NASHVILLE — Saquon Barkley suffered a stinger on the opening offensive play for the Eagles and missed the rest of the first half before returning for the first series of the second half.
Barkley only played a few snaps before again leaving. He did not return.
Barkley was stuffed by Titans defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons on a running play that went up the middle for no gain. The running back was slow to get up and appeared to be favoring his left arm.
After spending several minutes in the medical tent, Barkley then jogged off the field and later returned to the sideline after the first quarter. He appeared to be wearing a neck roll.
The Eagles’ first drive ended with a Jalen Hurts interception in the end zone on the 15th play. Amani Hooker returned the ball 92 yards, setting up a short field for Tennessee, which took advantage and grabbed an early 7-0 lead.
With Barkley sidelined, the Eagles had Tank Bigsby and Will Shipley at running back. Bigsby’s 2-yard touchdown knotted the score at 7-7 early in the second quarter.
Barkley declined to be interviewed after the game but said “I’m all right. We’ll know more later in the week.”
One play before Bigsby’s touchdown, Eagles tight end Dallas Goedert was banged up. He had a brief stay in the medical tent before returning to the bench. The Eagles said he was questionable to return with a knee injury, and he was without a helmet on the sideline as the second half began.
Landon Dickerson has made a career of fighting through injuries and pain, last season being the latest instance. But after the left guard looked like a shell of himself Week 1 vs. Washington, the Eagles decided to shut him down – at least for now. With Dickerson landing on injured reserve, The Philadelphia Inquirer’s Jeff McLane explains why, this time around, he and the Eagles are taking the cautious route. Jeff also shares what he’s heard about how the Eagles might fill Dickerson’s void on the offensive line, and takes listener questions in this week’s mailbag segment.
00:00 The Landon Dickerson dilemma: injury history, replacements, long-term outlook
17:40 Why isn’t Makai Lemon lower on the depth chart?
19:40 Should we be worried about the defensive line?
unCovering the Birds is a production of The Philadelphia Inquirer and KYW Newsradio Original Podcasts. Look for new episodes throughout the season.
The Philadelphia Eagles (1-0) are on the road this week to take on the Tennessee Titans (0-1), and a Hall of Fame quarterback is joining them in Nashville.
Drew Brees, the Super Bowl XLIV MVP who spent 20 seasons in the NFL, will be in the booth to call the game on Fox alongside play-by-play partner Adam Amin. Kristina Pink will report from the sidelines of Nissan Stadium.
Similar to his playing career, Brees has been forced to overcome adversity as a broadcaster. He was hired by NBC in 2020 and appeared to be on track to replace Cris Collinsworth on Sunday Night Football, but a widely criticized performance in his first NFL broadcast — a 2021 wild-card game — led to his departure from the network.
“When Drew shows up in the booth, who wouldn’t want to listen to him?” Fox Sports’ president and executive producer Brad Zager told Sports Business Journal before the start of the season. “You saw with Tom [Brady] that he had 18 weeks of reps with an ‘A’ crew his first year, and you saw that improvement. Drew never really had that on the NFL level. He does that playoff game, and everybody has their opinions.”
Drew Brees spent 20 season in the NFL, winning a Super Bowl with the Saints. YONG KIM / Staff Photographer
Fox turned to Brees last season to replace former Eagles quarterback Mark Sanchez, who was fired following a late-night fight in October where he allegedly attacked and stabbed a delivery driver. Brees has now called nine game in the network’s No. 3 booth alongside Amin, who has been impressed by the Hall of Famer’s deep understanding of the game and the gravitas he brings to the booth.
It was certainly on display last week when the pair called the Chicago Bears’ 59-37 drubbing of the Carolina Panthers. Bears quarterback Caleb Williams credited advice Brees offered during a production meeting before the game with helping him focus on sticking with his reads and not overlooking open targets in search of a big play.
“We want to encourage him to use his voice and take [viewers] another layer deeper,” Amin said. “And I think he’s starting to improve as a presenter. He still has to learn some of the timing and rhythm, but a lot of that just comes with doing the job. And the rest of it, the presentation, is going to come with timing and confidence.”
Adam Amin and Drew Brees are paired together in Fox’s No. 3 NFL booth.Fox Sports
In a way, Brees is fortunate to have been paired with Amin, who is in his seventh season with Fox and has a track record of working with recently retired players. That includes Sanchez on the football side and Adam Wainwright and A.J. Pierzynski on MLB games. Despite working with former All-Stars and MVPs, Amin has found most of his on-air partners to be coachable, and Brees has been no exception.
