A Terrible Start for Tannehill

For the third straight year and the fourth time in six seasons under coach Mike Vrabel, the Tennessee Titans have started 0-1. This time, they fell 16-15 to the New Orleans Saints in a game that featured some dominant play by the defense, a sparkling debut by kicker Nick Folk and a disastrous outing by quarterback Ryan Tannehill, who threw three interceptions, missed some wide open receivers, was sacked three times and finished with a career-low 28.8 passer rating. ... Among the promising signs were the performance of the defense, which allowed some big plays but just one touchdown, and special teams that accounted for all of the points and one takeaway. It also is noteworthy that under coach Mike Vrabel, the Titans have a history of quickly fixing early-season flaws. ... Tannehill's issues included an obvious desire to force the ball to new wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins, a shortage of time to stand tall in the pocket and atypical struggles with accuracy. ... Hopkins had the ball thrown his way a lot (13 times) but ultimately did not make much of those opportunities (seven catches, 65 yards). To make matters worse, he came out of the game injured. ... Many fans want to make sure the Titans don't overwork running back Derrick Henry. But after Henry carried just 15 times for 63 yards against the Saints, many wondered why he didn't get the ball more, particularly late in the game. ... It was a promising performance for first-year general manager Ran Carthon, based on the performance of several newcomers, including kicker Nick Folk, outside linebacker Arden Key and first-round draft pick Peter Skoronski. ... Up next is a game at home against the Los Angeles Chargers, a team that looks well-equipped to take advantage of issues with injuries to the Titans' secondary.