NEW ORLEANS — The Saints are opening the Derek Carr era and the Titans have a revamped offensive line blocking for star running back Derrick Henry as Tennessee visits New Orleans in Week 1. Carr became one of three QBs in NFL history to pass for at least 3,000 yards in each of his first nine seasons before he left the Las Vegas Raiders for the Saints in free agency. Henry ranked second in the NFL with 1,538 yards rushing last season. Both teams hope to improve on injury-filled 7-10, non-playoff seasons in 2022. Tennessee has added receiver DeAndre Hopkins. The three-time All-Pro signed with Tennessee just before training camp.
TENNESSEE TITANS (7-10) at NEW ORLEANS SAINTS (7-10)
Sunday, 1 p.m. EDT, CBS
OPENING LINE: Saints by 3, according to FanDuel SportsBook.
SERIES RECORD: Titans lead 9-6-1.
LAST MEETING: Titans beat Saints 23-21 on Nov. 14, 2021, in Nashville, Tennessee.
TURNOVER DIFFERENTIAL: Titans minus-3; Saints minus-11.
TITANS PLAYER TO WATCH: WR DeAndre Hopkins. The three-time All-Pro signed with Tennessee just before training camp after being a salary-cap casualty in Arizona. He’s 31 but should be a big help for an offense that had one of the NFL’s worst passing attacks last season. Even limited to nine games in 2022, Hopkins still would have led Tennessee with 64 catches for 717 yards.
SAINTS PLAYER TO WATCH: Second-year WR Chris Olave is looking to build on a strong rookie campaign in which he caught 72 passes for 1,042 yards and four TDs. The Saints are eager to see how much more room he has to operate with two-time All-Pro receiver Michael Thomas returning from a foot injury that sidelined him for all but the first three games last season.
KEY MATCHUP: The Titans’ revamped offensive line against a Saints defense that was among the NFL’s best with 48 sacks last season. Only Aaron Brewer returns as a Titans’ starter, and he slid from LG to C.
KEY INJURIES: Titans: CB Tre Avery (Hamstring), OLB Harold Landry (abdomen), OL Dillon Radunz (knee). Saints: WR Tre'Quan Smith (groin), DB J.T. Gray (shoulder), RB Kendre Miller (hamstring).
SERIES NOTES: This is the second time these franchises have opened a season against each other and first since 1993. The Saints won 33-21 in New Orleans. … This will be the Titans’ first trip to New Orleans since Nov. 8, 2015. That was the debut of Titans interim coach Mike Mularkey and a 34-28 OT win by Tennessee. These teams have split the past four games with three of those played in Nashville. … The Saints have visited Tennessee only four times since the Titans’ franchise left Houston in 1997. This will be the Titans’ ninth game all time in New Orleans.
STATS AND STUFF: The Titans enter this season on a seven-game skid that cost them a third straight AFC South title last season. … The Titans have a two-game winning streak when opening the season on the road in 2019 and 2020. They’ve won five of six road season openers. … The Titans are 32-31 in season openers. … The Titans are 15-7 against the NFC under coach Mike Vrabel. … The Titans’ roster features 11 rookies, not counting first-year GM Ran Carthon, among 24 new players. … Titans P Ryan Stonehouse set a record with a 53.1-yard gross average as a rookie, topping Sammy Baugh’s mark that stood for 82 years. … QB Derek Carr makes his Saints debut. He passed for 35,222 yards and 217 TDs in nine seasons (142 starts) with the Raiders in Oakland and Las Vegas. Carr is one of three QBs in NFL history with at least 3,000 yards passing in each of his first nine seasons. … Saints RB Alvin Kamara is serving the first of a three-game suspension in connection with an altercation in Las Vegas during Pro Bowl weekend in 2022. … Taysom Hill, a reserve QB who also plays TE and upback on the punt team, had a career-high 575 yards rushing and career-high tying nine TDs from scrimmage (seven rushing, two receiving) to go with two TD passes last season. … RB Jamaal Williams led the NFL with a career-high 17 TDs rushing and had a career-high 1,066 yards rushing in 2022 with Detroit. … WR Chris Olave ranked second among rookies in yards receiving (1,042) and tied for second in receptions (72) last season. … WR Michael Thomas is scheduled to return from a foot injury that sidelined him for the final 14 games last season. He has 526 receptions for 6,121 yards and 35 TDs in 73 games. … TE Juwan Johnson had a career-high seven TDs receiving last season. … DE Cameron Jordan had 8 1/2 sacks in 2022 and has at least seven sacks in 11 straight seasons. He ranks second among active players in sacks (115 1/2). … DT Bryan Bresee makes his NFL debut after being selected 29th overall out of Clemson in last spring’s draft. ... S Tyrann Mathieu is one of four players with at least three interceptions in each of the past four seasons.
FANTASY TIP: Derrick Henry. The Titans running back ranked second in the NFL with 1,538 yards rushing last season. He will provide an immediate test of how much the Saints have improved their run defense.
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