“Most people don’t get a lot of coaching or guidance when they first step into the booth,” Amin said. “I have a process. I know what the feel of the broadcast looks and feels like and what the timing and rhythm of it is. And I go, ‘Man, here’s the timing and rhythm that I work off of. Let’s start there.’”
“It’s funny to listen to him use television terminology,” Amin added. “Like, ‘Hey, let’s talk about this graphic’ or ‘Hey, what does the viz do?’ It’s like learning a new playbook for him.”
“Simmons did not get a whole lot done against Landon Dickerson the last time they met in 2022,” Amin said. “Obviously, Dickerson is hurt, so who gets the assignment on Simmons?”
“The All-Pro lines up at multiple spots inside, but it’s likely Titans coach Robert Saleh will concentrate his efforts vs. Kendall,” McLane wrote.
How to watch and stream Eagles vs. Titans
Eagles-Titans will air on Fox Sunday at 1 p.m. Troy Taormina, Imagn Images
Sunday’s Week 2 game between the Eagles and Titans is scheduled to start at 1 p.m. Philadelphia time on Fox.
The game will stream on Fox One, the network’s subscription streaming service. It’s also available on any so-called skinny bundle that carries Fox, including fuboTV, YouTube TV, Hulu + Live TV, Sling TV, and DirecTV Stream. Most offer a free trial.
If you live in Philadelphia or any other TV market where the game is airing, you can also stream the game on NFL+, the league’s subscription streaming service, which runs $6.99 a month.
If you’re looking to stream the game for free and you live in or around Philadelphia, your best option is to use a digital antenna, since the game will air on broadcast television on Fox 29.
The last time the Eagles played in Nashville Carson Wentz was still QB and Nick Foles was his backup. Michael Bryant / Staff Photographer
Sunday’s matchup is just the fourth time the Eagles have traveled to Nashville to face the Titans since the franchise moved to Nissan Stadium in 1999.
Overall, the Eagles are 8-5 against the Titans, but they haven’t had much success down in the Music City, losing all three games they’ve played there. The most recent was an overtime loss to the Titans in 2018, when Carson Wentz was quarterback and Nelson Agholor — who recently joined NFL Media as an analyst — was still dropping passes.
The last time the two teams played was in Week 12 of the 2022 season, with the Birds dominating the Titans in a 35-10 win in something of a revenge game for former Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown.
Jordan Davis didn’t think for very long before offering an answer to the hottest football game he has ever played in.
“It has to be Tampa two years ago,” Davis said Friday.
The Eagles, in their last game before an early Week 5 bye that changed the trajectory of their Super Bowl season, were dominated by the Bucs, 33-16, in a game that wasn’t even that close. The real feel on the field reached triple digits.
Davis, who is from North Carolina and played his college football at Georgia and all across the American South, knew he was in for a long day long before the game started.
“It’s when you’re walking out, the warmup before the warmup, and you’re already sweating in like two minutes,” he said. “You didn’t even finish stretching yet, and you’re dripping.
“I don’t like that feeling.”
He won’t be able to avoid it Sunday. The Eagles and Titans play in Nashville at noon local time, and the city is under a heat advisory. Temperatures are expected to be in the mid-90s, and the feel on the field could reach triple digits, just like it did in Tampa, Fla., each of the last two years.
Sunday will be the Eagles’ seventh game against the Buccaneers (including playoffs) — and their sixth in Tampa — in Nick Sirianni’s six seasons. They are 2-4 in the previous six.Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer
Nick Sirianni studies everything his team does, down to travel times and all that goes into a trip. The Eagles had another early-season game in Tampa last year, and they took their data from 2024 and left a day earlier to try to acclimate. Sirianni doesn’t like to be entirely results-oriented, but the Eagles left Florida with a 31-25 victory.
That’s in part why they left for Tennessee on Friday evening.
“It benefited us,” Sirianni said of leaving early last year, “and that’s why we decided to do that again.”
What are some of the worst parts about playing in extreme heat?
“It kind of slows your cognitive ability,” Davis said. “You can’t think as fast. You’re just kind of fighting for survival and also playing a football game at the same time if you really feel it.
“You really have a second opponent if you’re not careful.”
Mind over matter, right?
“It’s mind over matter until your body is cramping up and locking up,” center Cam Jurgens said. “Then you’re like, ‘Well it’s a little bit of matter now.’”
The Eagles and Titans kick off at 1 p.m. Philadelphia time on Sunday (noon central time). The game will be broadcast on Fox with Adam Amin (play-by-play), Drew Brees (analyst), and Kristina Pink (reporter) on the call.
