Official NFL Release
NEW ORLEANS SAINTS (9-3) AT TENNESSEE TITANS (7-5)
SERIES
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SAINTS |
TITANS |
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SERIES LEADER |
7-4-1 |
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STREAKS |
5 of past 6 |
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COACHES VS. OPP. |
Payton: 0-1 |
Munchak: 0-0 |
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LAST WEEK |
W 31-17 vs. Lions |
W 23-17 at Bills |
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LAST GAME |
9/24/07: Titans 31 at Saints 14. Tennessee QB Vince Young throws 2 TD passes as Titans score 21 unanswered points, including S Vincent Fuller's 61-yard INT-return TD. |
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LAST GAME AT SITE |
9/21/03: Titans 27, Saints 12. Tennessee QB Steve McNair completes 22 of 33 passes for 252 yards & 2 TDs as Titans defense holds New Orleans to 23 rushing yards in home win. |
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BROADCAST |
FOX (12:00 PM CT): Joe Buck, Troy Aikman, Pam Oliver (Field reporter). Westwood One Radio: Howard David, Tony Boselli. SIRIUS: 94 (NO), 128 (Ten.). XM: 232 (Ten.). |
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STATS
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PASSING |
Brees: 349-496-4,031 (1L)-30 (T2L)-11-105.5 (3L) |
Hasselbeck: 241-396-2,657-15-10-82.9 |
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RUSHING |
Ingram (R): 122-474-3.9-5 |
C. Johnson: 206-852-4.1-4 |
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RECEIVING |
Graham (TE): 75 (1C)-1,046-13.9-8 |
Washington: 53-668-12.6-4 |
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OFFENSE |
448.7 (1L) |
319.3 |
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TAKE/GIVE |
-2 |
+5 (3C) |
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DEFENSE |
378.8 |
355.3 |
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SACKS |
Harper: 6.5 |
Klug (R): 4 |
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INTs |
P. Robinson: 2 |
McCourty: 2 |
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PUNTING |
Morstead: 47.5 (3C) |
Kern: 42.7 |
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KICKING |
Kasay: 113 (3L) (44/44 PAT; 23/28 FG) |
Bironas: 87 (27/27 PAT; 20/23 FG) |
NOTES
SAINTS: Have won 4 in row...QB DREW BREES leads NFL with 4,031 yards & is 1st player with 4,000+ pass yards in 1st 12 games of season. Has 20+ comp. in NFL-record 32 games in row. Has TD pass in 39 consecutive games, 2nd-longest streak in NFL history. Has won 13 of past 15 vs. AFC (incl. SB), completing 406 of 566 (71.7 pct.) for 4,531 yards with 33 TDs vs. 15 INTs for 103.6 rating...RB-PR-KR DARREN SPROLES is only player in NFL with 2+ rush TDs (2), 2+ rec. TDs (4) & ret. TD. Has 4 TDs (2 rush, 2 rec.) in 2 games vs. Ten. Rookie RB MARK INGRAM aims for 3rd in row with TD...TE JIMMY GRAHAM leads NFL TEs in receptions (75) & yards (1,046). Aims for 5th in row vs. AFC with TD. WR MARQUES COLSTON has 7 TDs in past 8 vs. AFC. WR LANCE MOORE has 5 TDs in past 5. WR ROBERT MEACHEM had 119 yards, incl. 67-yard TD last week. Has 22 career rec. TDs & 15 have gone for 25+ yards...Since entering NFL in 2006, S ROMAN HARPER has 16 sacks, most by DB. DE WILL SMITH has 8.5 sacks in past 12 vs. AFC...
TITANS: Titans have won 9 of past 10 home games against NFC...Seek 5th consecutive win vs. Saints...In last meeting vs. Saints (w/ Sea. in WC game), QB MATT HASSELBECK completed 22 of 35 passes (62.9 pct.) for 272 yards with 4 TDs vs. 1 INT & 113 passer rating. For career (incl. postseason), has 10 TDs vs. 3 INTs vs. NO...RB CHRIS JOHNSON averages 104.3 rush yards per game in Dec. (1,251 total). In 15 career games vs. NFC, Johnson averages 107.2 rush yards per game (1,608) with 17 rush TDs. Has rushed for at least 100 yards & 2 TDs 11 times in 1st 4 seasons, tied for 4th-most in NFL history with HOFer EARL CAMPBELL & CLINTON PORTIS...WR NATE WASHINGTON leads NFL with 24 rec. on 3rd down. Washington (668) needs 20 rec. yards to surpass career-best of 687 in '10. WR DAMIAN WILLIAMS is averaging 16.8 yards per catch in past 4 (13 rec., 218 yards)...CB JASON MC COURTY leads team with 87 tackles...RookieLB COLIN MC CARTHY had FF & 2 FRs last week.
The Saints have won four in a row and lead the NFC South by two games. Quarterback DREW BREES leads the NFL with 4,031 passing yards and is the first quarterback in NFL history to pass for at least 4,000 yards in the first 12 games of a season. Last week, Brees completed 26 of 36 passes (72.2 percent) for 342 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions for a 129.6 passer rating. He has completed at least 20 passes in an NFL-record 32 games in a row and has a TD pass in 39 consecutive games, the second-longest streak in league history.
"It's one game at a time and the games don't get any easier," says Brees. "On the road at Tennessee is going to be a huge challenge. The Titans are playing very well right now. They've got some big-time players on that team."
Among the big-time players on 7-5 Tennessee is running back CHRIS JOHNSON, who has rushed for 343 yards (171.5 per game) in the past two games. In last week's 23-17 win at Buffalo, Johnson rushed for 153 yards and two touchdowns, including a 48-yard TD run. He has nine career TD runs of at least 45 yards, tied with Pro Football Hall of Famer OLLIE MATSON and PAUL LOWE for the fourth-most in NFL history. Johnson trails Pro Football Hall of Famers BARRY SANDERS (18), JIM BROWN(13) and O.J. SIMPSON (10).
"A lot of guys are growing confidence and we're starting to realize we have a good chance at being a great football team here," says Titans wide receiver NATE WASHINGTON. "Not just good, but great."
COOL BREES: New Orleans quarterback DREW BREES, who leads the NFL with 4,031 passing yards this season, will make his 150th career start at Tennessee on Sunday. Brees' 39,076 passing yards in 149 career starts are already the third-most passing yards through 150 starts in NFL history. He can challenge Pro Football Hall of Famer DAN MARINO (39,498) and PEYTON MANNING (39,164) for the most passing yards in the first 150 starts of a career in NFL history.
The most passing yards through 150 starts in NFL history:
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QUARTERBACK |
MOST PASSING YARDS THROUGH 150 STARTS |
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Dan Marino |
39,498 |
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Peyton Manning |
39,164 |
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Drew Brees |
39,076* |
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Dan Fouts |
37,302 |
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Tom Brady |
37,053 |
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*Through 149 starts |
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Brees' 264 touchdown passes in 149 starts are the fifth-most through 150 starts and he can improve that mark on Sunday.
The most touchdown passes through 150 starts in NFL history:
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QUARTERBACK |
MOST TD PASSES THROUGH 150 STARTS |
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Dan Marino |
290 |
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Peyton Manning |
286 |
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Tom Brady |
279 |
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Brett Favre |
272 |
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Drew Brees |
264* |
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*Through 149 starts |
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