Chargers vs. Saints Pregame Report

The Saints and Chargers meet for their preseason finale in the Superdome.

Author:
John Hendrix
Publish date:
Aug 26, 2022 9:15 AM EDT

In this story:

The Saints are at home for their final preseason game against the Chargers on Friday, and then the real work begins for the team in making their cuts to get down to 53 players. For many, this will be their last experiences in the black and gold. Some may get back on the practice squad, while others are also auditioning for 31 other teams.

Here's how to keep up with all the action, with some other things to know.

TRAINING CAMP RECAPS: Day 20 | Day 19 | Day 18 | Day 17 (Superdome) | Day 16 (Green Bay) | Day 15 (Green Bay) | Day 14 | Day 13 | Day 12 | Day 11 | Day 10 | Day 9 | Day 8 | Day 7 | Day 6 | Day 5 | Day 4 | Day 3 | Day 2 | Day 1

Where to Watch: WVUE FOX 8 locally (7:00 p.m. CT), Joel Meyers, Jon Stinchcomb, Jonathan Vilma, and Erin Summers (sideline)

Additional Broadcast Info: Here's the Gray TV markets that will be able to catch the game.

Alexandria – WNTZ
Baton Rouge – WAFB
Biloxi, Miss. – WLOX
Birmingham, Ala. – WVTM
Hattiesburg, Miss. – WDAM
Jackson, Miss. – WLBT
Lafayette – KATC
Lake Charles – KPLC
Meridian, Miss. – WTOK
Memphis, Tenn. – WMC
Mobile, Ala. – WKRG
Monroe – KNOE
Panama City, Fla. – WGHJ
Shreveport – KSLA

Where to Stream: NFL+, Saints Mobile App, Saints Website (certain geographical restrictions apply)

Where to Listen: WWL Radio locally (105.3FM) with Mike Hoss, Deuce McAllister, and Steve Geller (sideline reporter); use the TuneIn App

Referee: Land Clark

Current Lines: Saints -3.0 (O/U at 36.5)

Things to Watch

WILL THE STARTERS PLAY? That seems like the biggest question we have for the Saints rolling into tonight. Dennis Allen hasn't tipped his hand, but it would be expected to see some of the regulars take some snaps. Veterans like Jameis Winston, Cam Jordan, and Tyrann Mathieu have all said they'll be ready if they're called upon.

A lot of people have talked about what happened with the Packers last season as a sticking point of why the players should get some action. It's definitely debatable, because if someone gets hurt during the course of the game, then you find yourself asking why a specific person was out there. At least one or two series from the regular starters sounds about right.

FINAL PUSH: Players like Kirk Merritt, Nephi Sewell, Lewis Kidd, Justin Evans, Eric Wilson, and a host of others are making their final pitches for the roster. We have to keep in mind that the team will take everything into account when putting together the final 53-man squad. Practices plus preseason all heavily factor in to their evaluation decision.

LAST CHAPTER: Ian Book is someone who is getting his last chance tonight too, and as we've talked about previously, it could be for a spot on the practice squad. He has been inconsistent, and at practice for the past week, he hasn't taken a ton of reps in team drills. The writing could be on the wall here, and it wouldn't be surprising to see New Orleans keep just Andy Dalton and Jameis Winston on the roster with Taysom Hill being an emergency quarterback.

BETTER SHOWING: The Saints run defense wasn't that good last week against the Packers in the second half. They got completely fooled on a Danny Etling boot, and some of the other runs given up by the other units were less than ideal. Along with an improved look defensively, the Saints need to eliminate the penalties in all three phases of the game and not turn the ball over.

Keep in mind that if you are visiting tonight to have the Saints Mobile App to help you navigate to get into the Superdome. This is really important for the regular season, as the app will tell you the best way to get into the game with the least amount of wait.