New Orleans Saints Forums - blackandgold.com - Chargers vs. Saints scouting report

You’re welcome: The New Orleans Saints, colored in old gold and black, festooned with the fleur de lis, rooted in a bayou town that’s a rich gumbo of cultures, may qualify as the NFL’s most distinctive franchise. The Saints were born in 1966 on the Catholic All Saints Day. Jazz great Louie Armstrong was their patron saint.

Without influences from San Diego’s professional football team, however, the Saints may not be quite so accomplished in recent years.

Drew Brees, the quarterback who in 2004 led the Chargers to their first AFC West title since 1992, went to New Orleans in 2006. Brees was a free agent but a damaged one, on the mend from reconstructive shoulder surgery. Chargers management preferred quarterback Philip Rivers, the No. 4 pick in the 2004 draft who’d been Brees’ understudy for two years.

Awaiting Brees in New Orleans was Sean Payton, a bright offensive-minded coach who began his coaching career at San Diego State.

Four years later, on a winter night in Miami, Brees and Payton took turns raising the Lombardi Trophy after winning the Super Bowl.

The question now: Can Brees, without Payton, lead the Saints past the Chargers on Sunday?

Chargers vs. Saints scouting report | UTSanDiego.com