The New Orleans Saints and Tennessee Titans clashed in a Week 17 matchup on Sunday, December 28, 2025, at Nissan Stadium, offering fans a contest filled with rookie intrigue, defensive highlights, and playoff implications—albeit of a different kind. With both teams out of postseason contention, the focus shifted to the development of their young quarterbacks, Tyler Shough for the Saints and Cam Ward for the Titans, and the ongoing battles for pride and future draft positioning.
Kickoff came right on schedule at 1 p.m. ET, with the game broadcast nationally on CBS and available for streaming on NFL+ and Paramount+. The Saints entered the contest as slight 1.5-point favorites, riding the momentum of a three-game winning streak that included victories over NFC South rivals Tampa Bay and Carolina, as well as a recent win over the New York Jets. The Titans, meanwhile, had shown signs of life by defeating the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 16, notching their third win of the season and complicating their hopes for the No. 1 overall pick in the upcoming NFL Draft.
Despite the teams’ subpar records—New Orleans at 5-10 and Tennessee at 3-12 before kickoff—there was no shortage of storylines. Rookie quarterbacks took center stage. Saints’ second-round pick Tyler Shough, out of Louisville, had been under center since Week 8, and the team had gone 4-4 in his starts. Across the field, the Titans’ Cam Ward, last year’s No. 1 overall pick, was on the verge of making franchise history by surpassing 3,000 passing yards as a rookie. Ward had also thrown two touchdown passes in three consecutive games while maintaining impressive ball security, having been sacked just three times over that span.
The early action set the tone for a hard-fought battle. The Saints won the coin toss and deferred, giving the Titans the first shot on offense. Tennessee’s opening drive showed promise with a Tony Pollard run for a first down, but the Saints’ defense quickly forced a punt. New Orleans’ first possession ended abruptly thanks to Titans All-Pro Jeffery Simmons, who broke through the line on third down to sack and strip Tyler Shough. The Saints managed to recover the fumble, but it was a sign that both defenses came ready to play.
The Titans struck first, with kicker Joey Slye nailing a 50-yard field goal to put Tennessee up 3-0 midway through the first quarter. Ward continued to display his downfield passing ability, connecting with Chimere Dike for a 38-yard gain that kept the Titans’ offense moving. However, the Saints’ defense held firm, forcing another Slye field goal—this time from 38 yards out—to extend Tennessee’s lead to 6-0.
As the second quarter unfolded, the Titans dialed up the excitement. Facing a 4th-and-2 from the Saints’ 43-yard line, Ward found tight end Chig Okonkwo on a crossing route. Okonkwo did the rest, weaving through defenders and sprinting into the end zone for a touchdown. The successful PAT made it 13-0, and the home crowd erupted. Okonkwo’s play showcased the kind of athleticism and determination that has made him a fan favorite in Nashville.
The Saints, undeterred, began to claw back. After a promising drive stalled due to a false start on fourth down, New Orleans settled for a long field goal attempt. Kicker Charlie Smyth delivered, drilling a 56-yarder that tied his career long and put the Saints on the board at 13-3. The Saints’ defense then stepped up in a big way. With less than four minutes left in the half, Cam Ward tried to scramble, but Saints pass rusher Chase Young was waiting. Young not only brought Ward down for the sack but also ripped the ball loose and sprinted 33 yards for a defensive touchdown. The extra point—after a fortuitous bounce off the upright—made it 13-10, suddenly turning the game into a tense affair.
The Titans’ offense, which had been trending up, faced adversity as rookie defensive back Jalyn Armour-Davis suffered an Achilles injury and was ruled out for the remainder of the contest. Despite the setback, Tennessee’s defense responded by holding the Saints in check. Smyth missed a 43-yard field goal late in the half, keeping the Titans ahead as the teams headed into the locker room.
Both defenses put on a show throughout the afternoon. According to the box score, the Saints’ defense recorded 37 tackles, one sack, and two tackles for loss. Chase Young’s strip-sack and fumble return for a touchdown was the defensive highlight of the day. The Titans’ defense contributed 27 tackles, one sack, and two tackles for loss, with Jeffery Simmons’ early strip-sack setting the tone. Neither team managed an interception or a punt return, illustrating just how tightly contested the game was in all three phases.
Injuries and inactives were a factor for both squads. The Saints were without star running back Alvin Kamara, defensive tackle Bryan Bresee, and offensive lineman Cesar Ruiz, among others. Wide receiver Chris Olave was listed as questionable with a back injury. For the Titans, defensive end Femi Oladejo and wide receiver Bryce Oliver were out, and the secondary was further depleted by Armour-Davis’s injury.
As the clock wound down, the game remained close, with the Saints threatening to overtake the Titans. The SportsLine Projection Model, which simulated the matchup 10,000 times, predicted a nail-biter, with the Saints winning 22-21 in the most likely scenario. The model gave the Titans a 51% chance to cover the spread and projected the under (39.5 points) to hit in 56% of simulations. In other words, this game was expected to be a grinder, and that’s exactly what fans got.
For both franchises, the outcome was about more than just the final score. The Titans’ recent string of wins, including the previous week’s triumph over the Chiefs, likely pushed them out of the running for the top pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. Meanwhile, the Saints’ late-season surge under rookie quarterback Tyler Shough offered hope for the future, even as the playoffs remained out of reach.
With the regular season winding down, both teams will look to build on the lessons learned in Nashville. The Saints and Titans may not be headed to the postseason, but their young quarterbacks, defensive playmakers, and resilient spirits gave fans plenty to cheer about on a chilly December afternoon.
