New Orleans Saints vs Los Angeles Chargers Match Player Stats (Aug 10, 2025)

Eric Rogers picked off two passes and returned one 43 yards for a touchdown. Trey Lance rushed for 48 yards and a score. Those two performances powered the Chargers’ 27-13 preseason victory over the Saints at SoFi Stadium on August 10, 2025.

Game Summary: Final Score

SoFi Stadium packed in 65,049 fans for this preseason Week 1 box score battle. Los Angeles rolled in at 1-0 after their Hall of Fame game victory. New Orleans made their preseason debut under first-year head coach Kellen Moore, hoping to establish early momentum before the regular season opener.

---

---

Saints vs Chargers Team Statistics

New Orleans gained 52 more yards. Held the ball over two minutes longer. Generated more passing yards. None of it mattered. Three turnovers to one. Converting just 23% of third downs. Failing on both red zone trips. The Saints moved the ball between the twenties but couldn’t finish when it counted.

Saints vs Chargers Quarterback Stats

Spencer Rattler got the start, taking 28 snaps across five possessions. He avoided picks but couldn’t avoid the pass rush. Pressure arrived on more than a third of his dropbacks. His mobility showed up with 22 yards on three scrambles, though 63.6% completion percentage won’t win competitions. The strip-sack he suffered in the second quarter gave LA their first points.

Tyler Shough entered and immediately changed the game’s energy. The Louisville rookie completed 15 of 22 for 165 yards. His 54-yard touchdown strike to Mason Tipton showcased what his arm can do. His third-quarter interception, which Eric Rogers returned 43 yards for a touchdown, showed his decision-making still needs work. Big arm, big mistakes, big response. That’s rookie quarterbacking.

Fourth quarter, enter Jake Haener. His 35.9 passer rating tells everything. His interception sealed the loss. Three quarterbacks, three completely different results, zero clarity heading into Week 2.

Chargers Quarterback Performance Breakdown

Three drives. Three punts. Total offensive production: eight passing yards on one completion. Taylor Heinicke’s entire afternoon summarized. His one completion traveled eight yards. Nothing in that performance keeps him ahead of Lance on any depth chart.

Trey Lance separated himself in this competition. His legs created plays the passing game couldn’t. Rushed for 48 yards on seven carries, scoring on a five-yard keeper. Converted third-and-seven with a 14-yard scramble. Picked up 17 yards on another run to reach the red zone. Completed 50% of his passes while protecting the football. Zero turnovers beats pretty completion percentages in August.

DJ Uiagalelei got one drive, threw one pass. That ball traveled 49 yards to Dalevon Campbell, setting up the dagger touchdown. Perfect passer rating on one attempt.

Chargers Defensive Player Stats

Eric Rogers turned undrafted into unavoidable. Five targets, zero receptions allowed. His first interception came on a diving grab in the third quarter. He got up, ran 43 yards for the touchdown that made it 17-3. His second pick came off Jake Haener in the fourth quarter, ending any comeback dreams. Rogers left late with a leg injury, spotted on crutches afterward. Harbaugh gave no update, but Rogers already made his statement.

Caleb Murphy destroyed New Orleans’ tackles throughout the game. His second-quarter strip-sack of Spencer Rattler broke the scoreless tie. The fumble recovery at the Saints 33 set up Cameron Dicker’s 44-yard field goal. Murphy finished with 2.0 sacks and relentless pressure that never let up.

Emany Johnson recorded 11 tackles with eight solo stops. Marlowe Wax posted nine tackles and a sack. The Chargers’ defensive dominance mirrored their earlier preseason performance, establishing Jim Harbaugh’s defensive identity early.

Saints Defensive Statistics

Jaylan Ford finished with eight tackles, five solo. Isaiah Stalbird matched him with eight tackles, six solo. The linebacker duo covered ground and prevented chunk gains that could have broken the game open earlier.

Chris Rumph II faced his former team and delivered. Third-quarter sack of Trey Lance forced a field goal instead of a touchdown. Khristian Boyd’s second-quarter sack at the one-yard line came within inches of a safety. Officials reviewed it, ruled the tackle happened just outside the end zone.

