TEAM NOTES
• With their 23-21 win over the Saints, the Titans extended their winning streak to six games. The last time they won six straight games within a season was when they began the 2008 campaign with a 10-0 mark.
• In 2021, the Titans have played half of the teams that made the NFL playoffs in 2020 and are undefeated in those opportunities. They are 7-0 with wins against the Seattle Seahawks, Indianapolis Colts (twice), Buffalo Bills, Kansas City Chiefs, Los Angeles Rams and the Saints. With five such wins in the last five weeks, they became the second team in NFL history to win five straight contests with each of the wins coming at the expense of a participant in the previous year's postseason. They joined the 2003 Philadelphia Eagles as the only teams to do so. Since the 1970 NFL-AFL merger, the Titans are the 11th team with at least seven total wins against incumbent playoff teams, and they have one such game remaining in 2021—at the reigning AFC North champion Pittsburgh Steelers on Dec. 19. Since 1970, only the 2007 New England Patriots have gone 8-0 (or better) against the previous season's playoff qualifiers.
• The franchise recorded its 200th win since becoming the Titans in 1999, including regular season and postseason games. The Titans are 200-179 in that span.
• The Titans are 8-2 in their first 10 games. It is the sixth time in franchise history the team has won eight or more of their first 10 games. They previously were 8-2 or better in 1991, 1999, 2000, 2003 and 2008.
• The Titans extended their home winning streak to four games. They are 106-80 all-time at Nissan Stadium, including playoffs.
• The Titans won the turnover battle with one takeaway (fumble recovery) and no giveaways. It marked the seventh consecutive week they either won the turnover margin (six games) or were even in turnovers (one game). The Titans have improved their takeaway-giveaway ratio for the season to plus-two (14 takeaways and 12 turnovers) after beginning the season minus-six in their first three contests.
• Their two-point win earned the Titans their league-best 10th win since the beginning of the 2019 campaign in contests that were decided by three points or less. They are 10-4 in such instances.
TEAM NOTES – OFFENSE
• The Titans won the time-of-possession battle for the seventh time in 10 games in 2021. They had the ball for 31 minutes and 27 seconds (28:33 by the Saints). Tennessee's season possession average is 32:11 (27:49 by opponents).
• Ryan Tannehill completed passes to 11 different players on offense. That was a season high, surpassing the previous high of nine pass recipients on four previous occasions this season.
• The Titans have averaged their best average starting field position of the season in the past two games. Their average field position at Los Angeles in Week 9 was their own 36.5, their best of the season. They followed that with an average drive start at their own 35.1 against the Saints, their second-best average drive start.
• The Titans scored a touchdown on their opening drive of the second half for the sixth time in 2021. That is the most in the NFL through 10 weeks of the season.
TEAM NOTES – DEFENSE
• The Titans allowed six points by the Saints in the first half. It was the second consecutive week they allowed less than seven points in the first half and the third time in a four-week span. .
• The Titans defense registered four sacks in the first half. It was the second consecutive week they reached four sacks in the first half.
• For the second consecutive week, the Titans defense recorded sacks on back-to-back plays. Defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons and outside linebacker Harold Landry III accomplished the feat against the Saints a week after Simmons and defensive tackle Denico Autry did so at the Los Angeles Rams.
• Going into the Titans-Saints game, the Saints offense had allowed 13 total sacks, tied for the fourth-lowest total in the NFL. The Titans' four sacks tied for the most against the Saints in 2021 (four by Carolina on Sept. 19).
• With the Titans leading 23-21 with 1 minute and 16 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter, the Saints attempted a two-point conversion to tie the score. Trevor Siemian's pass to Mark Ingram II, who was defended by linebacker Jayon Brown, fell incomplete. Titans opponents have succeeded on one two-point conversion on three attempts this season.
• The Titans defense allowed the Saints to rush for only 86 yards, the Saints' second-lowest total of the season.
ILB JAYON BROWN
• Tied for the team lead with 10 tackles.
K RANDY BULLOCK
• Made all three field goals and both extra point attempts. He made a 28-yard field goal in the first quarter, a 36-yard field goal in the second quarter and another 36-yarder in the fourth quarter.
• Registered the 25th game of his career with at least three field goals.
• Improved his season totals to 18 field goals on 20 attempts and 27 extra points on 28 attempts.
