NEW ORLEANS – The Titans beat the Saints 30-27 in the preseason finale on Sunday at the Caesars Superdome.
Here's a look at six things that stood out in the contest:
Levis Sharpness
Quarterback Will Levis looked sharp in two offensive series. Levis was a perfect 4-of-4 for 65 yards on the team's first offensive possession, as he guided the team 84 yards on nine plays to give the Titans a 7-0 lead in the first quarter. On the team's next offensive possession, Levis and the first-team offense moved the ball 57 yards on nine plays, and capped it off with a field goal. Levis ended up completing 7-of-8 passes for 118 yards, with a passer rating of 118.8. "It was good," Levis said after the game. "We did what we wanted to out here, to get us amped up and ready for Week One. We were clean with our operation, from top to bottom. I'm proud of how the guys went out there and played. And it was awesome to see guys go out there and make some plays."
Sweat Disruptive
Big defensive lineman T'Vondre Sweat got my attention – and the Saints – right out of the gate. Sweat was in on a tackle on the game's first defensive snap, and he stopped another runner for no gain a few plays later. Sweat also forced Saints quarterback Jake Haener to get rid of the football on an errant throw on a third down stop by the Titans. It was a good end of the preseason for Sweat, who has already made steady improvement during his rookie season. And, he hasn't played a snap alongside Jeffery Simmons. "I give every play 100 percent," Sweat said, "and when I go out there I have the opportunity to showcase my skills by playing the best I can for my teammates."
The Tight Ends
Who had tight end Nick Vannett making the first two catches of the game on their bingo cards? That's exactly what transpired at the start, as Vannett made two grabs totaling 30 yards to put Tennessee's opening drive in motion. But Vannett wasn't the only Titans tight end who made plays. Rookie David Martin-Robinson continued to make a strong case for himself to make the roster, as he caught three passes for 37 yards in the first half, with a long of 21 yards. He finished the game with four catches for 45 yards. "I am just happy that I was given the opportunities I was given this preseason – that's all you can ask for, and you just try and show up as much as you can," Martin-Robinson said. "Whatever happens, I feel like I left what I could on the field." But there was another Titans tight end who made the play of the day…
Odukoya's Hustle
Tight end Thomas Odukoya was mobbed by his Titans teammates after his tremendous hustle play at the end of the first half. After a 58-yard field goal attempt by kicker Brayden Narveson fell short, Saints receiver Samson Nacua caught the football and raced the other way. After breaking away from the first wave of players, Nacua got into space, and raced toward the end zone. It looked like he'd make it for a touchdown on the final play of the half. But Odukoya didn't quit, running the play down. Odukoya shoved a Saints blocker out of the way to get to Nacua, and then knocked him out of bounds at the three-yard line after a 106-yard return. It kept points off the board, and it led to Odukoya getting congratulations from his teammates for the hustle play of the day. "Guys were excited," Odukoya said with a smile. "Coach (Callahan) said before the game: One word that we all have to think about today is finish, and that play kind of exemplified that -- leaving it all on the field the last preseason game.' I wanted to leave it all out there."
Back-Up QBs … and Bryce Oliver
I've documented every throw from all three quarterbacks since the start of training camp. It's made me realize just how accurate quarterback Mason Rudolph has been from the start – Rudolph completed 79.6 percent of his passes in the 13 open practices. Rudolph has been good in the preseason games as well, and that continued here on Sunday. After relieving Levis in the second quarter, Rudolph immediately drove the Titans drove the Titans 67 yards in 16 plays on a drive that produced a field goal. Rudolph was 5-of-7 for 47 yards on the drive, and he was 11-of-15 passes for 114 yards on the day, finishing with a passer rating of 94.9. Props also to Malik Willis, who has shown big improvement in his third training camp and preseason. Willis connected with Bryce Oliver for a pair of touchdown tosses – from 34 yards and five yards – in the fourth quarter on Sunday, as the Titans rallied. Willis finished the game 3-of-4 for 51 yards and two touchdowns, and a 156.2 rating. "I think it was awesome to win," Willis said. "Everybody all around – offense, defense, special teams – did everything they could to pull this one out. It was awesome to finish the way that we did."
Stonehouse Punts … Finally
The Titans had planned to get punter Ryan Stonehouse a few punts on Sunday. For a long time, it looked like that might not happen, as the team put together one long drive after the next. But Stonehouse, who suffered a knee injury in a December 2023 contest against the Colts, resulting in surgery and a long rehab process, finally got the chance here on Sunday, late in the third quarter. Stonehouse uncorked a 53-yard punt in his first punt of the preseason. He finished the game with two punts, for a 43.5-yard average. It was his final step in the return-to-play process. "I apologized to Stonehouse," Callahan said. "We attempted to get him some punts, but we didn't have too many of them early on, which was great."
