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Tennessee Titans take on the New Orleans Saints Thursday in final Preseason Game

Tennessee Titans (2-1) vs. New Orleans Saints (2-2)

Thursday, Aug. 30th, 2012 • 6:00pm CDT • LP Field • Nashville, TN • TV: WKRN

Tennessee TitansNashville, TN – The Tennessee Titans (2-1) conclude their preseason schedule this week, welcoming the New Orleans Saints (2-2) to LP Field (capacity 69,143). Kickoff is scheduled for 6:00pm CDT on Thursday, August 30th.

The Saints provide the Titans’ final test before their regular-season slate begins on September 9th with a home game against the New England Patriots. The game also gives players a final chance to prove their value, as the roster must be pared from 75 to 53 players by late Friday evening (8:00pm CDT, August 31st).

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 linebacker Keith Bulluck 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, color commentator Frank Wycheck, sideline reporter Cody Allison and gameday host Larry Stone.

The game can be heard locally on 1400am WJZM.

Last Week Against Arizona

Tennessee TitansThe Titans won their second consecutive game last week with a 32-27 victory over the Arizona Cardinals at LP Field.

The Titans scored 24 of their points as a result of five Arizona turnovers. Middle linebacker Colin McCarthy led the way with two interceptions, the second of which he returned 31 yards for a touchdown. His three total interceptions this preseason rank first in the NFL.

Defensive end Kamerion Wimbley, making his home debut at LP Field after signing as a free agent during the off-season, notched two of the Titans’ four sacks in the game.

Second-year quarterback Jake Locker was named the club’s long-term starter by head coach Mike Munchak during the week leading up to the game. The 2011 first-round pick responded by completing 11 of 20 passes for 134 yards, a pair of touchdowns and no interceptions (109.2 passer rating) in three quarters against the Cardinals. His two touchdowns went for 10 yards to rookie Kendall Wright and 28 yards to Nate Washington.

The Saints

New Orlean SaintsThe Saints play their fifth preseason game this week. They beat the Arizona Cardinals 17-10 in the Hall of Fame Game and followed that with consecutive losses at the New England Patriots (6-7) and against the Jacksonville Jaguars (24-27). Last week they bounced back with a 34-27 home victory over the Houston Texans.

Quarterback Drew Brees helped lead the Saints to a 13-3 record and a NFC South title in 2011. He set a new NFL record by passing for 5,476 yards, along with 46 touchdown passes. Last week against the Texans he passed for 179 yards and a pair of touchdowns in one half of action.

Cell Phones For Soldiers Drive

Fans are encouraged to bring their old cellular phones to the Titans-Saints game and donate them at collection sites outside of LP Field. The collection will benefit Cell Phones for Soldiers, a non-profit that collects old cell phones, sells them for recycling and then uses the income to purchase prepaid calling cards for U.S. servicemen and women stationed overseas.

For more on the Cell Phones for Soldiers drive and upcoming drives, see: Tennessee Titans “Cell Phones for Soldiers” drive at LP Field August 30th

Titans-Saints Series At A Glance

  • Overall series (regular & postseason): Titans lead 7-5-1
  • Regular Season Series: Titans lead 7-5-1
  • Postseason Series: None
  • Total Points: Titans 279, Saints 255
  • Current streak: One win by Saints
  • Titans at home vs. Saints: 2-3-1
  • Titans on the road vs. Saints: 5-2
  • Longest Winning Streak by Titans: 4 (1996-2007)
  • Longest Losing Streak by Titans: 3 (1981-87)
  • Titans vs. Saints at LP Field: 1-1
  • Last Time at LP Field: SAINTS 22 at Titans 17 (12/11/11)
  • 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: 0-1
  • Sean Payton’s Record vs. Titans: 1-1
  • Mike Munchak’s Record vs. Sean Payton: 0-1

Titans-Saints Preseason Series

  • Preseason series: Saints lead 14-13-1
  • Last time in preseason: TITANS 32 at Saints 9 (9/1/11)

A Titans Victory Would

  • Give the Titans 11 consecutive preseason victories at LP Field. Their last home preseason loss was in 2007 against the Washington Redskins.
  • Give the Titans a seven-game winning streak in preseason finales.  They have not lost in the final week of the preseason since 2005 against the Green Bay Packers.
  • Even the all-time preseason series with the Saints at 14-14-1.
  • Improve Mike Munchak’s career preseason record as a head coach to 6-2.
  • Improve the Titans’ all-time preseason record at LP Field to 21-7.

What To Look For This Week

  • This week marks the 136th consecutive sellout at LP Field, dating back to the stadium’s opening in 1999.
  • This is the third consecutive year the Titans and Saints have concluded their preseason schedules against each other.
  • Titans players have a final audition for the regular-season roster. On Friday, August 31st, the day after they play the Saints, the Titans must trim their roster to a maximum of 53 players by 8:00pm CT.
  • The Titans will have 10 days after they play the Saints before they kick off the regular season against the New England Patriots on September 9th.