As always, 94 WIP is where you can hear longtime Eagles play-by-play voice Merrill Reese call the game on the radio with Mike Quick.
Eagles assistant coach Jeremiah Washburn (left) speaks with linebacker Jonathan Greenard, who didn’t play last week and is out again Sunday.Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer
The Eagles again will be without top edge rusher Jonathan Greenard, who continues to practice in a limited capacity but is not ready to play as he recovers from a pectoral injury.
“I feel like they’ve done a great job here with the rehab process,” Greenard said Thursday. “I’m feeling better. I’m getting more and more confident in it and just only going to stack days to where I can eventually get out there.”
Eagles
Out
OLB Jonathan Greenard, pectoral
Questionable
S Andrew Mukuba, knee
Titans
Questionable
CB Cor’Dale Flott, quad
LB Cedric Gray, concussion
LB James Williams, elbow
Storylines to watch
Jalen Hurts was sacked three times last week as Landon Dickerson tried to play through an injury.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
The biggest takeaway from last week’s 24-22 win over Washington probably was the offensive line’s inability to consistently protect Jalen Hurts from pressure and create lanes for Saquon Barkley.
The line will look different Sunday in Nashville. The Eagles have been keeping Landon Dickerson’s replacement close to the vest, but it’s expected to be Drew Kendall. Could this be addition by subtraction for the Eagles? We’ll find out Sunday.
Elsewhere on offense, Makai Lemon’s first real NFL game went about as well as his first preseason game. It’s way too early to be alarmed by Lemon’s usage and production, but the Eagles are going to need more from their first-round pick if the offense wants to be more dynamic. Lemon knows he has “lots to improve on” moving forward.
Could Hollywood Brown get more involved this week? The receiver Howie Roseman signed to a deal worth $5 million in guaranteed money didn’t see the field in Week 1 and was surprised by it.
Jalen Carter and Cooper DeJean sat out on Wednesday, the first practice day of the week, before returning Thursday. Both are set to go Sunday, but Carter was sporting a cast on his right wrist.
DeJean, meanwhile, is looking to bounce back from a Week 1 performance he said “wasn’t good enough.”
Our Eagles Week 2 preview show
Landon Dickerson’s health was a major topic on this week’s Gameday Central preview show.Staff Illustration
I said that and more on this week’s Gameday Central preview show with my beat partner Olivia Reiner. Watch our full Week 2 show here.
Want instant reaction after Sunday’s game? Ryan Novozinsky will be live from Nissan Stadium after the final whistle to recap what he saw.
Jalen Hurts found success throwing the ball downfield in Week 1, and could have more opportunities against the Titans.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
176
Jalen Hurts threw for 203 yards in Week 1, and 176 of them came on throws that traveled at least 10 air yards, according to Next Gen Stats, which counts any throw of 10 or more air yards as a “downfield” pass.
Hurts completed six of his nine downfield attempts and the Eagles scored all three of their touchdowns that way.
The Titans were susceptible to the deep ball last year and that carried over into Week 1.
Nick Sirianni (right) flew his team down to Nashville a day early due to the heat.Monica Herndon / Staff Photo
Here’s what our columnists are saying this week, starting with David Murphy, who ponders if “expecting a 40-spot is really too much to ask?”
David Murphy: “Every week, Nick Sirianni reminds us that winning is hard in the National Football League. Every victory is like a delicate child, something to nurture and cherish. … But, please, convince us. Forget all of that mumbo jumbo about a win being a win on any given Sunday. Wins are great. They’re much better when you feel good about them.” Read more.
Mike Sielski: “You ask why Landon Dickerson played against the Commanders, why in doing so he basically dared coach Nick Sirianni to make the difficult decision to bench him, why he was willing to damage the cohesion and performance of the Eagles’ offensive line, and the question answers itself. Next man up is a convenient cliche. Too many people forget or don’t give a damn about its corollary: First man, out. Sometimes for good.” Read more.
Murphy: “Two plays from Sunday illustrate the blurry line between results and reality. Both involve Makai Lemon, the rookie wide receiver who is currently threatening the integrity of the space-time continuum with a career average of minus-1.7 yards per reception on three catches.” Read more.
What the Titans are saying
Titans defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons had social media buzzing after his comments about Jalen Hurts.Stew Milne
Titans star defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons certainly provided some bulletin board material earlier in the week when he said the Titans “just need to make Jalen Hurts be a QB.”
Perhaps he didn’t mean it as a slight, but the reaction to Simmons’ comments took it as one.
