Tennessee Titans score prediction vs. New Orleans Saints: Our NFL Week 1 projection is in
Tennessee Titans football is back. The players might not all be the ones you remember. But it's time for Titans football nonetheless.
The Titans visit the New Orleans Saints on Sunday (noon Central time, CBS) for their first game of the 2023 NFL season. After a busy offseason, Tennessee figures to start at least nine players on offense and defense who weren't on the team last season. And that's not counting players like quarterback Ryan Tannehill or linebacker Harold Landry, both of whom missed time with injuries, or players like Aaron Brewer who moved positions.
It's also not mentioning a reconfigured coaching staff, with new coordinators for the offense, passing game, running game and defensive passing game.
The Titans finished last season on a seven-game losing streak and missed the playoffs for the first time since 2018. All of these new faces were brought in to get back to the postseason. The Titans are facing a similarly rebuilt opponent that is trying to get back to the playoffs after a two-year absence.
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Here is The Tennessean's scouting report and prediction for Sunday's season opener.
Titans offense vs. Saints defense
It's a story of two rebuilds. The Titans will line up four new starters on the offensive line, plus Brewer bumping inside from guard to center. The Saints will have three new starters on their defensive line, a unit that ranked in the bottom 10 of the NFL in rushing yards allowed per game and per carry last season.
Even with Tim Kelly taking over as the offensive coordinator and DeAndre Hopkins figuring in as a top receiving target, this offense is still Derrick Henry's. If his new O-line can generate some push against a Saints unit jelling for the first time, the Titans should have success. If the O-line struggles in its first chance, it might be a long afternoon.
New Orleans' pass defense is the real deal. If second-year receiver Treylon Burks is healthy enough to play, the Titans should have their best arsenal of pass catchers available since at least 2021. But Tannehill will still have to break through against a stingy unit led by Tyrann Mathieu, Marcus Maye and Marshon Lattimore.
Advantage: It's close, but it's the Saints, narrowly.
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Titans defense vs. Saints offense
Derek Carr has had his fair share of success against the Titans. Among teams he has faced at least five times, his third-highest passer rating came against Tennessee. But this game is his first in a new offense, and he'll be playing without star running back Alvin Kamara, who is serving a suspension.
The Titans' fate likely comes down to just how improved the pass defense actually is. The unit last season allowed more passing yards than any other in the league. And Saints receivers Chris Olave and Michael Thomas have the length, speed and skill to expose those flaws again. But the Titans head into Week 1 healthy in the secondary and on the defensive line, two luxuries they rarely had last year.
Expect big games from the dominant front of Jeffery Simmons, Denico Autry, Teair Tart, Arden Key and Landry. If Carr doesn't have time to stretch the field, the Saints' potential advantage on the perimeter won't matter.
Advantage: Titans by a fair margin.
Score prediction: Titans 17, Saints 14
Both newly reconstructed offenses take a little while to get going against good defenses. The Titans build enough of a lead for Henry to ice the game late, but the defense deserves most of the credit for this win.
Nick Suss is the Titans beat writer for The Tennessean. Contact Nick at nsuss@gannett.com. Follow Nick on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, @nicksuss.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Titans prediction vs Saints: Projecting score for Tennessee NFL Week 1
