The Los Angeles Chargers and New Orleans Saints both started their seasons strong, winning their first two games.
However, both teams have struggled as they prepare to meet on Sunday.
The Chargers (3-3) have lost three of their last four games, including a 17-15 defeat against Arizona on Monday night. The Saints (2-5) are trying to avoid their first six-game losing streak since 2005.
The Chargers have been competitive in all six games under new head coach Jim Harbaugh, but they have had trouble in the second half. They’ve been outscored 55-34 after halftime.
Los Angeles has not scored a touchdown in the fourth quarter in its last five games.
“There’s a lot of things we can correct and clean up, but there’s a lot to look forward to as a whole,” said quarterback Justin Herbert, who threw for a season-high 349 yards in the loss to Arizona.
If the Chargers want to have a chance at making the playoffs, the next three weeks are very important. After playing against New Orleans, Los Angeles will face Cleveland (1-6) on the road and then host Tennessee (1-5) on November 10.
The Saints scored 91 points in their first two games, but have only 86 points in their last five.
Derek Carr is likely to miss his third straight game on Sunday due to an oblique injury he sustained in Week 5.
Coach Dennis Allen expects to start rookie quarterback Spencer Rattler but did not completely rule out Carr, who started a game last season without practicing all week.
Carr is “in the process of going through the progression of throwing,” Allen said. “I don’t know if he’ll be ready for Sunday, but we’ll keep going throughout the week and see where we’re at.”
After playing three games in 11 days, including a 33-10 loss to Denver on October 17, the Saints are coming in rested and hoping to have some players back from injuries.
“I think we’ve got a lot of talent. I think we got a lot of ability and we’re capable of doing something good here. So, it doesn’t feel good losing five in a row and we got to flip it around,” running back Alvin Kamara said.