Eagles left tackle and captain Jordan Mailata, though, didn’t take the bait.
“I don’t see them,” Mailata said when asked about Simmons’ comments. “I don’t pay attention to that stuff. That’s clickbait stuff. That’s what you guys get paid for, you guys that promote that stuff.
“He can say it. You guys don’t need to say it to me. That’s all I know. I don’t listen to that stuff. I only care about everybody in this locker room. This locker room is the only thing I give a damn about. I don’t care what you guys say about this locker room, and I don’t care what any other locker room says about this locker room.”
Titans offensive coordinator Brian Daboll on playing the Eagles: “Coach Sirianni is an excellent head coach. 42-4 when he wins the turnover ratio, which is a pretty impressive stat. So that’s going to be paramount. Coach Fangio has done this for about 40 years in the NFL, plus whatever he did in college. Tremendous scheme, very sound. … And then, you add the players, a collection of players that Howie [Roseman] assembles each and every year. It’s a tough challenge.”
“I cannot remember a team that looked less functional on offense in Week 1 than the Titans in Sunday’s loss to the Jets. I went back and looked at the past few seasons of Week 1 travesties — Russell Wilson’s Giants had six points in 2025; Daniel Jones’ Giants had six points in 2024; Jones’ Giants also had zero points in 2023; oh my goodness, are all of these just Giants games? — and I still don’t remember seeing something I found this particularly problematic.
“The Titans looked as if they had never played together before.”
Yikes.
Jason Kelce on Dallas Goedert: “This offense I think will fit [Goedert] pretty well,” Kelce said. “All this misdirection and stuff, they scheme things up, and it stresses those linebackers.”
Thanks for reading. The weekly Eagles newsletter will arrive in your inbox on Sunday next week, a day ahead of the team’s Monday Night Football game in Chicago.
The Eagles hit the road for the first time this season to take on the Tennessee Titans, a team they haven’t played since the 2022 season, on Sunday (1 p.m., Fox).
The Eagles began their season with a 24-22 victory against the Commanders, while the Titans enter Sunday’s game looking to bounce back after a 23-10 loss to the New York Jets in their season opener.
Starting left guard Landon Dickerson was placed on injured reserve after aggravating a knee injury vs. Washington. The Eagles will have a new starter on the offensive line against the Titans defense.
The Eagles defense generated 47.4% pressure on Washington, according to Bleeding Green Nation, which should be difficult for Cam Ward and his offense to handle.
So what are the experts thinking about the Birds’ first road game? Let’s take a look at who the local and national media are picking.
Inquirer predictions
The Inquirer beat reporters believe there is nothing to worry about for the Eagles against the Titans.
Novozinsky says even a flawed Eagles team should be able to get it done. Here’s more from Novozinsky:
“The Titans are likely the worst team the Eagles are going to face this year. The Jets — the Jets — limited them to 10 points and just 195 total yards. Titans quarterback Cam Ward had a QBR of 34.4 in the game, which was the seventh-worst in football.
Tennessee has a tough defensive front, led by Jeffery Simmons — who took a shot at Jalen Hurts on Wednesday — which could cause some problems for the inexperienced interior, but that’s really the only thing Nick Sirianni should worry about in this one.”
Olivia Reiner noted that the Eagles still have room to improve offensively, but she’s still predicting a 31-17 Birds win. More of her thoughts:
“The run game left something to be desired, especially when it came to getting the outside zone game going. With Dickerson on injured reserve, can the blocking unit bounce back in Week 2?
“There should be opportunities for the Eagles to run the ball. Last week, the Jets rushed for 152 yards and two touchdowns on 39 carries. Breece Hall eclipsed 100 rushing yards. He forced a missed tackle on 36.4% of his runs against the Titans, which was his highest rate in a game since Week 7 of last season (45.5% against the Panthers), per Next Gen Stats.
Can Saquon Barkley have the same effect? If so, the Eagles could go 2-0 to start the season.”
National media predictions
The national media unanimously favored the Eagles heading into Sunday’s road trip:
NFL.com: All five NFL.com editors selected the Eagles. Jeremy Bergman says “no quarterbacks have been better on the road in September than Hurts and Patrick Mahomes (.800 on their careers)” and “the worst offense in the league” against Vic Fangio’s defense will be a hard test for the Titans.
ESPN.com: ESPN experts also unanimously are backing the Birds.
The Athletic: Vic Tafur, NFL reporter for The Athletic, predicts the Eagles will pull off a win against the Titans, as the team has won a league-best 70% traveling under Nick Sirianni.
