Titans Starters, QB Will Levis Look Sharp in Preseason Win Over Saints

NEW ORLEANS – In their final tune-up for the regular season, the Titans first-team offense came out hitting on all cylinders.

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 win in the preseason finale against the Saints.

The Titans finished the preseason with a 3-0 record.

“Just unbelievable effort and work by our team this preseason,” Titans Coach Brian Callahan said after the game. “I understand that preseason records have no bearing on regular season success, it’s no predictive in any way, shape or form. But for the guys that suit up and play and give everything they have on the back of the roster, it really means something. So that was really cool, to see how hard our team has played in the preseason.”

Next up: The regular season opener versus the Bears in Chicago on September 8.

The Titans starters, and back-ups, got the job done in this one.

Levis was a perfect 4-of-4 for 65 yards on the team’s first offensive possession, as he guided the team 84 yards on nine plays to give the Titans a 7-0 lead in the first quarter.

On the team’s next offensive possession, Levis and the first-team offense moved the ball 57 yards on nine plays, and they capped it off with a 39-yard field goal by Nick Folk to make it 10-0.

Levis ended up playing two drives, and he completed 7-of-8 passes for 118 yards, and a passer rating of 118.8. He completed two passes each to receiver Calvin Ridley, tight end Nick Vannett and running back Tony Pollard, whose one-yard touchdown run capped off the team’s opening offensive drive.

“It was good,” Levis said. “We did what we wanted to out here, to get us amped up and ready for Week One. We were clean with our operation, from top to bottom. I’m proud of how the guys went out there and played. And it was awesome to see guys go out there and make some plays.

“Just really happy with how it went, getting the dub. Three-and-0 in the preseason. We know it doesn’t necessarily mean anything in the preseason, but it means something to us. It feels good.”

Defensively, the Titans first-team defense, playing without a number of starters, got off the field on their first two offensive possession before more back-ups entered the contest against the Saints, who played mostly back-ups on both sides of the football.

The Saints ended up getting their first points on a Spencer Rattler-to-Equanimeous St Brown touchdown pass to make it 10-7 at the 9:49 mark of the second quarter.

After quarterback Mason Rudolph relieved Levis in the second quarter, he guided the Titans down the field on a 16-play, 67-yard drive that was capped off with a 26-yard field goal by kicker Brayden Narveson, which made it 13-7 Titans with 1:52 remaining before the half.

A 54-yard field goal by Saints kicker Blake Grupe made it 13-10 at the half, 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 off a 12-play, 57-yard drive engineered by Rudolph, and that made it 16-13 Titans with 5:21 left in the third quarter.

Rudolph played into late in the third quarter for the Titans, and he completed 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 ended up taking their first lead of the game with 13:54 remaining on an 11-yard run by Jacob Kibode, which made it 20-16.

But Willis and the Titans answered back.

Willis connected with receiver Bryce Oliver on 34-yard touchdown strike, which capped a seven-play, 70-yard drive, to give the Titans a 23-20 lead with 9:40 remaining.

The Saints answered back with another touchdown drive of their own, scoring on another Kibode run to take a 27-23 lead with 6:26 left.

Willis and the Titans kept swinging, 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 for 51 yards and two touchdowns, and a 156.2 rating.

“I think it was awesome to win,” Willis said. “Everybody all around – offense, defense, special teams – did everything they could to pull this one out. It was awesome to finish the way that we did.”

The Titans are scheduled to return to Nashville on Sunday night.

All NFL teams must be down to 53 players by Tuesday afternoon.