NEW ORLEANS – In their last preparation for the regular season, the Titans’ first-team offense had a clean sweep.
Quarterback Will Levis guided the team down the field with ease to start, capping the first two drives with points, including a touchdown on the opening drive.
It was a positive sign in the team’s 30-27 victory in the final preseason game against the Saints.
The Titans finished the preseason with a 3-0 record.
“Our team has put in an incredible effort and worked hard this preseason,” Titans coach Brian Callahan said after the game. “I understand that preseason records don’t have any bearing on regular-season success, they’re not predictive in any way. But for the guys that are playing and giving it their all on the back end, it really means something. It was really cool to see how hard our team played in the preseason.”
Next game: The regular-season opener against the Bears in Chicago on September 8.
The Titans’ starters and backups got the job done in this game.
Levis went a perfect 4-of-4 for 65 yards on the team’s first offensive possession, while guiding the team 84 yards on nine plays to give the Titans a 7-0 first-quarter lead.
On the team’s next offensive possession, Levis and the first-team offense moved the ball 57 yards in nine plays, and they capped it off with a 39-yard field goal from Nick Folk to make it 10-0.
Levis played two series, completing 7 of 8 passes for 118 yards and a passer rating of 118.8. He completed two passes to receiver Calvin Ridley, tight end Nick Vannett and running back Tony Pollard, whose one-yard touchdown run capped the team’s first offensive series.
“It was good,” Levis said. “We did what we wanted to do here, to get motivated and get ready for Week 1. We were clean with our operation, top to bottom. I’m proud of the way the guys went out there and played. And it was great to see the guys go out there and make plays.”
“I’m really happy with how it went, to get the double. Three and zero in pre-season. We know it doesn’t necessarily mean anything in pre-season, but it means something to us. It feels good.”
Defensively, the Titans’ first-team defense, playing without a number of starters, left the field on its first two offensive possessions before more substitutes came into play against the Saints, who played primarily with substitutes on both ends of the floor.
The Saints finally got their first points on a touchdown pass from Spencer Rattler to Equanimeous St Brown to make it 10-7 at 9:49 of the second quarter.
After quarterback Mason Rudolph replaced Levis in the second quarter, he led the Titans down the field on a 16-play, 67-yard drive that was capped by a 26-yard field goal by kicker Brayden Narveson that made it 13-7 Titans with 1:52 left in the half.
A 54-yard field goal by Saints kicker Blake Grupe made it 13-10 at halftime, and Grupe’s second field goal of the game made it 13-13 with 11:57 left in the third quarter.
A 31-yard field goal by Narveson capped a 12-play, 57-yard drive by Rudolph, making it 16-13 Titans with 5:21 left in the third quarter.
Rudolph played until the end of the third quarter for the Titans, completing 11 of 15 passes for 114 yards with a passer rating of 94.9.
Malik Willis entered the game with 2:25 left in the third quarter.
The Saints eventually took their first lead of the game with 13:54 left on an 11-yard run by Jacob Kibode that made it 20-16.
But Willis and the Titans fought back.
Willis connected with receiver Bryce Oliver on a 34-yard touchdown pass, which capped a seven-play, 70-yard drive, to give the Titans a 23-20 lead with 9:40 remaining.
The Saints responded with another touchdown, scoring on another Kibode run to take a 27-23 lead with 6:26 left.
Willis and the Titans continued to swing, however, to take a 30-27 lead with 1:25 left on another Willis-to-Oliver touchdown, this one from five yards out, on fourth down.
Willis finished the game 3-of-4 passing for 51 yards and two touchdowns, and a rating of 156.2.
“I think it was great to win,” Willis said. “Everybody — offense, defense, special teams — did everything they could to win this game. It was great to finish the way we did.”
The Titans are scheduled to return to Nashville on Sunday night.
All NFL teams must have 53 players by Tuesday afternoon.
