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Two interconference opponents open up the 2023 NFL season in New Orleans, as the Saints will host the Tennessee Titans in Week 1 Sunday. Both of these teams missed the playoffs in 2022, but have the talent necessary to rebound and win their respective divisions in 2023.
There’s a new quarterback in New Orleans after Derek Carr opted to take his talents from Sin City to the Bayou. His last season with the Las Vegas Raiders was one of the worst of his career, but the 32-year-old is likely rejuvenated by this change of scenery. As for the Titans, they kept their familiar faces despite some believing they would embrace a rebuild. Ryan Tannehill and Derrick Henry still headline the offense, but they have a new weapon to work off in All-Pro wideout DeAndre Hopkins.
The Titans lead the all-time series vs. the Saints, 9-6-1. Before we get into the ins and outs of this matchup, here’s how you can watch on Sunday.
All NFL odds are via Caesars Sportsbook.
How to watch
Date: Sunday, Sept. 10 | Time: 1 p.m. ET
Location: Caesars Superdome (New Orleans, LA)
TV: CBS | Stream: Paramount+ (click here)
Follow: CBS Sports App
Odds: Saints -3, O/U 41.5
What to watch for
Tennessee’s new offense
Apart from injuries, Tennessee’s biggest issue in 2022 was its lackluster offense. The Titans had the third-worst offense in the league last year (296.8 yards per game), and the third-worst passing offense (171.4 passing yards per game). Offensive coordinator Todd Downing was fired, and replaced by former passing-game coordinator Tim Kelly. You can expect more passing in 2023 — especially with the addition of Hopkins.
Hopkins averaged over 10 targets per game in the nine contests he played for the Arizona Cardinals last year, and he’s a weapon who’s deserving of those kinds of looks in the passing game. A.J. Brown averaged 7.8 targets per game in his final two seasons with the Titans, so it will be interesting to see, one, how involved Hopkins is, and two, how his chemistry with Tannehill looks.
That’s not to say we can completely ignore Henry. He has three seasons with 1,500-plus rushing yards since 2019. The rest of the NFL has four combined. He hasn’t exactly shown signs he’s slowing down, but the Saints defense is one of the best in the league. New Orleans has allowed just five individual 100-yard rushing games over the last five seasons. That mark ranks first in the NFL. Henry, on the other hand, has recorded 32 100-yard outings over the last five years, which also ranks first in the NFL. How Tennessee mixes in the run vs. the pass will be something to watch.
Derek Carr’s impact
All eyes are on Carr in Week 1 as the Saints are hoping he can do something similar to what Matthew Stafford did for the Los Angeles Rams. Think about some of the similarities between these two quarterbacks: Both are the all-time franchise leaders in touchdown passes at their previous stops, both never won a playoff game or a division title with their previous team, both had bad defenses and both led the NFL in fourth-quarter comebacks during their time with the franchises that drafted them. Could Carr flourish with a bit more stability?
Carr won’t have star running back Alvin Kamara on Sunday due to his suspension, but Jamaal Williams and Kendre Miller aren’t bad replacements. Plus, Carr’s wide receiving corps is headlined by Chris Olave and Michael Thomas, who is hopefully finally healthy. Tennessee’s pass defense was very bad last year, so expect the Saints to work these cornerbacks.
Prediction
I liked this line more when it was TEN +3.5, but I’ll take the underdog in what I’m expecting will be a close game. I think Mike Vrabel as an underdog is always dangerous. He’s 20-20 straight up in his head-coaching career as an underdog, and 23-16-1 against the spread. That’s tied with Mike Tomlin (39-39) for the best outright record as an underdog by any head coach since 1970. Additionally, keep in mind that the Saints are 2-7 ATS in their last nine Week 1 games.
Pick: Titans (+3) 24-23 over Saints
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