Nashville, TN – In Week 16 of the 2019 season, the Tennessee Titans hosted the New Orleans Saints in the final home matchup of the regular season and fell to New Orleans by a score of 38-28.
In the first quarter, the Titans put together two touchdown scoring drives to take a 14-0 lead. First, QB Ryan Tannehill engineered a five-play, 73-yard possession that saw TE Jonnu Smith catch a 41-yard touchdown.
New Orleans got on the board in the second quarter on a 13-play scoring drive. Saints QB Drew Brees connected with Saints WR Michael Thomas for a 19-yard first down to help move the chains, but on third down at the Tennessee 20-yard line, Brees was sacked by DT Jurrell Casey for a loss of nine. New Orleans settled for a 47-yard field goal to make it a 14-3 game.
Later in the second quarter, on a one-play scoring drive, Brees tossed a quick 61-yard touchdown pass to Saints TE Jared Cook to make it a 14-10 game. On the Saints opening possession of the second half, New Orleans strung together a three-play scoring drive that saw Saints RB Alvin Kamara tack on a 40-yard rushing score. New Orleans took the lead, 17-14.
After forcing Tennessee to punt, the Saints took possession of the ball and added another score. Brees threw two first down passes to Thomas, and one to each Saints WR Tre’Quan Smith and Kamara, before Kamara ran into the end zone for a one-yard touchdown. New Orleans took a 24-14 lead.
The Titans immediately responded on the ensuing possession with a touchdown drive of their own. With help from a 22-yard reception by WR Corey Davis, Tannehill threw a 36-yard touchdown to WR Tajaé Sharpe to make it a three-point game, 24-21.
On the following drive, New Orleans then extended their lead, as Brees hit Cook for a 16-yard score and a 31-21 game. In the fourth quarter, the Titans tacked on a six-play, 42-yard scoring drive. RB Dalyn Dawkins amassed 26 yards and two first downs on four carries before Tannehill threw a seven-yard touchdown to Sharpe. Tennessee again made it a one-score game, 31-28 Saints.
Later in the fourth quarter, the Titans took possession of the ball needing a touchdown to go ahead and retake the lead. Tannehill connected with WR Kalif Raymond for a 22-yard pass to move the Titans downfield, but Raymond fumbled the ball after contact. Saints DB C.J. Gardner-Johnson recovered it and ran 38 yards to give New Orleans possession at the Tennessee 25-yard line.
The Saints took over with 4:06 remaining in regulation, and Brees quickly threw a two-yard touchdown to Thomas for a 38-28 lead. Ultimately, the Titans could not overcome a 10-point deficit and fell to the Saints at home.
Box Score
Week 16: Titans 28, Saints 38
Sunday, December 22nd, 2019 | 12:00pm CT | Nissan Stadium
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Final | |
| New Orleans | 0 | 10 | 21 | 7 | 38 |
| Tennessee | 14 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 28 |
