The Chargers dropped eight defenders into coverage, but sending all eleven wouldn’t have been enough
Just 41 days stand between us and the New Orleans Saints’ season opener, so we’re highlighting one of the most exciting games in recent memory for the Saints Play of the Day. Our pick is this 41-yard touchdown pass from Drew Brees in his high-profile duel with Los Angeles Chargers superstar Justin Herbert. You can see it for yourself right here.
After being sacked by Joey Bosa on first down, Brees bounced back and threw a dart to tight end Jared Cook, who caught the pass with three Chargers trailing him around the L.A. 8-yard line. The Chargers rushed three with eight defenders dropping into coverage, but it wasn’t enough. Cook torched rookie linebacker Kenneth Murray and free safety Nasir Adderley was too slow to cover up the mistake. Cook punctuated his run to the end zone with a leap over the goal line, and Wil Lutz kicked the equalizing extra point.
It was a hard-fought battle. Herbert rallied with a 64-yard touchdown pass to Mike Williams down the sideline. Brees led an eight-play, 73-yard scoring drive to run out the clock, capped by a 9-yard Taysom Hill touchdown run. Chargers kicker Michael Badgley boomed a 50-yard field goal that would’ve won the day off the upright, and the game went to overtime. Brees led another drive into Los Angeles territory to set up Lutz for a field goal, and he nailed it (from 36 yards). The Chargers asked Herbert to save the day but it wasn’t meant to be. Three of his last four passes fell incomplete, and the game ended with a turnover on downs after Marshon Lattimore made a heady tackle to stop Williams short of the first down marker.