CBS Sports: The seven-person panel at CBS all picked the Eagles to start the season 2-0.
USA Today: In their first road trip of the season, USA Today analysts believe the better team will be the Birds.
Sports Illustrated: All eight analysts at Sports Illustrated picked the Eagles.
Bleacher Report: Another clean sweep for the Eagles. Analyst Gary Davenport said “to be fair, while the Eagles won in Week 1, they didn’t look especially good doing it — on either side of the ball. But while Philly was grinding out a win, the Titans were getting dusted. At home. By the New York Jets. Saquon goes nuts. Cam Ward flees for his life for four quarters. Fly Eagles Fly and whatnot.”
Pro Football Talk: Mike Florio picked the Eagles for this weekend’s matchup. “The Eagles may not be as good as they’ve been. The Titans seem to be as bad as they’ve been, possibly worse,” he said.
Sporting News: Bill Bender chose the Birds to win by 17.
Local media predictions
Philly Voice: Staff writers at Philly Voice are backing the Eagles.
Bleeding Green Nation: The entire Bleeding Green Nation writers group is picking the Eagles.
Delaware Online: Eagles beat writer at Delawareonline.com Martin Frank noted three things the Titans have working in their favor: the 95-degree temperatures expected in Nashville, the Eagles being 0-3 at Nissan Stadium, and Landon Dickerson’s injury. “None of that is enough to beat the Eagles,” he said. “But it might not be a pretty Eagles’ win, either.”
The Tennessean: Even the Titans hometown paper is going with the Eagles. Tennessee Titans reporter Nick Suss said the Titans’ defensive unit is better than what it showed against the Jets, but the Eagles won’t have to work too hard to win.
The Pro Football Hall of Fame announced Thursday that it had revamped its selection process, cutting the number of voters to 28 from 50. The decision inspired some disappointment among those selectors who were told their services were no longer required and among those football followers who pay close attention to such things. Mostly, though, it should have reaffirmed that, when it comes to picking who gets to be immortal and who doesn’t, those of us who cover major sports for a living should do our best to stay out of the way.
Every columnist has at least one hobbyhorse, a burr that’s always under their saddle, a thorn that’s always stuck in their side. I have three: the overuse of cliches, irony, and Hall of Fame selection processes. The Hockey Hall of Fame has an 18-member committee that, at the moment, includes a couple of longtime writers. The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame keeps its process and the identities of its selectors a secret, which presents its own set of questions and issues.
But the National Baseball Hall of Fame and the Pro Football Hall of Fame rely primarily on writers and reporters, many if not most of whom are still actively covering those sports day to day, to select inductees, with football’s hall taking the additional step of having those media members actually lobby on behalf of particular candidates.
Like I said, I’ve touched on this topic often enough over the years that I’m not going to repeat each of my arguments and objections here. It’s enough to say that, as my colleague David Murphy has also noted, the major problem with having writers as Hall of Fame voters is that they end up having to cover a story that they themselves have created.
They were part of the cause, for instance, for the outrage that ensued last year when Bill Belichick wasn’t inducted in his first year on the ballot, and they are the reason for the annual debates about which alleged PED users should or should not be feted and celebrated at Cooperstown in late July. Those media members who don’t vote are still free to weigh in on the wisdom (or lack thereof) of the choices, but they can do it knowing — and allowing readers and news consumers to know — that they’re not stacking the deck in favor of their preferred candidate or outcome.
I have, of course, plenty of friends and colleagues who do and did take part in these traditions, among them former Daily News and Inquirer writer Paul Domowitch, who was a conscientious Canton voter for 24 years, and Ray Didinger, whom I consider a mentor and who wrote a famous play based around his (eventually successful) attempts to have Tommy McDonald inducted.
I don’t begrudge them or anyone else. I just disagree. The line between covering and/or commenting on the process and involving oneself in it is one I don’t feel comfortable crossing. The standard argument from the voters, generally speaking, is, It’s an honor, and if we don’t do it, who will? To which the correct response is, I don’t care. I just know it’s not my job.
