NEW ORLEANS — In a game where the offense struggled to find the end zone, New Orleans needed big plays from diminutive rookie kicker Blake Grupe to even the score on three occasions in the Saints' 16-15 Week 1 win over the Tennessee Titans on Sunday.
The 5-foot-7, 156-pound undrafted free agent out of Notre Dame, who replaced longtime Saints kicker Wil Lutz after he was traded to the Denver Broncos in August, nailed kicks from 26 and 33 yards in the first half before going a perfect 3-for-3 with a critical 52-yarder to tie the game at 9-9 to start the third quarter.
"I thought he kicked the ball well," said Saints second-year head coach Dennis Allen after the game. "The 52-yarder was a huge kick in the game, so that was great to see the kid knock that thing through.
"I thought he kicked the ball off well, so I was pleased with the way he performed."
Grupe went 1-for-1 on extra points following the Saints go-ahead touchdown when Derek Carr connected with Rashid Shaheed for 19 yards with 1:23 remaining in the third quarter.
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