Titans-Saints Series History

In head-to-head regular season match-ups, the Titans and Saints have played a total of 13 times, with the Titans holding a 7-5-1 advantage. That includes a four-game winning streak by the Titans that was broken with a Saints victory in 2011.

The Titans and Saints have a long-standing preseason rivalry. In 28 meetings in the preseason, the Saints lead 14-13-1. 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 (35 games) than the Saints. The Titans have won the last two preseason match-ups with the Saints, 27-24 at LP Field on September 2nd, 2010 and 32-9 at the Superdome on September 1st, 2011.

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 club’s most recent meeting in the regular season was on December 11th, 2011, when the Saints escaped LP Field with a 22-17 victory. Titans rookie quarterback Jake Locker entered the game for an injured Matt Hasselbeck in the second quarter and nearly pulled out an improbable victory. However, he was out-dueled by Saints starter Drew Brees, who put up 337 passing yards and a pair of fourth-quarter touchdown passes.

The first 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.

The last time the Titans and Saints met in the regular season at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome was for Monday Night Football on September 24th, 2007. Vince Young passed for a pair of touchdowns, and linebacker Keith Bulluck recorded a career-high three interceptions.

Titans-Saints: The Last Meeting

New Orleans Saints 22 at Tennessee Titans 17
Sunday, December 11th, 2011
LP Field, Nashville, TN.

1 2 3 4 Final
New Orleans Saints 3 7 2 13 22
Tennessee Titans 0 3 7 7 17

 

Drew Brees completed two fourth-quarter touchdown passes to wide receiver Marques Colston, and the Saints withstood a late threat by the Titans and rookie quarterback Jake Locker to win 22-17 at LP Field.

Locker, who was called upon after starter Matt Hasselbeck left the game with a calf injury, passed for 282 yards and a touchdown and rushed for another score. He nearly completed an improbable late comeback,
driving the Titans to the New Orleans five-yard line with seven seconds remaining in the fourth quarter.

However, on a third-down play that began with five seconds on the clock, Locker scanned the field and rolled right, only to be sacked by Saints linebacker Jo-Lonn Dunbar.

The sack ended a game that began as a defensive struggle before the teams combined for four total touchdowns in the game’s final 18 minutes. Throughout, Brees and the Saints controlled most of the action, going 11-of-19 (58 percent) on third down and holding the ball for over 37 minutes.

Comparatively, the Titans converted one third down in 10 attempts and possessed the ball for less than 23 minutes.

Brees recorded 36 completions—tied for the third-highest number allowed by the Titans in franchise history—and 337 yards on 47 pass attempts, but the New Orleans running game was efficient as well. Their opening drive of the game yielded 51 of their 114 total rushing yards and led to a 25-yard field goal by John Kasay.

With 11 minutes to play in the second quarter and the Titans still trailing 3-0, Hasselbeck was forced out of action, and Locker entered. On his second series, he completed a 31-yard pass to tight end Craig Stevens to set up a 43-yard field goal by Rob Bironas to tie the score.

Kasay made a 29-yard field goal to break the tie with 15 seconds remaining in the first half, and he added a 22-yarder in the third quarter to cap a 15-play, 86-yard drive that took eight minutes.

The Titans later faced a third-and-10 at their own 34-yard line, when wide receiver Damian Williams caught a short pass from Locker, eluded a Saints defender and gained a total of 54 yards. A facemask penalty on Saints safety Roman Harper was added to the play, and on the next snap, Locker rolled right and dove across the goal line for a six-yard touchdown run and a 10-9 lead.

But the Titans’ lead did not last long, as the Saints would reach the end zone for the first time two minutes into the fourth quarter. On third-and-six from the Tennessee 35-yard line, Brees found Colston down the middle of the field for a touchdown.

On their next possession. Brees and Colston connected again, this time for a 28-yard touchdown pass. Ahead 22-10 with 7:01 on the clock, the Saints elected to try for a two-point conversion, but running back Pierre Thomas was stopped short of the goal line.

Locker then led the Titans quickly down the field. He scrambled for a 17-yard gain and then completed a 40-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Nate Washington to pull the Titans to within five points.

Although they had two chances to take the lead, the Titans could not finish the comeback. First, on a fourth-and-one at the New Orleans 24, Locker was stopped short on a quarterback sneak. Finally, a 25-yard pass from Locker to Lavelle Hawkins and a 40-yard completion to Washington set up the final set of downs from the five-yard line, but Dunbar’s sack sealed the victory for the Saints.

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