Players to Watch: Saints vs Titans

With the 2023 football season underway, it means the official start of the NFL season is just days away.

The New Orleans Saints will host the Tennessee Titans inside of Caesars Superdome to open their 2023 campaign in what should be a solid matchup of up-and-coming teams.

Ryan Tannehill vs. Derek Carr, Jamaal Willians vs. Derrick Henry, Chris Olave vs. Kevin Byard. There are some great matchups to keep an eye on for Sunday’s game, so let’s take a look at a few.

Derrick Henry vs. Saints Defense

Henry has been a dominant running back in the NFL for the last few seasons with Tennessee. Last season, he was incredible again, rushing for over 1500 yards and 13 touchdowns. However, New Orleans had a strong run defense in 2022 as they only allowed 100+ yards on the ground in four games. I’m interested to see if there’s any first-game rust on either side of this matchup, but there should be a lot of hype about one of the best backs of this generation going up against this defense.

Chris Olave/Michael Thomas vs. Titans Secondary

This may be a hot take to some people, but I think New Orleans has one of the best-receiving corps in the league. Olave had over 1,000 yards in his rookie season and before dealing with injuries, Thomas was easily a top-five receiver in the NFL. So, I think both Olave and Thomas have big seasons if they can stay healthy.

But the Tennessee Titans have a strong secondary unit as well with Kevin Byard, Roger McCreary, Kristian Fulton, and others. This will be another great matchup to watch in the Superdome on Sunday afternoon.

Derek Carr vs. Jeffrey Simmons

Carr will be a game-changer for the New Orleans Saints compared to Andy Dalton. He finally has an offense that will help him succeed and he’ll be playing for a fanbase that appreciates him.

His first game will be a test, as Jeffrey Simmons will be making life very difficult for him and the Saints' offensive line. Simmons is a menace with speed and good footwork that will get to the quarterback and make things happen for the Tennessee defense.

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