INGLEWOOD, Calif. (AP) — Trey Lance scrambled for a 5-yard score and rookie Eric Rogers had a 43-yard pick-6 in a mostly sluggish offensive performance by the Los Angeles Chargers in a 27-13 exhibition win over the New Orleans Saints on Sunday.
The Chargers’ defense had a goal-line stand and a strip-sack that led to a turnover while dominating the Saints, who committed seven penalties for 56 yards and got sacked five times.
Chargers rookie Jamaree Caldwell took down Tyler Shough for a 9-yard loss in the third quarter. Rogers also intercepted Jake Haener in the fourth before getting hurt with 1:43 remaining.
Lance was 7 of 14 for 55 yards. He also was the Chargers’ leading rusher with seven carries for 48 yards.
Taylor Heinicke started at quarterback for the Chargers, going 1 of 5 for 8 yards. DJ Uiagalelei drew cheers with a 49-yard pass to Dalevon Campbell late in the game.
With a four-man quarterback competition, Spencer Rattler started for the Saints and was sacked twice by Caleb Murphy in the second. Shough replaced him and was intercepted by Rogers on a pass intended for Dante Pettis on the Saints’ first possession of the third. Lance passed to Campbell for the 2-point conversion and a 17-3 lead.
Shough hit Mason Tipton for a 54-yard touchdown and Charlie Smyth made the extra point, leaving the Saints trailing 17-10. Shough was 15 of 22 for 165 yards.
Cameron Dicker had field goals of 44 and 40 yards for the Chargers.
DOLPHINS 24, BEARS 24
CHICAGO (AP) — Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa had an efficient start to the preseason and Miami and the Bears finished in a tie in Ben Johnson’s Chicago coaching debut.
Playing in a preseason opener for the first time since 2021, Tagovailoa completed 5 of 6 for 27 yards in a 15-play drive against Bears backups, but the Dolphins failed to score on their first drive because of a Bears goal-line stand.
Running back Jaylen Wright was stuffed by Bears linebacker Noah Sewell on fourth-and-goal from the 1. He later scored on a 7-yard run late in the first half.
Miami backup quarterbacks Zach Wilson and Quinn Ewers directed three touchdown drives and Jason Sanders made a 56-yard field goal in the fourth quarter.
Sanders’ kick with 6:22 remaining tied the game at 24 and the Dolphins defense turned back a late Bears scoring drive at the Miami 41.
Ewers, who went 5 of 18 for 91 yards, completed a 21-yard pass to Alexander Mattison on an eight-play, 41-yard drive in the fourth quarter, leading to a 1-yard TD score by rookie running back Ollie Gordon with 11:48 remaining for a 21-17 Miami lead.
Wilson replaced Tagovailoa after the goal-line stand and completed 5 of 9 for 96 yards. He hit a 35-yard pass to Nick Westbrook-Ikhine and set up the Dolphins first score, then a 34-yard completion to Tahj Washington to set up the second TD.
Wilson, signed as a free agent after three seasons with the Jets and one in Denver, is looking to revive a career that started when he was the second overall pick of the 2021 draft.
The Associated Press
