Lead up to the Chargers game

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After a good showing where most issues from the Patriots game (besides special teams play) were corrected, the Saints play the Chargers tonight. Here are some things to look out for tonight:

Backup Quarterback battle - Patrick Ramsey vs. Chase Daniel Both quarterbacks have played well through the preseason, but Daniel had the more flashy outing last week against the Texans. Problem is, the Texans defense played even worse than the Saints defense did in the Patriots game. I do think Daniel has a lot of talent and significantly more upside, but I think that Ramsey's experience might give him the edge this season in the event that a backup is needed during the regular season. Ramsey is finally in a decent offense, with decent weapons, and a decent offensive line, all things he didn't really have as a Redskin/journeyman.

1st Team Offense vs. a 3-4 team There haven't been too many poor offensive showings in the Payton-era, but a remarkable amount of them have occurred against teams that run the 3-4. Think back to Dallas '09, Miami '09 (first half), New York Jets '09, Baltimore '06, Pittsburgh '06, and more. Hell, the Pats game two weeks ago was not great either. It is just preseason, but the Chargers defense is ranked in the top 5 in most categories, so it'll be interesting to see whether Payton will be able to keep his foot on the gas against a seemingly better defense than the Texans.

Any kind of Special Teams Improvement Troy Evans, special teams captain for the last 2 years, is gone. After two weeks of turrible special teams play, I think we just need to see some sort of improvement here. Referring to coverage teams here, not Morestead or Hartley.

Players to watch out for: Junior Gallete - beast in the making? Adrian Arrington - is he more valuable than Roby? Alex Brown - will his name be called? Patrick Robinson - can he cover yet? also, can he catch? Jonathan Casillas - just looking for week-to-week improvement. Anthony Hargrove - can he go one game without a personal foul?

All for now, hope everyone has a great time tonight!