection of the 2025 NFL Draft. Both players were impactful and have something to play for.
Another One Bites the Dust…
New Orleans could not escape the game versus the Chargers without a short stack of injuries. Four Saints left the game at some point, including Will Clapp, Trevor Penning, Bub Means, and Mason Pline. While we do not yet know the severity of these injuries, it still sucks to see guys go down early, nonetheless.
It’s Good to be Back
Above all, Saints fans and football enthusiasts were just glad to be able to watch the sport again. It was a long offseason away, but New Orleans will always have the team’s back- win or loss.
