The Saints are hoping their fate is the same as that of the ’07 New York Giants, who represented the NFC in last year’s London game, won against the Miami Dolphins and went on to the playoffs and the Super Bowl. A lot will be made of Drew Brees facing San Diego for the first time since they let him walk as a free agent, but the focus should be on where this game leaves each team at the halfway mark of the season. The Chargers are eager to prove they’re a team worthy of going to the Super Bowl and will probably thrive in the spotlight.

Saints Players to Watch: QB Drew Brees. As we’ve mentioned before, we closely watch Brees every game, but this one has the potential to turn into something special. San Diego’s got an offense capable of putting up tons of points, with QB Philip Rivers, RB LaDainian Tomlinson and WR Chris Chambers. With this likely to become another Saints shootout, it’ll be on Brees to help control what the black and gold put up on the board.

Chargers Players to Watch: CBs Quentin Jammer and Antonio Cromartie. We might want to throw in LB Shaun Philips as well. Jammer and Cromartie are cornerbacks on the rise and Philips is a well above average linebacker. If Brees cannot consistently find open receivers downfield because of good coverage by the Chargers, he’ll be force to throw underneath and Philips can take advantage of an errant throw. The last thing the Saints will need on foreign soil is yet another offensive mistake turned into a touchdown by an opposing defense.

Ex-Saints to Watch: No notables this week.

HA’s Madden ’09 Result: Saints win, 34-24.

HA’s Prediction: The Saints should be revved up for this one and it’ll be exciting to see both the fans who make the trip from New Orleans and the ones based in Europe. For that flimsy reason and that flimsy reason alone, we’ll go with the Saints, who’ll win 31-20.

We’re beginning to feel like we’re repeating ourselves here at HOMEFIELD ADVANTAGE—The Panthers face the Saints with a powerful one-two running back punch with DeAngelo Williams and rookie Jonathan Stewart. Carolina coach John Fox has gotten back to his defensive coordinator roots by focusing on running the ball and having his quarterback make plays when they count on offense and using an aggressive defense—the result has the Panthers looking as good as they were when they went to the Super Bowl in 2003. How will the Saints look entering this game? Will they come in on a roll or deflated from the toll their injury bug has taken? On a modest one-game winning streak, the Saints finally look to get healthy—Marques Colston and Jeremy Shockey look to return, as if Drew Brees needs more weapons.

Saints Players to Watch: RBs Pierre Thomas and Deuce McAllister. Reggie Bush will continue to catch passes out of the backfield and line up at wideout, but Thomas and Deuce can dominate Panther DTs Darwin Walker and Damione Lewis. In last year’s two games against the Panthers, the trio of Bush, Aaron Stecker and Thomas averaged 76.5 yards, and that paltry output can be easily eclipsed here.

Panthers Players to Watch: WR Steve Smith. Odd as it sounds, considering the Saints’ poor secondary in ’07, the Saints did a good job of protecting themselves against the speedy Steve Smith. Smith had 47 yards receiving in each of the two meetings last year, with just 1 touchdown. Of course, that was accomplished against the Panthers’ QBs from last year, David Carr and Matt Moore, not with this game’s Ex-Saint to Watch.

Ex-Saints to Watch: QB Jake Delhomme. In the Saints’ two losses to the Panthers in 2006, both quarterbacked by this Saints-castoff, Delhomme threw for 376 yards, 4 TDs and no INTs.

HA’s Madden ’09 Result: Saints lose, 24-21.

HA’s Prediction: In the print edition we said the Saints probably weren’t going to go 4-0 in this October stretch, so they would have to drop one somewhere. Saints lose, 24-28. After the events of the past few weeks and the early return of some injured players (we thought Colston and Shockey would be out until next week’s London game), we’re going to now say the Saints will win this one, 34-24. The Saints haven’t won on the road yet this season, and now would be a good time to start that ball rolling.

