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Written by Aaron Fischman
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Sunday Night Football: New Orleans vs San Diego


The winless Saints host the 3-1 Chargers in a game in which Drew Brees needs just one touchdown pass to break Johnny Unitas’ record of 47 straight games with at least one scoring throw. Suspended head coach Sean Payton has been allowed to attend this potentially record-breaking game, and will get a chance to speak with Brees if the record is indeed broken.

Brees’ first quarter of the season has seen mixed results. The 33-year-old quarterback has thrown for 1,350 yards and 10 touchdowns, but his completion percentage is very low (57.6), especially by Brees’ lofty standards. He has also thrown five interceptions. As a result this normally elite quarterback ranks 19th in the league in passer rating.

AccuScore has picks against the spread, on the moneyline and Totals for the Sunday Night and Monday night game on the NFL Expert Picks page

Behind new defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo, the New Orleans defense is struggling badly allowing 32.5 points and 463.3 yards per game. Spagnuolo cites the lack of pressure as a major culprit in the defense’s woes. While big plays have certainly hurt the Saints, Spagnuolo also worries about giving opposing offenses extra yards via penalties and poor tackling.

The Chargers come to the Superdome one week after forcing six Chief turnovers in Arrowhead Stadium. Before that game however, the Charger defense had only forced three turnovers in three games.

Philip Rivers has completed 69 percent of his passes, but passing touchdowns have been few and far between. Through San Diego’s first two road games, its red zone touchdown percentage is just 44 percent.

Running back Ryan Matthews has been eased back into the rotation after recovering from injury. He has not carried the ball more than 14 times in any one game splitting carries with Jackie Battle. Battle is a physical runner who is especially effective near the goal line.

According to the AccuScore forecast, Jimmy Graham and Marques Colston will combine for nearly half of Brees’ 320 passing yards. Brees only needs one touchdown to break Unitas’ record, but AccuScore says two or three (projections is 2.6) is more likely. Matthews is expected to lead all rushers with nearly 65 yards.

AccuScore gives the Saints a 59.1 percent chance of earning their first victory of the season. My independent score prediction is 34-30 Saints, while AccuScore forecasts a 31-27 win for the home team. Either way, points will not be at a premium. Get ready for a high-octane game.

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