New Orleans held LA to 248 yards, just 100 through the air. Stopped the run well early. Generated consistent pressure on three different quarterbacks. But zero takeaways meant no short fields. When your opponent scores 14 points directly from defensive plays, you need at least one turnover of your own. The Saints never got it.

Match Receiving Stats and Highlights

New Orleans Saints Receivers

Mason Tipton’s only catch traveled 54 yards for six points. Tyler Shough put it exactly where only Tipton could grab it, a deep ball down the right sideline that came immediately after Rogers’ pick-six. The touchdown cut the deficit to 17-10, giving New Orleans brief life before the Chargers responded.

Kevin Austin Jr. caught four passes for 42 yards on five targets, the Saints’ most productive receiver by volume. Cedrick Wilson Jr. hauled in three for 37 yards. Velus Jones Jr. caught four for 16 but made his real impact on special teams, returning two kickoffs for 73 yards including a 46-yarder.

Los Angeles Chargers Receivers

Dalevon Campbell’s three receptions covered 62 yards, pacing the Chargers receivers. His biggest grab came from DJ Uiagalelei: 49 yards down the sideline that moved LA to the nine-yard line. Two plays later, game over.

Brenden Rice continues building his roster case. The son of Hall of Famer Jerry Rice pulled in a 12-yard reception during Trey Lance’s crucial scoring drive. Oronde Gadsden II hauled in two passes for 15 yards on four targets.

Saints vs Chargers Rushing Performance

Trey Lance ran more effectively than he threw. Forty-eight yards on seven attempts. Designed runs and scrambles both gained positive yardage. His five-yard touchdown capped a 17-play, 70-yard drive that consumed 6:24 of clock and broke New Orleans’ will.

Raheim Sanders carried 10 times for 42 yards, scoring the clinching touchdown. His nine-yard run at 1:52 of the fourth quarter made it 27-10. Hassan Haskins carved out 33 yards on six carries at 5.5 per attempt. Los Angeles rushed 34 times for 148 yards. Nothing spectacular individually, but collectively effective enough to control the game.

Kendre Miller averaged just 2.5 yards per carry for New Orleans. The Saints managed 61 total yards on 20 attempts, a brutal 3.1 average that forced three different quarterbacks to carry the offense through the air while getting pressured constantly.

Critical Third Down and Red Zone Stats

Los Angeles converted their first four third downs of the game. New Orleans went 0-for-5 to start. That early stretch set the tone. The Chargers finished 6 of 14 on third down for 42.9%. The Saints managed just 3 of 13 for 23.1%, going three-and-out far too often.

Red zone execution told a starker story. Los Angeles scored touchdowns on two of three trips inside the 20. New Orleans went 0 for 2, leaving points on the field they couldn’t afford to waste. Their first chance ended on a goal-line stand when the defense stuffed a run on fourth-and-goal from the one. Their second opportunity resulted in Blake Grupe missing a 44-yard field goal attempt in the fourth quarter.

Cameron Dicker made both his field goal attempts from 44 and 40 yards. Consistent kicking from midrange kept points accumulating when drives stalled short of the end zone.

Special Teams Impact

Velus Jones Jr. gave New Orleans excellent field position despite the loss. His two kickoff returns covered 73 yards, including a 46-yarder in the third quarter that set up a drive starting at the Saints 46. The offense couldn’t capitalize, punting three plays later. That sequence captured the game in miniature.

JK Scott punted six times for Los Angeles, averaging 48.3 yards per attempt. His longest traveled 58 yards. Those kicks consistently flipped field position and pinned New Orleans deep in their own territory.

The only turnover LA committed came on special teams. A muffed punt in the first quarter, recovered by Treyton Welch at the Chargers 25. New Orleans got excellent field position and promptly went three-and-out. Can’t win games when you waste short fields like that.

Blake Grupe and Charlie Smyth split kicking duties for New Orleans. Grupe connected on a 31-yard field goal just before halftime. Smyth drilled a 50-yarder in the final seconds for the 27-13 final. Both kickers went 1 for 1 on field goal attempts.

