Saints/Titans Memorable Game #5: 2011 – VIDEO
On Sunday afternoon, the New Orleans Saints will play host to the Tennessee Titans at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana, putting their three-game win streak on the line.
You can hear all the action on ESPN 1420, with kickoff set for noon.
Prior to becoming the Tennessee Titans in 1999, the Titans were originally the Houston Oilers, when they called Houston, Texas their home, from 1960-1996, and then the Tennessee Oilers, after they moved from Houston to Nashville, Tennessee, from 1997-1998.
The Titans lead the all-time series against the Saints, 7-5-1, including a 279-255 advantage in all-time points scored.
This week, in preparation for Friday night’s game, we’ll look at some of the more memorable games between the two franchises.
On Tuesday, we went back to 1971, for the first-ever meeting the two franchises, which ended in a 13-13 tie.
On Wednesday, we went back to December of 1978, a 17-12 Oilers win, which ended any hopes the Saints had at a .500 season.
On Thursday, we went back to November 22 of 1981, when we remember the first-ever Saints’ victory over the Oilers, a 27-24 victory at the Astrodome in Houston, Texas.
On Friday, we went back to Sunday, September 17, 1999, a 24-21 win by the Titans, in the first game between the two since the Titans changed their name from the Oilers, and their home city to Nashville.
Today, we go back to the last time that the two franchises squared off, December 11, 2011, a game the Saints came out victorious, 22-17.
New Orleans went into the contest in Nashville at 9-3, while Tennessee stood at 7-5.
The Saints drew first-blood, when John Kasay was successful on a short 25-yard field goal attempt, giving them a 3-0 lead after one quarter of play.
The Titans tied things, 3-3, at the 6:37 mark of the second quarter, when Rod Bironas converted a 42-yard field goal, but the Saints grabbed the lead right before halftime, when Kasay kicked through a 29-yard field goal with only :15 remaining, to give them a 6-3 advantage at the break.
New Orleans extended their lead to 9-3 at the 3:51 mark of the third quarter, when Kasay was successful on his third field goal of the afternoon, this one from 22 yards, before Tennessee scored the first touchdown of the game at the 2:19 mark of the period, courtesy of a 6-yard run by quarterback Jake Locker, giving the Titans a 10-9 lead heading into the final frame.
The Saints then scored 14-unanswered points to begin the fourth quarter, thanks to Drew Brees and Marques Colston, who teamed up on touchdown passes of 35 and 28 yards, giving them a 22-10 lead with 7:01 to play.
The Titans made the final outcome more respectable, when Locker hit Nate Washington with a 40-yard scoring strike at the 5:48 mark, making it 22-17, but it wasn’t enough, as the Saints went on to the five-point win.
The Saints outgained the Titans, in terms of total offense, 437-373, and improved to 4-0 against the AFC on the season.
For New Orleans, Brees completed 36-of-47 passes for 337 yards, along with two touchdowns, while Colston caught seven passes for 102 yards and two scores.
Chris Ivory paced the Saints’ running game, accumulating only 53 yards on 13 tries.
For Tennessee, Chris Johnson was held to only 23 rushing yards on 11 carries, while Locker finished 13-of-29 for 282 yards and one touchdown through the air.
The Saints finished 2011 at 13-3, losing in the NFL Divisional Playoffs to the San Francisco 49ers, while the Titans finished the season with a 9-7 record, just missing out on the playoffs.
View highlights of the game, below:
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