NEW ORLEANS SAINTS (0-0) AT JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS (0-0) THURSDAY, AUGUST 9, 2018 – 6:00 PM (CST) TIAA BANK FIELD -– JACKSONVILLE, FL. TV: Raycom Media Regional Coverage (WVUE – FOX 8 locally) – Joel Meyers (play-by-play), Jon Stinchcomb and Sean Kelley (color analysts) and Sean Fazende (sideline) LOCAL RADIO: WWL (870 AM and 105.3 FM) – Zach Strief (play-by-play), Deuce McAllister (color analyst) and Steve Geller (sideline) THE MATCHUP QB Drew Brees set the NFL single-season record for completion percentage (72.0%) in 2017. He completed The New Orleans Saints open their 2018 preseason 386-of-536 passes for 4,334 yards and 23 touchdowns, against the Jacksonville Jaguars at the newly-named TIAA eight interceptions, his lowest total as a Saint and a 103.9 Bank Field on Thursday night, August 9 at 6:00 p.m. CST. passer rating. RB Mark Ingram II set career-highs with This is the first matchup between the two clubs since they 1,124 yards rushing, 12 rushing touchdowns, 58 recep- met in New Orleans on December 27, 2015, when Drew tions and 1,540 total yards from scrimmage. Rookie RB Brees connected on three touchdown passes in the Alvin Kamara set a league record for rookie running Saints’ 38-27 victory. backs with 826 receiving yards on 81 receptions and five New Orleans will be eager to open its four-game pre- touchdowns. Kamara led the NFL by averaging 6.1 yards season slate coming off of their 2017 NFC South Division- per carry on 120 carries for 728 yards with eight touch- al Championship and 11-5 regular season record. Jack- downs, as he led the club with 1,554 total yards from sonville enjoyed a trip to the AFC Championship game in scrimmage and was selected by the Associated Press as 2017 before coming up short against the New England the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year and a second-team Patriots in a 24-20 defeat. Last season, the Jaguars fin- All-Pro at the flex position. ished 10-6 on their way to clinching the AFC South title for DE Cameron Jordan, coming off of his third career the first time in franchise history. double-digit sack season and third Pro Bowl selection, The Saints and Jaguars have met six times in the regu- once again anchors the New Orleans defensive lar season with the Saints holding a 4-2 series advantage line. Jordan had his most productive season in 2017, re- since Jacksonville joined the NFL as an expansion team at cording a career high 13 sacks and was named an Associ- the start of the 1995 season and the Jaguars winning the ated Press first-team All-Pro for the first time in his career. only exhibition between the clubs in 2012. The first match- Rookie CB Marshon Lattimore, who led NFL rookies with up between the two franchises came back on October 6, five interceptions, garnered Associated Press Defensive 1996, when the Saints defeated the Jags 17-13 at the Su- Rookie of the Year honors in 2017 and was selected to his perdome. first Pro Bowl. st Head Coach Sean Payton has traditionally used the The Saints improved from 31 to sixth in kickoff return th time of training camp and the preseason to evaluate the average (22.9) and from 29 to sixth in average starting entire roster and prepare for the regular season, while also field position after kickoff (25.6). K Wil Lutz made a big providing players the opportunity to showcase their talents jump in his second NFL season, leading the team with 140 and compete for roster spots. points and connecting on 31 of 36 field goals (86.1%), ty- ing the club record for field goals made. Saints at Jaguars: Preseason Week 1 2 THE COACHES attempts, 4,428 yards and 35 touchdowns. Prior to joining the Jaguars, Marrone compiled a 15-17 mark at the Bills New Orleans Saints Head Coach Sean Payton has helm including a 9-7 mark in 2014, the team’s most wins posted a 112-76 overall record (.596), including a 7-5 post- since 2004. He became only the third coach in Bills history season mark (.583) after the franchise had won only one to win 15 games in his first two seasons. The Bills had six playoff game prior to his arrival. Payton holds the club’s top Pro Bowl selections during Marrone’s two seasons in win total and winning percentage for a head coach. Payton charge. The Bronx, New York native began his coaching enters the 2018 campaign and continues to represent the career in 1992 at Cortland (N.Y.) State as the school’s tight Saints as the model of stability not only within the NFC ends coach before having stints as the offensive line coach South, as he is the longest tenured head coach within the at