Saints at Chargers
Drew Brees returns to San Diego for the first time since leaving as a free agent in 2006 as he attempts to lead the New Orleans Saints to their first victory of the season Sunday against the Chargers. The 37-year-old quarterback spent the first five years of his career with San Diego after being selected in the second round of the 2001 draft before signing with the Saints, whom he led to a Super Bowl title after the 2009 campaign.
Brees has been unable to lead the team to a victory this season, however, as New Orleans has dropped a pair of high-scoring affairs at home and suffered a three-point loss to the New York Giants in its first road contest of the year. San Diego is coming off a 26-22 loss at Indianapolis in which it allowed a 63-yard touchdown pass by Andrew Luck with less than two minutes remaining in the fourth quarter. The Chargers will be without Manti Te'o as the linebacker tore his Achilles in the defeat and was placed on injured reserve. San Diego hopes to get its ground game going again, as the club gained only 37 yards on 17 carries against the Colts after running for over 150 in each of its first two contests.
TV: 4:25 p.m. ET, FOX. LINE: Chargers -4. O/U: 53.5
ABOUT THE SAINTS (0-3): Age certainly is not slowing Brees down, as the veteran enters Week 4 leading the NFL in completions (93), passing yards (1,062) and touchdown tosses (eight). He has enjoyed facing AFC teams of late, throwing for at least 400 yard and three touchdowns in the last two encounters. The Saints were without four starters on defense last week but could get back linebacker Dannell Ellerbe (quadriceps) and safety Kenny Vacaro (ankle) for the meeting with San Diego.
ABOUT THE CHARGERS (1-2): Melvin Gordon, who enters Week 4 tied for the league lead in rushing touchdowns with four, accounted for all but two of San Diego's feeble rushing-yards total last week and hopes for better results against the Saints but knows he can't get hung up on numbers. "It's the NFL. I don't expect to go out there and run for 200, this or that," he told the team's website. "You can't have a set number in your head, because if you do, you'll be disappointed if you don't reach it. So my goal is to go out there with the unit and see what happens." Philip Rivers, who replaced Brees as the Chargers' quarterback, has recorded 695 passing yards and a 100.4 rating in two career starts against New Orleans.
EXTRA POINTS
1. The Chargers lead the all-time series 7-4 but have lost three of the last four meetings.
2. San Diego WR Travis Benjamin is looking to become the first Charger since Bobby Duckworth in 1984 to have a reception of 43 yards or more in three consecutive games.
3. New Orleans is one of four teams yet to register a victory this season.