The Titans are going to get an extended look at Zach Mettenberger on Friday night.
Mettenberger came into the game earlier than expected when No. 2 quarterback Charlie Whitehurst was knocked out of the game. Whitehurst was sacked by safety Kenny Vaccaro on his third snap of the night and headed to the sideline.
Mettenberger, a sixth-round pick in May, played his college ball at LSU, so his entry to the game was met with cheers from the locals at the Superdome. They’ll get plenty of time to cheer him the rest of the night because Whitehurst is likely finished with an injured hand, although those Tiger fans that also root for the Saints probably were a bit less thrilled when Mettenberger threw a 64-yard touchdown to former Tennessee Volunteer Justin Hunter.
A few more big plays like that and there will be some questions about whether Mettenberger should be ahead of the uninspiring Whitehurst on the depth chart. The Titans will surely hope that Jake Locker makes the question of No. 2 a moot one, but experience says that they may need to break the glass at some point in the coming months.
The Titans also saw running back Shonn Greene depart with a knee injury and tackle Michael Oher left after hurting his arm. Both are called questionable to return, but it seems unlikely with the end of the first half fast approaching.