Aaron Nola has a 2.10 ERA in 60 innings over his last 10 starts.Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer
Quick hitters
Aaron Nola’s last 10 starts might just constitute the greatest and most surprising career comeback since Brendan Fraser won an Academy Award for The Whale. …
Only someone as aggressively insincere as James Franklin could take the simple act of saying hello and turn it into another example of his own obnoxious self-importance. …
Matvei Michkov said that he is 29 pounds lighter than he was at the start of last year’s training camp. Good on him for getting in better shape and losing a Denver Barkey’s worth of weight. …
A couple of literary recommendations: You should read Pat Croce’s new book, Enjoy Your Self Now!, if you want to find a deeper sense of personal peace and satisfaction. You should read The Playbook: The Hidden Forces Shaping Winners and Losers in the Modern NFL, by Wall Street Journal editors Joshua Robinson and Jonathan Clegg, if you want a better understanding of how and why certain teams and executives within the league — the Eagles and Howie Roseman, in particular — are thriving. …
Telltale game for the Eagles on Sunday. If they can’t beat the Titans — a franchise whose high-water mark was getting name-dropped by Tom Hanks and Helen Hunt in Cast Away a quarter-century ago — it’s definitely time to worry.
The Eagles travel to face the Tennessee Titans at 1 p.m. Sunday at Nissan Stadium. Here’s what you need to know about the matchup:
When the Eagles have the ball: All eyes will be on Titans defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons when he lines up over whoever is charged with replacing the injured Landon Dickerson at left guard. All indications point to Drew Kendall being the guy, despite the Eagles’ attempt at subterfuge at open practice portions (see: having Fred Johnson take individual offensive line repetitions at the position). Kendall assuaged some of the interior O-line concerns heading into training camp, but facing Simmons in his first career start will be a challenge. The All-Pro lines up at multiple spots inside, but it’s likely Titans coach Robert Saleh will concentrate his efforts vs. Kendall.
All eyes will be on Drew Kendall (66) Sunday … wherever he lines up. Jose F. Moreno / Staff Photographer
The Eagles will likely counter by sliding protection to the left, but that will place additional pressure on right guard Tyler Steen. Simmons’ counterpart John Franklin-Myers can be a handful at times. Saleh and defensive coordinator Gus Bradley, upon their arrival, altered the defensive front from a 3-4 to a 4-3 “under” base. That led to the departure of run-stuffing nose tackle T’Vondre Sweat, now with the New York Jets. It’s early, but the Titans allowed 152 rushing yards and two touchdowns to the Jets in the opener, although Tennessee allowed only two total rushing yards over expected. It wasn’t as bad a performance as the numbers suggest.
Nevertheless, the Eagles should have the opportunity to get the ground game going. Saquon Barkley’s 42-yard bolt vs. the Commanders did a lot of heavy lifting in the run game. He was hit at or behind the line of scrimmage on 7 of 15 carries with 78 of his 82 rushing yards coming after contact. Washington was aggressive and blitzed safeties off the edges, but Sean Mannion’s blocking scheme needs to come up with better answers vs. pressure, especially if he wants to establish outside zone runs. Kendall, who’s more athletic than Dickerson, could allow Mannion to lean more into wide-zone blocking concepts and counter runs.
Aside from Simmons, the Titans aren’t especially imposing up front. Defensive end Jermaine Johnson was acquired in the offseason and he’s a good fit for wide sets. But he’s three years removed from the only season in which he truly delivered on being a first-round draft pick. Tennessee didn’t record a sack in the opener, but did generate pressure a third of the time. The Titans also allowed the Jets only two trips inside the red zone. Saleh doesn’t yet have the players he needs in the secondary to effectively employ the Pete Carroll-type base Cover-3 zone. The coverages looked uncomplicated in Week 1, and yet, there were multiple busted assignments.
Jeffery Simmons (98) is a handful but the Titans’ defense is otherwise nondescript. David Richard
Mannion’s offense produced explosive plays in the opener. But it was terrible on first and 10 and averaged just 0.9 yards. The Eagles had four three-and-outs on 11 possessions and managed just 10 first downs. It was only a one-game sample, but the scheme was fairly static with little misdirection. Jalen Hurts, surprisingly, threw off play-action only twice. Some of that had to do with getting “behind schedule,” as Mannion noted. But there were still carryover issues from last season’s underwhelming offense — bleeding too much of the play clock down being one. Hurts bailed the offense out with his legs and deep-ball accuracy, but the scheme has to give him more time in the pocket. The Titans should be just what the doctor prescribed.
When the Titans have the ball: Cam Ward appears to have carried over some of his rookie-season struggles as a passer. He holds the ball too long and doesn’t take advantage of opportunities to escape pressure. New offensive coordinator Brian Daboll took the Titans job after he interviewed with the Eagles, so maybe he saw something in Ward to develop. But the early signs weren’t promising. Vic Fangio and his defense should be able to get to a hesitant quarterback behind a suspect O-line. Tackles Dan Moore and JC Latham allowed a combined 16 sacks last season and a combined four pressures against the Jets. Center Austin Schlottmann and right guard Fernando Carmona, a fifth-round rookie, could also be exploited.
