Taking a few days off to get away from it all, having five defeats in a row, might help the sad sack. Saints (2-5) regroup and clear your collective minds. they are playing Los Angeles Chargers (3-3) today (3:05 p.m. Central, FOX) Before Saints fans start stocking up on grocery sacks to put over their heads at games.

The Chargers’ advantage was quite a bit of a touchdown for a team that lost its third game of four on Monday Night Football last week, 17-15, at 2-3 in Arizona. The Saints return five key starters who will help with an emotional lift on the field and mentally.

So take the Saints and the goal. Here are three reasons why:

Currently, New Orleans’ only elite receiver is third-year veteran Chris Olave, and deep threat Rashid Shaheed is lost for the season with a knee injury in Week 6 against Tampa Bay. Olave had 23 catches for 280 yards and a touchdown, but missed the Saints’ final game against Denver after suffering a concussion against Tampa Bay. He’s coming off back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons and gives rookie quarterback Spencer Rattler a chance.

Rattler will start his third game for the injured Derek Carr (oblique). Rattler will also feel a little better with the return of right defender Cesar Ruiz (knee). Ruiz last lost to Philadelphia in week three. If the battered Rattler, who is recovering from a minor hip injury, needs a break, Wildcat quarterback/tight end/running back Taysom Hill could captivate him. The versatile Hill (lung, rib) will return for the first time since the loss to Atlanta in week four.

Other players returning from injury will be left guard Lucas Patrick (chest) and defenseman Pete Werner (hamstring).

And just like that What Rattler is struggling with And so is backup Jake Haener, the Saints could take Carr. Carr did not practice this week but returned to pitching after being injured in a Monday Night Football game at Kansas City on Oct. 7.

“Potentially, yes,” Saints coach Dennis Allen told Carr on Friday. “We’ll see where he is on Sunday.”

First-year coach Jim Harbaugh has some major injuries to deal with against the Saints. Top wide receiver Ladd McConkey (hip) is questionable. He has 24 catches for 265 yards and two touchdowns in six games on the season. If he doesn’t play, he will be missed by an offense that has allowed 15 points or fewer in its three losses.

Additionally, wide receiver Quentin Johnston (ankle) is questionable. He has 14 catches for 164 yards and three touchdowns in five games. Veteran wide receiver DJ Chark (groin) did not play all season and was placed on injured reserve. Backup receiver Derius Davis (hamstring) is also questionable. Quarterback Justin Herbert is quickly running out of targets.

New Orleans hasn’t lost six straight games in nearly two decades. So luck must be on the Saints’ side, right? The sixth straight defeat came during the Hurricane Katrina-torn 2005 season, when the Saints lost 24-17 at New England on Nov. 20.

The Saints finished 3-13 that year without their home stadium, as the Superdome’s roof was torn apart by the storm. In temporary homes, New Orleans was 0-4 at Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge and 1-2 at the Alamodome in San Antonio, where then-owner Tom Benson had business interests. He wanted to move the team there permanently before NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue blocked him. Sean Payton replaced Jim Haslett after the season. Saints signed Drew Brees from San Diego. And the rest is history.

There’s this from the episode Lagniappe (New Orleans means something extra). If the Saints can somehow get past the Chargers, they will play at 1-6 Carolina next week. The Saints beat Carolina 47-10 in the opener. So, it is possible to bring the Saints to 4-5 with a two-game winning streak. There is some motivation.