Saints defeat Titans 38-28, as Michael Thomas sets two NFL Records
NASHVILLE, TN – Saints wide receiver Michael Thomas set an NFL single-season record for receptions on Sunday in the Saints victory over the Titans.
Thomas' 10 catches give him 145, breaking the record of 143 set by Indianapolis' Marvin Harrison in 2002.
A sloppy start defensively for the NFC South Champions put them behind quickly on the road, surrendering two touchdown scores of over 40 yards in the first quarter, while finding no success offensively on its first two drives.
The Saints scored on a Drew Brees' 61-yarder to tight end Jared Cook. The Saints defense tightened up and held the Titans scoreless in the second quarter and took a four-point deficit into the half, trailing 14-10.
Coming out of the locker room Pro-Bowl return man Deonte Harris set up the Saints offense at their own 39 after a 37-yard kick return. Sean Payton’s offense wasted no time taking their first lead of the day as Alvin Kamara found the end zone for the first time since week three at Seattle with a 40-yard touchdown run.
The Saints never surrendered the lead after gaining it just moments into the second half. Brees finished 27 of 38 for 279 yards with three touchdowns while sparking an offensive explosion in the second half that included two rushing scores from Alvin and a Thomas touchdown reception, moments after breaking Harrison's record. Thomas also surpassed Randy Moss (5,396) for the most receiving yards in a player's first four seasons in the NFL.
Titans' Quarterback Ryan Tannehill continued his excellent first season in Tennessee starting the game with two quick scores, and a 14-0 lead. Tannehill finished 17 of 27 for 272 yards and three touchdowns. Without injured running back Derrick Henry, the Titans turned to Dion Lewis, who finished with 68 rushing yards. With the loss the Titans head into week 17's matchup vs the Texans on the brink of elimination from playoff contention.
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DRIVE KILLERS
New Orleans’ self-inflected wounds were more than clear in the first half. Seven of the nine penalties called against the Saints in the first thirty-minutes of play were offensive, including three false start penalties and four holding, against the injury riddled offensive line that was without two starters G Larry Warford and G Andrus Peat.
SPECIAL TEAMS HAS TO BE SPECIAL
KR Deonte’ Harris’ remarkable rookie season resulted in a Pro-Bowl nod. Sunday, Harris showed the league and its fans that he was the correct choice to represent the NFC. The NCAA’s all-time leader in returns for touchdowns dialed up over 170 yards in the return game, giving Drew Brees and company great starting field position throughout.
Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 22, 2019; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees (9) and head coach Sean Payton before the game against the Tennessee Titans at Nissan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports
UP NEXT
Following a 38-28 victory over the Titans in Nashville, Tennessee the Saints travel east to Charlotte, North Carolina to battle their division rivals, the Carolina Panthers (5-10). The Panthers parted ways with two-time NFL Coach of the Year Ron Rivera earlier this month and made a change at Quarterback this week, starting Will Grier over Kyle Allen against the Indianapolis Colts. The Saints can not finish worse than third in the NFC playoff race, however New Orleans can clinch a first round bye with a Packers loss on Monday night, and a victory against the Panthers on December 29th.
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