Injuries Mount

New Orleans lost multiple starters during the game. Will Clapp went down on the second play of the first quarter with an apparent lower body injury, carted off with his right shoe removed. Trevor Penning followed later, also carted off with a lower body injury. Wide receiver Bub Means required a cart in the third quarter. All three exits suggested ankle or foot problems.

Los Angeles didn’t escape unscathed. Eric Rogers’ breakout performance ended with a leg injury late in the fourth quarter. Multiple trainers helped him off the field. Postgame reports showed him on crutches in the locker room, creating concern about a player who just made a compelling roster argument. Offensive lineman Karsen Barnhart walked off with trainers in the fourth. Defensive back Deane Leonard was slow getting up in the second quarter before walking off between two trainers.

The offensive line injuries crushed New Orleans hardest. Five sacks allowed and consistent pressure came partly from backup linemen playing extended snaps they weren’t prepared for. Evaluating quarterbacks becomes nearly impossible when protection breaks down on every other play.

Game Flow: How It Unfolded

Six punts dominated the first quarter. Zero points. No rhythm from either offense.

14:17 remaining in the second quarter: Caleb Murphy strip-sacks Spencer Rattler. Justin Eboigbe recovers at the Saints 33. Three plays later, Cameron Dicker kicks a 44-yard field goal at 13:30. First points on the board.

Trey Lance then engineers the game’s best drive. Seventeen plays, 70 yards, 6:24 consumed. Scores on a five-yard run with 1:38 left before halftime. Two-point conversion fails, making it 9-0. Tyler Shough responds with a two-minute drill that sets up Blake Grupe’s 31-yard field goal as time expires. Halftime: Chargers 9, Saints 3.

9:48 left in the third quarter: Eric Rogers picks off Tyler Shough and returns it 43 yards for a touchdown. Successful two-point conversion makes it 17-3. Game appears over.

Tyler Shough responds immediately. Finds Mason Tipton for 54 yards and a touchdown at 7:14. Extra point cuts it to 17-10. New Orleans has life.

4:50 left in the fourth: Cameron Dicker’s 40-yard field goal extends the lead to 20-10. Jake Haener throws an interception to Rogers moments later. That turnover sets up the final touchdown drive. Raheim Sanders scores from nine yards at 1:52, making it 27-10. Charlie Smyth hits a 50-yard field goal with seconds remaining for the 27-13 final.

What These Stats Mean

Jim Harbaugh’s squad improved to 2-0 in preseason with their second victory in four days. The defense forced three turnovers, recorded five sacks, and scored a touchdown. Trey Lance clearly separated himself in the backup quarterback battle with his dual-threat ability and ball security. Eric Rogers made a roster despite the late injury scare.

Kellen Moore’s debut showed the quarterback competition remains genuinely open. Rattler played safe but absorbed too much pressure. Shough displayed big-play ability alongside big-mistake vulnerability. Haener struggled badly in limited action. The offensive line injuries create depth concerns affecting every practice and game going forward into the regular season.

Los Angeles faces the Rams at SoFi Stadium on August 16 as the road team despite both squads sharing the venue. New Orleans hosts Jacksonville on August 17 before preparing for their Week 1 regular season opener.

Final Analysis

New Orleans outgained Los Angeles by 52 yards. Controlled possession over two minutes longer. Generated more passing yards. Three turnovers to one erased those advantages. Zero touchdowns on two red zone trips left 14 potential points on the field. Converting 23% of third downs meant too many punts, not enough sustained drives.

The Chargers won with opportunistic defense and situational execution. Eric Rogers’ two interceptions either scored or set up touchdowns directly. Caleb Murphy’s strip-sack created the first points. The Chargers converted 43% of third downs, keeping drives alive when it mattered. They scored touchdowns on two of three red zone trips, finishing what their offense started.

Preseason games determine rosters more than they preview regular season success. Eric Rogers, Caleb Murphy, and Trey Lance significantly boosted their roster chances with Sunday’s performances. New Orleans’ offensive line injuries create evaluation challenges extending beyond single games into their entire preseason preparation.

This stat breakdown demonstrates how defensive plays and turnover margins determine outcomes regardless of total yardage advantages shown in the box score.

---

Complete game statistics available at the official Chargers recap and Saints game center and ESPN Game Coverage. Additional coverage from PFF’s preseason analysis.