Saints Defense Faces Stiff Challenge From Titans Rushing Attack

A new-look Saints defense must stand up to the physical prowess of the Tennessee rushing attack to open the regular season.

A remade New Orleans Saints run defense faces an immediate challenge when they open their 2023-24 season against the Tennessee Titans on Sunday. The Saints gave up an average of 130.4 yards on the ground in 2022, ranking 24th in the league. Eight of their opponents rushed for over 140 yards against them, including three games of over 200 yards.

Many of those struggles were a result of poor performances from their defensive tackles. This prompted the Saints to let three of their top four defensive tackles from 2022 leave as free agents. New Orleans responded by signing tackles Khalen Saunders and Nathan Shepherd early in free agency and using their first-round draft choice on Clemson DT Bryan Bresee. 

The new unit, including holdover Malcolm Roach, looked good in preseason. However, they'll now be tasked with slowing one of the league's most physical rushing attacks to start the regular season. 

Saints Run Defense vs. Titans Rushing Attack 

Tennessee Running Game

Dec 24, 2022; Tennessee Titans running back Derrick Henry (22) fights off a tackle attempt from Houston Texans cornerback Steven Nelson (21). Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports

Tennessee, like New Orleans, finished with a 7-10 record in 2022 and missed the playoffs. The Titans ranked 13th in rushing production with an average of over 125 yards per game. They were held to under 100 yards on the ground in six of their 10 losses.

Leading the way for Tennessee's ground assault is eighth-year RB Derrick Henry. The 29-year-old Henry is just two years removed from a 2,000-yard campaign and had 1,538 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns in 2022. He had at least 100 yards rushing in nine of his 16 games, bit averaged just 75 yards in Tennessee's losses.

At 6'3" and 247-Lbs., Henry is a defensive backs nightmare in the open field. He's a punishing, throwback-style of runner who possesses excellent vision and nifty feet to hit open creases.

Tennessee gave Henry a terrific backfield complement when they drafted Tulane RB Tyjae Spears with their third round pick. The 81st overall selection, Spears had 1,581 rushing yards and 22 total touchdowns for the Green Wave last season. 

Spears has breakaway speed, but is also a tough runner between the tackles. He is coming off an impressive preseason and should be a big part of the Titans attack in 2023.

The Titans lost longtime LT Taylor Lewan this offseason. They replaced him with free-agent LT Andre Dillard, a 2019 first-round pick of the Philadelphia Eagles. Dillard failed to land a starting job with the Eagles and is now counted on to resurrect his career. Tennessee also used their first-round pick on impressive Northwestern T/G Peter Skoronski, who will start at left guard.

Undersized technician Aaron Brewer moves from guard into the starting center spot. The right side of Tennessee's line is a bigger question. Usual backups Daniel Brunskill gets the start at right guard and tenth-year journeyman Chris Hubbard filling in for the suspended Nicholas Petit-Frere at right tackle. 

New Orleans Run Defense 

Dec. 22, 2019; New Orleans Saints defensive end Carl Granderson (96) stops Tennessee Titans running back Dalyn Dawkins (28). © George Walker IV / Tennessean.com, Nashville Tennessean via Imagn Content Services, LLC

A Saints run defense that dominated the league for four seasons became a liability in 2022. Eleven different players picked up at least 75 yards on the ground against New Orleans, including three 100-yard outings. 

If the new-look defensive tackle spot can create some disruption, we should expect those numbers to drastically change in 2023. On the edge, ageless star Cam Jordan remains superb against the run.  He'll be complemented with a solid edge rotation of Carl Granderson, Payton Turner, and Tanoh Kpassagnon.

Outside of the interior, the key to the Saints run defense is linebackers Demario Davis and Pete Werner. Both are instinctive and physical defenders who are rarely out of position. Werner looked well on his way to a possible All-Pro campaign in 2022 until an ankle injury slowed him at mid-season. 

Davis, 34, remains one of the NFL's top defensive players. Hard-hitting and highly intelligent, he also has the athleticism to explode into the backfield or chase down runners on the edge. After missing most of preseason with an injury, Davis' performance is the biggest key to this defense. 

New Orleans has arguably the league's most aggressive secondary in run support. Safeties Tyrann Mathieu and Marcus Maye are both just as effective near the line of scrimmage as they are in space. Corners Marshon Lattimore, Alontae Taylor, and Paulson Adebo are solid tacklers and play the run with the mentality of a safety. 

Saints coach Dennis Allen typically employs two linebackers with an extra defensive back in most situations. The Titans make no secret that they want to rely on the run, so this strategy may change. That could mean that LB Jaylon Smith will be activated from the practice squad for this contest. It may also mean more snaps for LB Zack Baun, who's been a disappointing fit in this defense but has played reasonably well against the run. 

New Orleans and Tennessee have played twice since Derrick Henry entered the NFL in 2016. Henry missed both contests with injury. The Titans rushed for an average of just under 108 yards in those games, but that was bolstered by a 49-yard end around score by a wide receiver. Discounting that, the Saints surrendered just three yards per carry as Titans running backs collectively managed only 83 yards.

Matchups to Watch

Dec 22, 2019; Tennessee Titans running back Khari Blasingame (41) is unable to hold on to a pass as he is tackled by New Orleans Saints LB Demario Davis (56). Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports

Tennessee's success in 2023 will depend on the effectiveness of the backfield tandem of Derrick Henry and Tyjae Spears. Slowing them, especially Henry, will short-circuit the entire Titans attack. 

The best way to slow Henry is for the defensive tackles to get quick penetration into the backfield. This would prevent Henry from squaring his shoulders and hitting the line with momentum. 

All eyes will be on Bresee, Saunders, and Shepherd against the interior of the Tennessee line. Winning those matchups will allow Jordan and the New Orleans ends to crash down on plays and prevent the Titan backs from outside options. 

Whether New Orleans line wins their battles in the trenches will determine how well they contain Tennessee. Even so, we should still expect some titanic collisions between Henry and the Saints linebackers, especially Demario Davis. 

As mentioned above, Davis is the leader of this New Orleans defense. It's a defense that has the potential to be the league's best, but needs to show that last year's performance against the run was an aberration rather than a trend. The ability to do so likely determines whether the Saints emerge from Week 1 with a win or loss.