The New Orleans Saints are 1-0. 

It wasn't easy. It wasn't pretty. It gave many fans sweaty palms. 

Regardless, Dennis Allen's team got it done against a tough Tennessee Titans team. Three parts of the game stood out the most for the Saints in their Week 1 victory.

Grupe is the Guy

Blake Grupe was massive for the Saints in Week 1. New Orleans' rookie kicker made them look smart to keep him. He nailed all three field goals that he attempted, including a 52-yard attempt. 

He's confident, and he has the leg to back it up. A performance in his first NFL regular season game like this one is ridiculously impressive. The Saints should trust him big-time already. 

Penning needs more time

The first half wasn't pretty for the offense. A large piece of that was due to the offensive line. They weren't giving QB Derek Carr consistent time, and it showed. In particular, young OT Trevor Penning struggled badly in the first half against Arden Key. The Titans pass rusher got by him on three different important occasions in Sunday's game. 

Penning played a bit better in the second half and got more help from tight ends and running backs, too. The Saints need his pass protection to improve to keep Carr upright going forward.

Olave is different

The Saints trust their top-flight, young wideout a ton. In crunch time, they were happy to throw the ball to Chris Olave. Carr knows that he is a special player, and the Saints have faith in him to not make mistakes. Olave totaled 8 catches on 10 targets for 112 yards in the season opener. 

His knowledge of defensive schemes and patience were on full display. The passing game will go as Olave goes in some games this year. 

---

It wasn't a completely clean game for the Saints. 

They had a few untimely penalties. Carr had a bad interception. The running game never got off the ground. All that being said, they competed for four quarters and took care of a Titans team that always keeps it close. 

© Andrew Nelles-USA TODAY Sports