3 Saints who need to shine against Titans in preseason finale

On Sunday, the 2024 preseason ends. The New Orleans Saints will play their third and final preseason game of the year, facing the Tennessee Titans. After two games, and the majority of their training camp, on the west coast, the Saints are finally back in New Orleans, and will play a home game on Sunday.

While this isn’t an official game yet, a lot of things are still at stake. Primarily, roster spots and depth chart positions are on the line. Additionally, this is the last time players will be seen in a game when the contest doesn’t actually count. Everyone certainly wants to leave a great impression going into the regular season.

3 Saints who need to perform well in Week 3 of the preseason

3. Jordan Howden

Jordan Howden entered training camp with some excitement surrounding him because of a promising rookie season. Unfortunately, he has struggled a bit throughout camp and the preseason. While it seemed like he was primed to be the other starting safety next to Tyrann Mathieu, head coach Dennis Allen has said several times no safety has asserted themselves as the starter yet.

Howden is coming off a really underwhelming preseason game against the San Francisco 49ers. In the game, he had a one-on-one opportunity with 49ers quarterback Josh Dobbs at the goal line. In what could’ve been a big play that locked him in as the starter, Howden whiffed on the tackle and Dobbs scored.

The second-year safety needs to bounce back against the Titans if he’s going to claim a starting safety spot.

2. Trevor Penning

Everytime Trevor Penning steps on the field, he’ll be under a microscope. The good thing, though, is that he seems to be improving. In the first preseason game, his performance was horrific. He bounced back, though, in the second preseason game.

Now, fans will be watching Penning closely to see what happens next. Will he keep moving in the right direction? Will he slide back and look bad again? He also could deliver an inconsistent performance with both good and bad moments. While everyone will watch and see, it’s clear New Orleans needs him to look good.

1. Derek Carr

Unlike most people playing in the preseason, Derek Carr isn’t fighting for a roster spot or depth chart positioning. He’s guaranteed to be the Saints No. 1 quarterback entering the season. However, he needs to perform well for a different reason, fan belief and approval.

Carr has a lot of detractors in New Orleans’ fan base. The criticisms have been fueled lately by some inconsistent practices and preseason games from the veteran quarterback. The best thing Carr can do on Sunday is deliver a strong performance. With a ton of fans already sick of Carr, the last thing Saints fans need to see is a shaky performance heading into the regular season.

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