The Tennessee Titans (0-0) open the 2023 season this week with a trip to face the New Orleans Saints (0-0). Kickoff at the Caesars Superdome (73,000) is scheduled for noon CDT on Sunday, Sept. 10.
Sunday's showdown marks the second all-time season opener between the Titans and Saints franchises and the second in New Orleans. They met in the Crescent City on Sept. 5, 1993, when the Saints won 33-21 over the Oilers in a Sunday night contest.
The Titans head to New Orleans with a two-game winning streak in Week 1 road contests. They won at Cleveland and Denver in 2019 and 2020, respectively, before dropping their last two openers at home in 2021 (Arizona) and 2022 (New York Giants).
THE BROADCAST
The contest will be regionally televised on CBS, including Nashville affiliate WTVF NewsChannel 5, as well as on Paramount+ in the Nashville market. The broadcast team includes play-by-play announcer Chris Lewis, analysts Jason McCourty and Ross Tucker, and reporter Amanda Guerra.
Fans in Nashville can stream live Titans games on mobile devices with NFL+, which offers access to local games and all primetime games on phones and tablets. More information on ways to watch NFL games can be found here.
The Titans Radio Network and Nashville flagship 104.5 The Zone carry all Titans games across the Mid-South with the "Voice of the Titans" Mike Keith, analyst Dave McGinnis, sideline reporter Ramon Foster and gameday host Rhett Bryan.
Additionally, Sports USA will broadcast the game to a national radio audience. Play-by-play announcer John Ahlers and analyst Brandon Noble have the call.
VRABEL LEADS TITANS INTO 2023
The Titans, who went 2-1 during the preseason, are in their sixth season with head coach Mike Vrabel at the helm. Since being hired in 2018, the 2021 AP NFL Coach of the Year has directed the team to four winning records, three playoff appearances and two division titles.
Starting quarterback Ryan Tannehill enters his 12th year in the NFL and his fifth year with the organization. He ranks first in franchise history in career passer rating (100.5) and completion percentage (66.9), fifth in career passing touchdowns (89), and sixth in passing yards (12,831).
Three-time Pro Bowl running back Derrick Henry looks to continue his assault on the team's record books in his eighth pro season. Last year he moved into first place in franchise history in career rushing touchdowns (78) and total touchdowns (81), and he sits in third place on the franchise rushing charts with 8,335 career yards, behind only Eddie George (10,009) and Earl Campbell (8,574). Henry leads the NFL in rushing yards and rushing touchdowns since entering the NFL in 2016.
The Titans have multiple returning players who have earned Pro Bowl recognition during their time with the club: Tannehill, Henry, long snapper Morgan Cox, safety Kevin Byard, defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons, and outside linebacker Harold Landry III. Prior to training camp, they signed five-time Pro Bowl wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins, who arrives in Tennessee with 853 career receptions—the most in the NFL over the past 10 seasons.
Additional veteran members of the roster scheduled to make their Titans regular-season debuts include outside linebacker Arden Key, linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair, cornerback Sean Murphy-Bunting, and offensive linemen Daniel Brunskill and Andre Dillard. First-round offensive lineman Peter Skoronski 11th overall) headlines a six-member draft class.
THE SAINTS
The Saints were 2-1 during the preseason under Dennis Allen, who was named head coach in 2022 after serving six-and-a-half seasons as the team's defensive coordinator. He also was the head coach of the Oakland Raiders from 2012 to 2014.
In 2022, the Saints finished in third place in the NFC South with a 7-10 record, including wins in three of their last four games. They ranked fifth in total defense (314.8 yards per game), second in passing defense (184.4), ninth in scoring defense (20.3 points per game) and tied for fifth in sacks (48).
The Saints are led at quarterback by four-time Pro Bowler Derek Carr, who they signed as a free agent during the offseason. Carr previously spent nine seasons with the Raiders, starting 142 career games and passing for 35,222 yards and 217 touchdowns with a 91.8 career passer rating.
