When the New Orleans Saints open the season against the Tennessee Titans, there are two major storylines to watch out for. One of the storylines is the culmination of an offseason of patience. The other storyline is specific to the matchup with the Titans.
The first storyline is Derek Carr’s debut as a Saint. There’s a lot resting on his shoulders this season. He only played in one drive in the first preseason game. We haven’t seen him since. To base expectations solely from that one drive would be unfair. No, the Saints won’t score every series. They won’t even score every opening series. All signs from the offseason points towards the Saints having a much improved offense.
Buy Saints TicketsCarr has created strong relationships with multiple wide receivers. Weapons like Chris Olave, Alvin Kamara and Juwan Johnson have all flashed during camp. It’s not just the players around Carr. Carr, himself, has looked good. He has taken control of the offense and established himself as a leader. Joint practices and the strength of the Saints defense has Carr confident he’s ready for the season.
The second storyline is the turnover battle. Ryan Tannehill has protected the ball pretty well since coming over to the Titans in 2019. He’s only had one year of double digit interceptions. That was 2021 where he was turnover prone. He had 14 interceptions and 10 fumbles that season. Derrick Henry is coming off a career high six fumbles. That is a rarity for him.
The Saints have to try to get them out of their game. They have placed an emphasis on forcing turnovers in practice. That emphasis translated into the preseason where New Orleans forced five turnovers. That same production needs to translate into the season, and it starts with Week 1 against the Titans.