The Eagles’ pass rush was solid, if not spectacular, last week. They played some containment against the elusive Jayden Daniels, but given the opportunity to pin their ears back with the lead late in the game, they struggled to get home. Edge Jonathan Greenard is out for a second straight week as he recovers from a pectoral injury. Jalyx Hunt and Nolan Smith Jr. were solid on the edge, but they’ll need to start finishing soon. Jalen Carter started strong, but finished meekly. He played 94% of the snaps and might have been gassed, but it was revealed during practice this week that he has a wrist injury. It looks like he’s going to wear a soft cast, which could affect him.
Jalen Carter (right) looked gassed down the stretch against Washington and could be playing with a soft cast this Sunday. David Maialetti / Staff Photographer
The Titans hardly ran the ball in Week 1. Tony Pollard, who is a capable running back, had just seven carries. But he averaged five yards on some nicely designed runs. You have to think Daboll will emphasize the ground game more to offset the load on Ward. The Eagles will make it tough, as defensive tackle Jordan Davis and Co. often do, but I could see Daboll attacking the outside and trying to make the Eagles’ edge defenders tackle in space. Still, when you have Zack Baun and Jihaad Campbell capable of reaching sideline to sideline, I don’t think Fangio is going to have to devote more bodies in the box.
The Eagles are a little banged up in the secondary. Cooper DeJean has abdomen and calf injuries, while safety Andrew Mukuba tweaked his knee in practice. DeJean had one of his worst games last week. Was it just a blip or has the move to safety in base personnel affected his play in the slot? He’ll mostly see receiver Wan’Dale Robinson, but Calvin Ridley will also line up inside. No. 1 draft pick Carnell Tate has immense talent, but outside corners Quinyon Mitchell and Riq Woolen should keep him in check with Ward at the controls. Fangio doesn’t like to blitz more than necessary, but simulated pressures could work well against the Titans. Ward will take sacks, but he avoids turnovers. He’s tossed only eight interceptions in 18 games.
Extra point: A lot would have to go wrong for the Eagles to lose. The Titans just don’t match up well on paper. Maybe there’s a special teams flaw the Titans can expose. Kicker Joey Slye has the knuckleball kickoff in his arsenal. Tank Bigsby lost one of the kick returner jobs last season when he struggled to handle the Rams’ unpredictable kicks. He’s back at the position alongside Will Shipley. Could the Titans target him?
This is the second of the Titans’ two season-opening games at home. They’re used to the climate, of course, but having one game in immense heat under their belts could give them a slight edge. The Eagles traveled to Tennessee a day early to get acclimated. They did the same a year ago in Tampa and beat the Buccaneers. I don’t think it will matter much, but it can’t hurt. The Eagles have lost in each of their three previous trips to Nashville. The names Kenny Britt and Corey Graham probably conjure up bad memories for fans. But it’s likely to take more than just one notable performance for the Eagles to exit the Music City without a victory.
Last week, the Eagles kicked off the 2026 season with a 24-22 victory over the Washington Commanders. Now, they will face the Tennessee Titans in Nashville for the first time since 2018. The Titans, who haven’t had a winning season since 2021, lost, 23-10, to the New York Jets in Week 1.
The Eagles are favored to win on Sunday (1 p.m., Fox29), with many predicting a Birds blowout. Here’s what the Titans are saying about their chances:
‘Make Jalen Hurts be a QB’
The biggest headline-grabbing quote of the week goes to Titans defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons.
“We just need to make Jalen Hurts be a QB,” Simmons said Wednesday. “Stop his runs, make sure Hurts doesn’t get out of the pocket and make plays.”
For Hurts, the criticism is nothing new. Coming off a 2025 season that ended with coordinator Kevin Patullo fired, Hurts’ play was scrutinized by fans and the media alike.
However, all three of Hurts’ touchdown passes against the Commanders came from the pocket.
“We’re going to keep that in-house in terms of what our plan is for this week, just for competitive reasons,” offensive coordinator Sean Mannion said Tuesday regarding whether center Cam Jurgens could move to left guard.
Titans defensive coordinator Gus Bradley is concerned with Hurts’ ability to extend plays with his legs. His solution? Shut down his wide receivers.
“With any quarterback that can use his legs to extend the play, you got to be ready to plaster [his receivers],” Bradley said. “That’s been a big emphasis.”
