The New Orleans Saints open their preseason on Saturday, and we still don’t have much of a clue on how much the starters will play. Will Derek Carr even play at all? How will the team get through with only six healthy receivers? Will Trevor Penning shake off tough camp?

We’ll ask these questions before we get to Part 4 of our third annual NFL team-by-team previews, looking at the AFC South. Will CJ Stroud be able to repeat his Rookie of the Year performance, and can the Houston Texans continue their rise from nowhere in 2022 to 2023 to again this season? Can Anthony Richardson make a healthy return and help Coach Shane Steichen and the Indianapolis Colts have another winning season?

Jim Derry is back with his Friday partner Larry Holder and their AFC South crystal ball on the Dattitude Podcast (Ep. 264) presented by Evangeline Securities. They also ask if Trevor Lawrence and the Jacksonville Jaguars can overcome a brutal schedule – especially the start – and whether the Tennessee Titans can avoid the cellar.

CHAPTERS

0:00 Introduction

5:00 Opening thoughts on Saints

11:35 Larry Holder joins show

13:20 Saints: what are we looking for?

18:15 Will Justin Simmons sign?

24:10 Saints QB2 battle

29:00 Saints have long injury list

37:40 AFC South 2023 review

39:45 Houston Texans preview

48:55 Indianapolis Colts preview

54:37 Jacksonville Jaguars preview

1:00:00 Tennessee Titans preview

1:04:05 2024 AFC South predictions

1:07:30 Final thoughts

To be a sponsor of Dattitude, contact Jim at jderry@theadvocate.com to see our current pricing and options, including segment sponsors and “friends of the show.”

The Dattitude Podcast, which is always free to subscribe and listen, is streamed regularly each Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings during the football preseason. It is shown live or on demand on the Dattitude YouTube page, the NOLA.com X / Twitter and their Facebook page, as well as other many of our other social media locations.

It also is available by clicking on the audio player above or on all the major platforms that host podcasts, including Apple, Amazon, Spotify, Google Play, SoundCloud and more, where you can find all past episodes. Those include: Saints GM Mickey Loomis (Ep. 79) and former coach Jim Mora (Ep. 83), NFL Hall of Famer Rickey Jackson (Ep. 57), former LSU coach Dale Brown (Ep. 45), former Football Hall of Fame president David Baker (Ep. 15), ESPN anchor Stan Verrett (Ep. 1) and more.

Jim Derry is the host of the Dattitude Podcast. Member of Times-Picayune staff since 1990. Catch the pod live or on demand on YouTubeTikTokInstagram, and X. Jim can be reached at jderry@theadvocate.com or on X @JimDerryJr.