Before you think the Raiders coming into the Superdome with a new coach means good things for the Saints, remember two things: the Saints tend to play down to their competition and the Raiders will be coming off of a bye week, which will give them extra time to prepare for Brees and company. Granted, new coach Tom Cable probably won’t be able to right the ship, but after seeing the Saints’ performance on Monday night we can’t take anything for granted.

Saints Players to Watch: The Raiders have a good one-two RB punch with Justin Fargas and Darren McFadden. One eye should be focused on offense, specifically Reggie Bush. Oakland has some good linebackers in Thomas Howard and Kirk Morrison, and Bush’s problems pass blocking against extra rushers the defense sends was an issue against Tampa Bay in the season opener and could be again here. The Raider secondary has two above-average cornerbacks in Nnamdi Asomugha and DeAngelo Hall, who Saints fans are familiar with from his days in Atlanta. That duo won’t turn potential interceptions into second chances for the Saints—they’ll turn them into touchdowns.

Raiders Players to Watch: Forget the above for a second—everybody wants to see former LSU QB JaMarcus Russell in his first appearance at the Superdome since LSU’s 2006 Sugar Bowl victory over Notre Dame. Russell hasn’t been allowed to throw the ball much the first few weeks of the season, and there’s been no real need for him to due to the success of Fargas and McFadden. Oakland’s offense features average receivers in Ronald Curry and Javon Walker, the former Packer and Bronco who’s still rounding himself into playing shape after a hamstring injury, so the Saints defense could have a good day if the Saints can get ahead and force Russell to pass the ball in order to catch up.

Ex-Saints to Watch: No notables this week.

HA’s Madden ’09 Result: Saints win, 34-10.

HA’s Prediction: The Saints should be in must-win mode, making this one an important game to win before a brutal stretch of road games. Despite Oakland benefiting from the extra week, we’ll go Saints 27, Raiders 16.

The Saints make a return to Monday Night Football. The good news is that Vikings’ quarterback Gus Frerotte should have even the Saints’ secondary grinning. The bad news is the Vikings’ running back duo of Adrian Peterson and Chester Taylor should have the knees of the Saints’ defensive line and linebacking corps’ shaking.

Saints Players to Watch: This was DT Sedrick Ellis, until he injured a knee in practice and will miss this game and at least one other. In the absence of Hollis Thomas, who the Saints cut but will hopefully re-sign when his triceps injury heals, Ellis has become the best defensive tackle in New Orleans. When Ellis is pushing offensive lineman backwards, offenses have little choice but to run the ball away from him. Against Peterson and Taylor, the Saints will need Ellis to produce all the pressure he can muster, otherwise we’ll be in for a long night of hearing WWL Radio announcer Jim Henderson say “Peterson runs left,” “Peterson runs right” and “Peterson runs up the middle.” So who gives the Saints that push now? Kendrick Clancy, Brian Young and Antwan Lake strike fear into no defensive coordinator’s heart, so we might be in for a long one tonight. The Saints’ best bet? Throw nine men in the box to stop Peterson and hope Gus Frerotte plays like Gus Frerotte—meaning he throws a few INTs and no TDs.

Vikings Players to Watch: Peterson and Taylor are the obvious choices, so we’ll skip them and go with the Vikings secondary, CBs Antoine Winfield and Cedric Griffin, FS Madieu Williams and SS Darren Sharper. The Vikings have not defended the pass well, and Drew Brees should be able to eat up yards in chunks, even without WR Marques Colston and TE Jeremy Shockey.

Ex-Saints to Watch: No notables this week.

HA’s Madden ’09 Result: Saints win, 27-17.

HA’s Prediction: The Saints need this one and should be ready to show a national audience they’re ready to go on a run—Saints 34, Vikings 20.

It’s our Voodoo Music Experience ‘08 issue with the Gutter Twins’ Greg Dulli, the Butthole Surfers’ Paul Leary and Voodoo picks by AG writers, plus Girl Talk, Flesh Parade, Optimus Saint, Saints previews for October and much more!

Download it here!