U.S. Coast Guard Academy (1993) and Northeastern division, but also within the National Football League. Only University in 1994. A standout at Syracuse, Marrone was a New England’s Bill Belichick (2000), Cincinnati’s Marvin sixth-round draft pick of the Los Angeles Raiders in 1986 Lewis (2003) and Green Bay’s Mike McCarthy (hired one and played two years in the National Football League. He week prior to Payton in 2006) have been with their teams played with the Miami Dolphins in 1987 and with the Saints longer. Payton is also one of just eight active coaches to in 1989. He also had stints with Pittsburgh, Dallas and lead a team to a Super Bowl victory. The others are New Minnesota before closing out his playing career with the England’s Bill Belichick, Seattle’s Pete Carroll, Oakland’s NFL Europe’s London Monarchs from 1991-92. Marrone Jon Gruden (Tampa Bay in 2002), Baltimore’s John Har- was a three-year letterman at Syracuse. He returned to baugh, Packers Mike McCarthy, Philadelphia’s Doug Ped- Syracuse and graduated in 1991 with a bachelor’s degree erson and Pittsburgh’s Mike Tomlin. The 2017 Saints yield- in liberal arts. Doug and his wife, Helen, have two daugh- ed an 11-5 regular season record, producing their first ters, Madeline and Annie, and a son, Mack. playoff berth since 2013, behind a squad led by QB Drew Brees offensively and DE Cameron Jordan defensively, SERIES HISTORY this team featured seven players selected to the Pro Bowl, tied for the most in club history and four draft picks select- The New Orleans Saints have the upper hand in the regu- ed to the PFWA All-Rookie Team, two more than any other lar season series against the Jacksonville Jaguars includ- club. With RB Alvin Kamara and CB Marshon Lattimore, ing winning the last three matchups and holding a 4-2 over- the 2017 Saints were the first team to have both the Asso- all lead. New Orleans won the first ever meeting between ciated Press NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year and Defen- the two clubs 17-13 in 1996 at the Superdome before drop- sive Rookie of the Year since 1967. The Saints defense ping the next two contests 41-23 in 1999 and 20-19 in saw improvement in virtually every major statistical catego- 2003, both at Jacksonville. The Saints have a 4-2 lead in ry. New Orleans moved up ten spots in total defense, in- the regular season series while the Jaguars won the only cluding from 32nd to 15th against the pass. After ranking preseason contest between the two clubs. New Orleans 31st in opponent points per game in 2016, New Orleans has hosted the Jaguars in 2015, 2007 and 1996 while moved up to tenth in 2017, surrendering only 20.4 points Jacksonville has hosted the other three contests in 1999, per game. Payton earned a bachelor’s degree in communi- 2003, and 2011. The last time the two teams met in exhibi- cations at Eastern Illinois, where as a quarterback he had tion play was in 2012 when the Jaguars traveled to New 10,665 passing yards, at the time the third-highest total in Orleans and defeated the Saints 27-24. In Week 16 of the NCAA Division I-AA history. Payton was inducted into the 2015 season, the Saints and Jaguars entered the game Eastern Illinois Hall of Fame in September of 2000 and had with identical records of 5-9. The Saints emerged with a 38 his jersey retired in a ceremony in September of 2010. He -27 victory over the Jaguars thanks in part to QB Drew received an honorary doctorate from his alma mater in Brees’ 412 passing yards and three touchdowns. The 2013. Payton was born Dec. 29, 1963 in San Mateo, Calif., Week Four matchup during the 2011 season at Jackson- and raised in Naperville, Ill., Payton has a daughter, Me- ville, saw a strong performance from the Saints defense as ghan and a son, Connor. they held the Jaguars to 10 points and forced two turno- Jacksonville Head Coach Doug Marrone is in his vers. New Orleans also generated over 500 yards of total second full season at the helm for the Jaguars after being offense in route to a 23-10 victory. In week nine of the 2007 promoted to interim head coach at the end of 2016 and season, Brees illustrated another strong performance, being promoted following the end of that regular season. In racking up 445 passing yards and three touchdowns, high- his first season with the Jaguars in 2015, when he tutored lighted by a 75-yard interception return for a touchdown by the club’s offensive front, Marrone helped the offensive line CB Mike McKenzie gave New Orleans a 41-24 victory in provide protection for QB Blake Bortles, who set single- the Superdome.