Tennessee Titans Snap Counts & Takeaways from Week 1 Loss to New Orleans Saints
The Tennessee Titans' season started out with a 16-15 loss to the New Orleans Saints and there was some interesting distribution on the snap counts and how reps were given out. Let's dive in to some takeaways from the Week 1 snap counts.
OFFENSE
Nick Westbrook-Ikhine Outsnaps DeAndre Hopkins
The Tennessee Titans brought in Hopkins to lead their wide receiver room and Hopkins played fine on Sunday catching seven passes for 65 yards, but he did so without being one of the top-two snap-getters at his position.
Despite the Titans bringing Westbrook-Ikhine back on a veteran minimum deal, he still continues to see the favor of the coaching staff. Sure, he is a great run blocker for a receiver, but the Titans passed the ball more than they ran it against the Saints.
There is no reason why Nick Westbrook-Ikhine should ever play more than Hopkins unless there is a blowout taking place on one side or another. Quite honestly, Chris Moore should be playing more than Westbrook-Ikhine as well.
Tyjae Spears Outsnaps Derrick Henry
The rookie running back was expected to be a big factor in the offense, but getting more snaps on the field than All-Pro Derrick Henry is quite the surprise. The Titans offense needed to evolve and pass more, but it is fair to say Henry was underutilized against the Saints.
DEFENSE
Harold Landry's High Snap Count
Landry played 88% of the Titans defensive snaps which is very high for a player coming off an ACL injury. Third-year edge rusher Rashad Weaver only played nine snaps on defense after having 5.5 sacks in 2022. If the Titans don't want to push Landry too hard, too early, they need to rotate Weaver in more.
Elijah Molden Played Too Much
Molden switched to safety this offseason and the truth behind the move is that Molden simply can't hang with receivers in man coverage. Once Kristian Fulton was injured on Sunday, the Titans put Molden back at slot corner though so they could move the new slot, Roger McCreary, to the outside. This is a mistake.
The Titans should have went with more Kindle Vildor outside and left McCreary in the slot. Molden can do fine at safety, but we know he cannot hold up as an every-down slot and the Saints found a way to target him on early downs after the Fulton injury.
Related Titans-Saints Stories
- GAME STORY: The Titans made it into the red zone often on Sunday, but never scored a touchdown. All those field goals weren't enough in a 16-15 loss to the Saints. Here's Tom Brew's game story. CLICK HERE
- PHOTO GALLERY: Here are the best pictures from Sunday's game between the Titans and Saints. It's a great gallery of 21 photos from Caesers Superdome. CLICK HERE
- DRIVE CHART: The Tennessee Titans opened their 2023 regular season against the New Orleans Saints on Sunday and this is what happened on every offensive drive. CLICK HERE
