Three studs and two duds from New Orleans Saints week one win

The New Orleans Saints start out 1-0 thanks to a win. Here are the players who stood out as both studs and duds for the Saints in week one.

The New Orleans Saints started out the 2023 season with a 16-15 win, sending the Tennessee Titans home upset. With that, the Saints start the season off on a winning note.

The Saints defense stood out, keeping the Titans out of the end zone all day, and holding them to five field goals. As for their offense, Derek Carr was solid overall, gaining 305 yards through the air but was only able to lead the offense to one touchdown. It was still enough for them to get a win in his debut.

Now, let's look back over the game and identify three studs and two duds from the week one victory.

Stud: Blake Grupe - Kicker

For six years, Will Lutz was the kicker in New Orleans and it was a bit of a surprise when rumors started that he might be out in 2023. That ended up being the case as Lutz was traded to the Denver Broncos — where he re-joined Sean Payton — as undrafted rookie Blake Grupe won the job.

As fate would have it, Grupe was called into action often in his debut and every kick was incredibly important. With the two teams exchanging field goals, Grupe was 3-of-3 and even hit a 52-yarder that tied the game up at nine.

Grupe connected earlier in the game from 26 yards and 33 yards. He also hit his only extra point attempt.

Kicking, more than any other position in the game, comes down to a player having confidence in himself. Grupe couldn't have asked for a better debut and while the first two kicks were routine, the 52-yarder will be one that stands out for him going forward.