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SAN DIEGO -- Chargers defensive coordinator John Pagano understands his group will have its hands full on Sunday when the New Orleans Saints come to town. “There’s such a different mixture of players out there,” Pagano said the Drew Brees-led offense. “You look at their offense and one word comes to mind, and that’s explosive. “The one thing you see with this unit is explosion -- explosive plays. They’re efficient with how Drew runs the offense. They do a great job of attacking down the field and really taking what the coverage gives you. Teams make them earn it, but also at the end of the day, you have to go compete because he sees it.” The Chargers already are without the services of inside linebacker Manti Te’o, who was placed on injured reserve with an Achilles tendon tear. Rookie Jatavis Brown will replace Te’o in the starting lineup. Rookie defensive end Joey Bosa was a limited participant at practice for the second straight day and might not make his regular-season debut against the Saints. Add to that the fact that half of San Diego’s secondary, safety Jahleel Addae (clavicle) and cornerback Brandon Flowers (concussion), did not practice for the second straight day, and it could be a challenging day for a San Diego defense facing the league’s passing leader in Brees. One of the things the Saints consistently do is put up points. Since 2006, New Orleans has averaged 27.4 points per game, second-best in the NFL during that stretch. Only the New England Patriots (29.8 per game) have been better. “They score points and they move the ball down the field,” Pagano said. “It’s something you can almost guarantee, just like Mardi Gras happens every year in New Orleans.” But along with Brees spreading the football around, Pagano said the Saints can run the ball as well. Pagano praised the running ability of bruiser Mark Ingram, who nearly eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark for the first time as a pro two years ago (964 yards), making his first Pro Bowl. Through three games this year, the Alabama product has 165 rushing yards and is averaging 4.6 yards per carry. “He’s a one-cut, slash, downhill runner,” Pagano said about Ingram. “He sees the hole, takes what he gets and lowers his pad level. And you’ve got to have a pad level to be able to match his intensity coming through the hole to be able to tackle him. “He’s smart. He’s got great vision. And they do a lot with him.”
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