FB TORY CARTER
• Recovered a fumble on special teams, leading to an eventual Titans touchdown. On the opening kickoff of the second half, he was credited with a fumble recovery after Saints returner Deonte Harris lost the ball. The Titans offense scored a touchdown five plays later. The fumble recovery was the first of Carter's career.
LB DYLAN COLE
• Forced a fumble on special teams, leading to a Titans recovery and eventual touchdown. On the opening kickoff of the second half, he was credited with causing a fumble by returner Deonte Harris. The Titans recovered the ball, and the offense scored a touchdown five plays later. The forced fumble was the first of Cole's career.
S MATTHIAS FARLEY
• Led the team with four total special teams tackles.
WR DEZ FITZPATRICK
• Played his first NFL game and recorded his first NFL reception in the third quarter (no gain).
RB D'ONTA FOREMAN
• Registered his second career start and his first start since his rookie season in 2017 with the Houston Texans.
• Totaled 78 scrimmage yards, the third-best total of his career. He rushed for a team-high 30 yards on 11 carries and added two receptions for 48 yards.
• Took a screen pass 39 yards in the third quarter. It was the longest catch of his career, eclipsing his 34-yarder at New England as a member of the Houston Texans on Sept. 24, 2017.
CB KRISTIAN FULTON
• Returned to the starting lineup after returning from injured reserve.
• Posted two tackles and a team-high two passes defensed.
WR MARCUS JOHNSON
• Led the team with five receptions for 100 yards. He tied his career high for receptions in a game (five against Cincinnati on Oct. 18, 2020). His yardage total ranked third in his career.
• Logged his third career 100-yard receiving game and his first such performance with the Titans.
• Took a pass from Ryan Tannehill 50 yards in the first quarter to set up a field goal. The play tied for the second-longest reception of his career, and it was his longest catch since a 55-yarder as a member of the Indianapolis Colts against Cincinnati on Oct. 13, 2020.
DT NAQUAN JONES
• Logged his first career start and registered his first career sack in the opening quarter, dropping Trevor Siemian for a seven-yard loss.
OLB HAROLD LANDRY III
• Totaled five tackles, including a sack. He dropped Trevor Siemian for a three-yard sack in the second quarter.
• With his 10th sack of 2021, he set a new career high for sacks in a season, eclipsing his nine sacks in 2019.
• Became the team's first player since Brian Orakpo (10.5) in 2016 to record double-digit sacks in a season.
• Registered his eighth consecutive game with at least a half sack, extending the longest such streak of his career. He joined Jevon Kearse (12 consecutive games from 1999 to 2000) as the franchise's only players to accomplish the feat since individual sacks became an official statistic in 1982. Through Week 10, Landry is tied with Cleveland's Myles Garrett for the longest active streak of its kind in the NFL.
TE MYCOLE PRUITT
• Caught a two-yard touchdown pass from Ryan Tannehill in the third quarter.
• Set a new career high with his third touchdown reception of the season.
ILB MONTY RICE
• Logged his second career start and tied for the team lead with 10 tackles. He added a stop on special teams.
DT JEFFERY SIMMONS
• Totaled four tackles, including an eight-yard sack in the first quarter and a four-yard sack in the second quarter.
• Totaled five sacks in two games (three at Los Angeles on Nov. 7), recording multiple sacks in consecutive games for the first time in his career.
• Improved his career total to 12.5 career sacks, including a career-high 7.5 sacks in 2021.
QB RYAN TANNEHILL
• Completed 19 of 27 passes for 213 yards with one touchdown and no interceptions. He registered a 105.9 passer rating, marking the third time in 2021 and the 22nd time since joining the Titans in 2019 in which he earned a passer rating of at least 100.0. The Titans are 19-3 in those contests.
• Completed a two-yard touchdown pass to MyCole Pruitt in the third quarter.
• Rushed for a one-yard touchdown in the second quarter, scoring his fifth rushing touchdown of the season. The play gave him 22 career rushing touchdowns, including 16 touchdowns since joining the Titans in 2019. His 16 rushing touchdowns rank third in franchise history among quarterbacks, trailing only Steve McNair (36) and Warren Moon (21).
• Registered his fourth game of 2021 and the 14th game of his career with at least one passing touchdown and at least one rushing touchdown.
WR NICK WESTBROOK-IKHINE
• Caught one pass for 10 yards and also recovered the Saints' onside kick late in the fourth quarter to preserve the victory.
