TV Schedule: Sunday, November 8, 1:00 p.m. ET, CBS

Stadium: Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans, La.

Line: NO (-8)

In perhaps the most exciting NFL news this week (unless you’re a fan of the Denver Broncos), the Tennessee Titans finally got rid of head coach Ken Whisenhunt on Tuesday. Whisenhunt was 3-20 with the Titans even after taking Marcus Mariota in this year’s NFL draft.

Mike Mularkey will serve as interim coach, but it might not be enough of a spark for the 1-6 Titans. However, Mariota is expected to participate in practice this week and should be ready for Sunday’s game against the New Orleans Saints.

Mariota has been out the last two weeks with a grade 2 MCL sprain after he took a low hit in the Titans’ Week 6 game against the Miami Dolphins. Second-year veteran Zach Mettenberger has been starting in his place, but he’s only managed to throw one TD pass in two games. Mettenberger has a tendency to stay too long in the pocket, causing him to get sacked multiple times a game.

Even if Mariota is healthy for the game Sunday, his inexperience will likely get the better of him in this matchup with such an elite, prolific QB.

Drew Brees hadn’t been having a very good season after the Saints traded his most reliable TE Jimmy Graham in the offseason, but he’s coming off a week in which he tied the NFL record for most TD passes in a game with seven. Brees finished with 511 yards and led the Saints to only their fourth win of the season last Sunday.

The Saints’ season didn’t start out much better than the Titans’ whose inexperience has cost them a couple close games, but the Saints’ veteran squad has been able to turn things around and enter the game as the favorite. The Saints didn’t win a game until Week 4 and lost to the same Tampa Bay Buccaneers that the Titans routed in Week 1.

Brees and his bevvy of receivers finally found their rhythm against the Dallas Cowboys and haven’t looked back since. If Brees goes off Sunday like he did against the New York Giants, the Titans won’t be able to stop him or keep up with him like Eli Manning and the Giants did. But even if he doesn’t, Brees’ experience will be too much for the Titans’ young squad to overcome.

Prediction: Saints 27, Titans 17

Hannah Fields is a Tennessee Titans and SEC Football writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow her on Twitter @hanfran7, “Like” her on Facebook or add her to your network on Google.