NEW ORLEANS — A perfect debut by rookie kicker Blake Grupe plus a dominant defensive performance helped the New Orleans Saints overcome a sluggish start offensively to win Sunday's season opener against the visiting Tennessee Titans, 16-15, in the Caesars Superdome.
Grupe went 3-for-3 on field goals to tie the game after the Saints trailed by a field goal on three separate occasions with his third kick a 52-yarder to tie the game, 9-9, at the start of the second half.
The Saints defense punished Tennessee quarterback Ryan Tannehill all game with three sacks and three interceptions, including one by cornerback Paulsen Adebo with 3 minutes to play in the third quarter.
That pick led to a 19-yard touchdown pass from Derek Carr to Rashid Shaheed to give the Saints their first lead – and touchdown – of the game, 16-7.
Tennessee kicker Nick Folk went 5-for-5 to account for all Titans' scores in the game.
"We are always happy to get the win," Saints linebacker Demario Davis told WWL 870AM after the game. "There are always things we can do better and that we can work on."
Carr, who was sacked four times, closed his Saints regular-season debut going 23-of-33 for 305 yards with one touchdown and one interception. Second-year wideout Chris Olave led the team in receiving with 8 catches for 112 yards, followed by Shaheed with 5 receptions for 89 yards and Michael Thomas with 5 for 61.
Rushing was nearly non-existent in the first quarter, with Williams finishing the game with 43 yards on 18 rushes for a 2.4-yard average.
""I thought it was a heck of a game and I was proud of our guys being able to hang in there, hang in there and make just enough plays to win it," said second-year Saints head coach Dennis Allen. “There’s a lot of stuff we have to get better at but we are going to enjoy this win and then focus toward Carolina.”
Four-time Pro Bowl running back Alvin Kamara is currently serving a three-game suspension due to an off-the-field altercation in a Las Vegas nightclub in February 2022, and rookie Kendre Miller was listed as inactive due to an ongoing hamstring injury.
Tennessee kicker Nick Folk went 5-for-5 to account for all Titans' scores in the game. Tannehill went 16-of-34 for 198 yards with three INTs. And former 2,000-yard rusher Derrick Henry was held to 63 yards on 15 carries for a 4.2 average.
Sluggish start...
A turnover on the opening kickoff set the tone toward a sluggish start for the Saints' offense that led to a 9-6 halftime lead by the visiting Titans.
Trailing by three inside a minute to play in the half, a Carr interception ended a chance for at least another Grupe field goal to even the game.
The Saints defense stifled the Titans for -8 yards on four plays following Amani Hooker's recovery of Rashid Shaheed fumble on the opening kickoff to limit Tennessee to three thanks to the leg of kicker
On the Saints' first offensive possession, Carr went 4-of-6 with three first-down completions, two of which to Thomas, who has only started eight games in three seasons due to injury.
The Saints' 9-yard, 67-yard drive stalled out on the Titans' 8 and New Orleans was forced to settle for a 26-yard field goal from Grupe to tie the game at 3 with 10:18 to play in the first quarter.
Grupe also hit a 33-yarder with 7:37 to play in the first half.
Carr, who went 6-of-9 for 67 yards in the first quarter, finished the half 13-of-20 for 142 yards with one interception. Thomas led Saints' receiving with 46 yards on three receptions.
The Saints totaled just 3 yards on two carries from Williams in the first quarter.
With the win, the Saints (1-0) now turn attention toward two road games, including NFC South rival Carolina (Sept. 18) and at Green Bay (Sept. 24), before returning to the Superdome to host division rival Tampa Bay on Oct. 1.
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