Game Balls From the Saints Close Win Over Titans
The New Orleans Saints emerged from their season opener with a hard-fought 16-15 victory over the visiting Tennessee Titans. It was a battle between two physical defenses from the onset, with only one total touchdown scored on the day.
New Orleans fell into an early hole when WR Rashid Shaheed fumbled the opening kickoff. However, the Saints defense held strong and forced the Titans into a field goal after a three-and-out. Tennessee was held to just five field goals and 285 yards on the day and didn't convert a third down until the beginning of the fourth quarter.
New Orleans was disruptive defensively all afternoon. They held RB Derrick Henry to 63 rushing yards after an inauspicious start and registered 10 QB hits on Ryan Tannehill while sacking him three times. Ends Cam Jordan and Carl Granderson were especially disruptive. Even more encouraging was the three turnovers that the Saints forced after finishing next-to-last in that category last year.
Offensively, the Saints clearly have some work to do. They never were able to establish a ground game without suspended RB Alvin Kamara against the physical Tennessee front seven. New Orleans rushed for just 67 yards and averaged a measly 2.6 per carry with their offensive line struggling most of the afternoon. Trevor Penning was particularly awful at left tackle. Penning gave up three of the four sacks and several other pressures on QB Derek Carr.
New Orleans Saints wide receiver Rashid Shaheed (22) scores a touchdown in the third quarter against the Tennessee Titans.
New Orleans Saints wide receiver Rashid Shaheed (22) scores a touchdown in the third quarter against the Tennessee Titans at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans, La., Sunday, Sept. 10, 2023.
On the bright side, the Saints were able to move the ball fairly consistently through the air. Wideouts Chris Olave, Michael Thomas, and Shaheed combined for 18 receptions and 262 yards. Olave led all receivers with eight catches for 112 yards and Shaheed scored the game's only touchdown.
Rookie K Blake Grupe also had a productive debut. Grupe converted all three of his field goal attempts and his only extra point try. By contrast, former Saints K Wil Lutz missed a field goal and an extra point in Denver's one point loss.
Granderson, Jordan, Olave, Shaheed, and Grupe were among the key reasons for the the win. However, you could argue that they weren't even the biggest stars of the game for the Saints.
Derek Carr, QB
New Orleans Saints quarterback Derek Carr (4) looks to pass against the Tennessee Titans. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports
Carr became just the second quarterback in Saints history to throw for over 300 yards in his first game with the team, joining Jim Everett in 1994. He also became the first Saints quarterback to throw for over 300 yards in a winning effort since Drew Brees did it on Christmas Day in 2020, a span of 36 games.
Carr completed 22 of his 33 attempts for 305 yards with a touchdown and one interception. He remained poised under heavy pressure, especially in the first half. Carr missed on a few throws, but made the biggest plays when they counted most.
In the second half, Carr completed 10 of 13 passes for 163 yards. Included among those was a beautiful scoring strike to Shaheed and some accurate throws to Olave to keep drives alive. He was able to make plays against the Titans at all three levels of their defense.
Carr also showed an excellent grasp of the New Orleans offense with his ability to make adjustments at the line. Several times he audibled into a different play after reading the defense. Blocking up front must improve for those audibles to be more effective, but Carr looked extremely comfortable in the system after only one start.
Just as importantly, the coaches seemed just as comfortable with Carr as their quarterback. There were a few noticeable instances late in the game where they were aggressive offensively instead of conservative. Some of those plays were near-misses, but also showed the potential that this offense and this quarterback has moving forward.
New Orleans Secondary
New Orleans Saints cornerback Marshon Lattimore (23) intercepts a pass against the Tennessee Titans. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports
The Saints had a strong defensive performance, but it was their defensive backs that perhaps made the biggest difference in the outcome. After just seven interceptions all of last season, second fewest in the NFL, the Saints picked off Tannehill three times in this victory.
Safety Marcus Maye made a bigger impact than he did all of 2022. Maye intercepted one pass, provided a touchdown-saving tackle on monstrous RB Derrick Henry in the open field, and was in on several other key tackles and pass breakups. Fellow S Tyrann Mathieu didn't show up big on the stat sheet, but was very active throughout the game all over the field.
Even reserves made an impact. Corner Isaac Yiadom tipped a pass on a deep throw that led to Maye's interception. Ugo Amadi had a near-pick of his own on a crucial fourth quarter breakup. Alontae Taylor gave up a few throws, but is showing rapid improvement in the slot.
The biggest stars from this standout group were CBs Marshon Lattimore and Paulson Adebo. Lattimore had the game's first interception and broke up five passes, blanketing five-time Pro Bowl WR DeAndre Hopkins most of the day. Adebo's third quarter pick put the Saints in position for their touchdown.
Tennessee doesn't have a star-studded receiving corps. However, Hopkins was held to just seven catches on 13 targets, with most of his receptions coming against zone coverage. Dynamic TE Chigoziem Okonkwo was held without a catch, while 2022 first-round pick Treylon Burks had just two inconsequential receptions.
The Saints were able to pressure Tannehill on several occasions. When he did have time, he often didn't have any place to go with the ball. Tannehill missed on a couple potentially big plays, but the New Orleans secondary mostly dominated this contest to take away the win.
