Saints receivers shine in win over the Titans

The New Orleans Saints beat the Tennessee Titans 16-15 in their season opener. The Saints receiving trio of Michael Thomas, Chris Olave, and Rashid Shaheed combined for 262 of Derek Carr’s 305 passing yards.

Chris Olave

Chris Olave picked up where he left off from his impressive rookie campaign leading the team in receptions and yards on Sunday. Olave went without a reception through the first quarter before exploding for 112 yards on eight receptions. The Saints used Olave frequently pre-snap putting him in motion creating mismatches. Olave was motioned into the backfield a few times as well, matching him up against a linebacker.

Rashid Shaheed

Rashid Shaheed caught the game's lone touchdown on a 19-yard reception where he faked the defensive back on a double move and beat him to the corner of the endzone. The Saints’ speedster finished Sunday’s game with five receptions for 89 yards and a touchdown.

Derek Carr called Shaheed’s number on a game-sealing go-route that gave the Saints a first down on a 3rd and 6 with under two minutes remaining in the game. Carr, who was mic’d up, can be heard telling Shaheed “Be ready if I give you this go route to end this thing...Hey, listen to me Shid, freaking run.” Carr and the Saints relied on the second year UDFA to end the game and he delivered.

Michael Thomas

Michael Thomas has been determined to get back to the field after dealing with injuries for the past three seasons, and he started out hot on Sunday. Thomas made a tough catch over Titans’ cornerback Kristian Fulton running down the sideline on the team's first pass attempt of the game. Carr would go back to the former First-Team All-Pro later in the drive for a 12-yard reception. Thomas finished the game with 61 yards on five receptions.

When the Saints signed Carr, he emphasized how excited he was to play with Thomas saying he feels like the two of them could “take over the world.”

The Carr-to-Thomas connection could heat up even more later in the season as Thomas is going into his seventh year in the league and could be the veteran presence the team would rely on with their young receiver corps.

The Saints next opponent is the Carolina Panthers on Monday Night Football. Panthers star cornerback Jaycee Horn has already been ruled out with an injury, so the Saints’ pass catchers have another chance to excel again in week two.

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