Titans conclude Preseason Tonight at New Orleans

September 1, 2011 |

Tennessee Titans (2-1) at New Orleans Saints (2-1)
Thursday, September 1st, 2011 • 7:00pm CDT
Louisiana Superdome • New Orleans, LA • TV: WKRN

Nashville, TN – The Tennessee Titans (2-1) conclude the preseason this week, traveling to New Orleans to play the Saints (2-1). Kickoff at the Louisiana Superdome is scheduled for 7:00pm CDT on Thursday, September 1st.

This week’s preseason finale is a preview of a regular season game between the same two clubs. On December 11th, the Saints make their first regular-season appearance at LP Field since 2003.

The game will be televised regionally on the Titans Preseason TV Network, including flagship WKRN-Channel 2 in Nashville. Cory Curtis will handle play-by-play duties, while former Titans running back Eddie George will provide analysis. Dawn Davenport will report from the sidelines.

The Titans Radio Network, including Nashville flagship 104.5 The Zone, will broadcast the game across the Mid-South with the “Voice of the Titans” Mike Keith, analyst Frank Wycheck, sideline reporter Cody Allison and gameday host Larry Stone.

The game can be heard locally on 1400 AM, WJZM.

Last Week’s Game

The Titans hosted the Chicago Bears last week and won by a final score of 14-13. Rookie cornerback Tommie Campbell, a seventh-round pick from the California University of Pennsylvania, provided the game-winning score in the fourth quarter with an interception and 90-yard return for a touchdown.

Another rookie, running back Jamie Harper, scored the other Titans touchdown in the win. Harper, a fourth-round draft pick from Clemson, has scored a touchdown in each of the team’s three preseason games. He started the last two due to the absence of Chris Johnson and a hip injury to Javon Ringer.

The Titans defense totaled two takeaways against the Bears—safety Michael Griffin also recorded an interception—and limited the opposition to under 17 points for the third time this preseason. The Titans lead the NFL in the preseason in scoring defense, having allowed their opponents an average of 11.0 points per contest.

The Saints

The Saints are looking to make the playoffs in 2011 for the fourth time since head coach Sean Payton was hired in 2006. Last year they earned a Wild Card berth, and two seasons ago they won Super Bowl XLIV.

Last week, the Saints visited the Oakland Raiders and won 40-20. Starting quarterback Drew Brees was 15-of-23 for 189 yards, leading the Saints to scores on all three drives in which he was on the field.

Seven days after hosting the Titans, the Saints will be a part of the NFL’s Thursday night opener on Kickoff Weekend. They travel to Green Bay to face the Super Bowl Champion Packers on September 8th.

Cuts Upcoming

After this week’s game, the Titans will have 10 days to prepare for their season-opener at Jacksonville on September 11th. Meanwhile, the roster will be trimmed dramatically in the coming days. League rules require the roster maximum to go from 90 to 80 players on Tuesday, August 30th, and finally to 53 players on Saturday, September 3rd.

Titans-Saints Series At A Glance

• Overall series (regular & postseason): Titans lead 7-4-1
• Regular Season Series: Titans lead 7-4-1
• Postseason Series: None
• Total Points: Titans 262, Saints 233
• Current streak: Four wins by Titans
• Titans at home vs. Saints: 2-2-1
• Titans on the road vs. Saints: 5-2
• Longest Winning Streak by Titans: 4 (1996-present)
• Longest Losing Streak by Titans: 3 (1981-87)
• Titans vs. Saints at LP Field: 1-0
• Last Time at LP Field: Saints 12 at Titans 27 (9/21/03)
• Titans vs. Saints at Superdome: 5-2
• Last Time at Superdome: Titans 31 at Saints 14 (9/24/07)
• First Time: Saints 13 at Oilers 13 (10/3/71)
• Mike Munchak’s Record vs. Saints: 0-0
• Sean Payton’s Record vs. Titans: 0-1
• Mike Munchak’s Record vs. Sean Payton: 0-0

Titans-Saints Preseason Series

• Preseason series: Saints lead 14-12-1
• Last time in preseason: Saints 24 at Titans 27 (9/2/10)

What To Look For This Week

This week’s matchup is a preview of a Week 14 regular season game. The Titans will host the Saints at LP Field on December 11th, one of four games against teams from the NFC South in 2011.

On Saturday, September 3rd, two days after the Titans play the Saints, the NFL will mandate all teams’ rosters be reduced from a maximum of 80 players to the regular-season limit of 53 players.

The Titans face their former defensive coordinator, Gregg Williams, who is currently in the same role with the Saints. Williams was with the Oilers/Titans from 1990 through 2000. He was the defensive coordinator from 1997-00.

Titans-Saints Series History

The Titans and Saints renew a long-standing preseason rivalry this week. In 27 previous meetings in the preseason, the Saints lead 14-12-1. The two teams met every preseason from 1968-87, and no team has played the Saints in the preseason more than the Titans. As for the Titans, the Dallas Cowboys are the only team that has played the Oilers/Titans more often in the preseason (34 games) than the Saints.

In the last Titans-Saints preseason contest, which was played during the final week of the 2010 preseason, the Titans rushed for 222 yards in a 27-24 victory at LP Field.

In head-to-head regular season matchups, the Titans and Saints have played 12 times, with the Titans holding a 7-4-1 advantage. That includes a current four-game winning streak by the Titans dating back to 1996.

The first regular season game between the Saints and the then-Houston Oilers occured in 1971, five seasons after the Saints began play as an expansion franchise in the NFL. The game resulted in a 13-13 score, one of the six ties in Oilers/Titans history.

The last time the Saints visited LP Field in the regular season was September 21st, 2003. On that day, the Titans earned a 27-12 victory behind 100 rushing yards by Eddie George and 252 passing yards from Steve McNair.

Most recently, the Titans and Saints met on Monday Night Football on September 24th, 2007 at the Louisiana Superdome. Vince Young passed for a pair of touchdowns, and linebacker Keith Bulluck recorded a career-high three interceptions.

Sections

Topics

Comments

You must be logged in to post a comment.

Connect with:

Enter your WordPress.com blog URL

http://.wordpress.com

Proceed

© 2006-2010 Clarksville, TN Online is owned and operated by residents of Clarksville Tennessee.
» We are Hosted by Compu-Net Enterprises; In Partnership with Discover Clarksville and Discover Paris