This is going to be a big-time bout to ring in the 2023 season: The Tennessee Titans are closing in on a deal with former All-Pro wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins, meaning he’ll be on top of their depth chart for the New Orleans Saints’ home opener.
And that puts Hopkins on a collision course with Marshon Lattimore. It’s a pairing we’ve seen before, when Hopkins led the Houston Titans against Lattimore’s defense in New Orleans back in 2019. How did things play out last time?
In that Week 1 matchup, Pro Football Focus charting found that Hopkins was targeted seven times with Lattimore in coverage. He caught four passes for 51 yards, converting a pair of first downs and scoring a touchdown, though he also dropped a pass. Hopkins’ longest catch against Lattimore in that game gained 38 yards. That scoring catch proved crucial in a game won on a last-second Wil Lutz field goal from 58 yards out.
Things are different now. The Titans don’t have a quarterback who can reach the heights Deshaun Watson climbed with Houston five years ago, and both players are older and more experienced than when they last met. Last season, the Saints and Cardinals met in Week 7, which is when Hopkins returned from a six-week suspension, but Lattimore was unavailable while recovering from an injury. Both players should be running at full steam going into the new season. Tennessee’s offense doesn’t lack for firepower with running backs Derrick Henry (who has never played against New Orleans) and Tyjae Spears, the hometown favorite who will be playing in front of a friendly crowd.
