INGLEWOOD, Calif. (AP) — Ladd McConkey had two touchdown catches, including a 60-yard score in the third quarter, and became the first Chargers rookie receiver in 11 years to have a 100-yard receiving game as Los Angeles defeated the New Orleans Saints 26-8 on Sunday.
Justin Herbert had 328 total yards (279 passing, 48 rushing) and two touchdown throws to help the Chargers (4-3) bounce back from a last-second loss last Monday night at Arizona.
The Saints (2-6) have lost six straight for the first time since 2005. Alvin Kamara, who signed a two-year, $24.5 million contract extension earlier this week, had 122 total yards. Chris Olave had eight receptions for 107 yards.
Jake Haener replaced an ineffective Spencer Rattler in the third quarter and completed nine of 17 passes for 122 yards.
Rattler — making his third straight start with Derek Carr sidelined with an oblique injury — was 12 of 24 for 156 yards. The Saints didn’t reach the red zone and managed only a field goal in the nine drives he directed.
New Orleans’ points on offense came on a pair of field goals by Blake Grupe.
McConkey, selected in the second round of the draft, finished with six receptions for 111 yards to become the first Chargers rookie to reach the century mark since Keenan Allen had five such games in 2013.
McConkey’s third-quarter score was the Chargers’ first second-half TD since the fourth quarter in Week 1 against Las Vegas.
McConkey caught the pass from Herbert near the right sideline at the Saints 35, reversed field and avoided a diving tackle attempt by Saints cornerback Alontae Taylor at the 14 before getting into the end zone and extending the Chargers lead to 16-5.
The Chargers added another TD with 3:22 remaining in the fourth quarter when Herbert scrambled out of the pocket on third-and-7 at the Saints 9 and found McConkey in the back right corner of the end zone.
Herbert bounced back after a slow start to complete 20 of 32 passes.
The Saints got on the board with their first safety since Week 15 of the 2020 season. Chargers long snapper Josh Harris had an errant snap to the right of punter JK Scott at the LA 7 before the ball rolled out of the back of the end zone.
Cameron Dicker’s 46-yard field goal 5 seconds into the second quarter put the Chargers on top. They extended their lead to 9-3 with 1:37 remaining in the first half on JK Dobbins’ 1-yard run off right end to complete a 15-play, 90-yard drive that went eight minutes. Dicker was wide left on his extra-point attempt, though.
Injuries
Saints: WR Bub Means injured a hand in the first quarter. … RB Kendre Miller and CB Marshon Lattimore suffered hamstring injuries in the second half and did not return. … CB Rico Payton left with a back injury in the fourth quarter. … TE Juwan Johnson was evaluated for a concussion.
Chargers: CB Kristian Fulton aggravated a hamstring injury during the third quarter. … WRs Quentin Johnston (ankle) and Derius Davis (hamstring) were inactive.
Up next
Saints: At Carolina next Sunday.
Chargers: At Cleveland next Sunday.