With eyes on newly minted No. 1 wide receiver DeVonta Smith and 2026 first-round pick Makai Lemon, the story at wideout in Week 1 was former Packer Dontayvion Wicks, who came down with a 64-yard reception in the first quarter to set up the Eagles’ first score. Then, he hauled in a 9-yard touchdown pass to put the Eagles up, 14-3, in the second quarter. Wicks trailed just Smith, who finished with three receptions for 53 yards, in offensive snaps.
Lemon is looking to break out against the Titans’ man coverage. The rookie was involved early in new offensive coordinator Sean Mannion’s game plan, but he finished with three catches for minus-5 yards.
Bradley also had praise for Eagles running back Saquon Barkley.
“Where [Barkley is] really good is if he has an opportunity,” Bradley said. “I mean, he will run through darkness. That’s probably a good way to describe it. He will run through darkness, and if he can hit it with a full head of steam, he is extremely difficult. Somehow, we’ve got to do a good job setting the edges, check his feet a little bit like with most good backs, right? You don’t want to hit him full speed. He’s so dynamic, he can take one to the house at any time.”
With the Eagles offensive line struggling, Barkley consistently was bottled up against the Commanders. His 83 yards on 15 carries look a lot worse if you consider that 42 of those yards came on a single rush in the second quarter. Barkley will look to have a more consistent game against a Titans defense that was gashed by Jets running back Breece Hall in Week 1. Hall finished with 102 yards and a touchdown on 22 carries.
Titans second-year starting quarterback Cam Ward described the Eagles defense as “standout.”
“I think their back end is very good,” Ward said. “Their rush, they get a lot of praise, which they deserve. I think it’s going to be a great challenge for the guys up front, for myself, and in the protection game and the run game. Make sure we’re in the right look. I think it’s going to be a fun atmosphere, too.”
Ward struggled against the Jets in Week 1 and completed just 19 of his 32 passes for 140 yards and a touchdown. Ward was under pressure on 41% of his snaps, according to Next Gen Stats. On those possessions, he completed just 3 of 10 attempts for 17 yards. Just as New York did, expect Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio to dial up the blitz against the 2025 first overall pick.
Like his quarterback, Titans offensive coordinator Brian Daboll also showed the Eagles respect during his press availability. Daboll, who was head coach of the Giants from 2022 to 2025, finished 2-7 against the Eagles during his tenure there.
“Coach [Nick] Sirianni is an excellent head coach,” Daboll said. “42-4 when he wins the turnover ratio, which is a pretty impressive stat. So that’s going to be paramount. Coach Fangio has done this for about 40 years in the NFL, plus whatever he did in college. Tremendous scheme, very sound. … And then you add the players, a collection of players that Howie [Roseman] assembles each and every year. It’s a tough challenge.”
The Eagles have ruled out Jonathan Greenard (pectoral) for a second straight week ahead of Sunday’s game against the Tennessee Titans.
Safety Andrew Mukuba (knee) is listed as questionable to play. Both players were limited participants in Friday’s practice. Everyone else on the Eagles active roster is available to play in Week 2.
Greenard, the 29-year-old edge rusher, was sidelined throughout the offseason program (in team drills) and training camp (in its entirety). During the spring, he was recovering from shoulder surgery, which he underwent earlier this year while he was a member of the Minnesota Vikings.
Shortly before training camp, he strained his pectoral muscle while lifting, which prevented him from practicing all summer. Greenard has returned to practice since the regular season began, but he has been listed as a limited participant for each session.
On Thursday, Greenard, who hasn’t played in a game since December, acknowledged the difficulty of sitting out from game action.
“I was just mad at, obviously, the timing of the injury,” Greenard said. “But at the end of the day, everything happens for a reason, so all I can control is moving forward and my next step forward. And I feel like they’ve done a great job here with the rehab process. I’m feeling better. I’m getting more and more confident in it, and just only going to stack days to where I can eventually get out there.”
Safety Andrew Mukuba showed up on the Eagles injury report Thursday with a knee injury.David Maialetti / Staff Photographer
Mukuba, a second-round pick out of Texas in 2025, popped up on the injury report Thursday, when he was missing from practice. He passed through the Eagles locker room afterward with a sleeve on his left leg.
Last year, Mukuba fractured his fibula in his right leg in Week 12 against the Dallas Cowboys, ending his rookie year. He played 100% of the snaps in his return to game action in Week 1 against the Washington Commanders.
If Mukuba isn’t healthy enough to play on Sunday, or if he’s on a snap count, Michael Carter II could take his place. Carter, 27, competed with Marcus Epps for the starting safety job next to Mukuba during training camp.
Carter wears a variety of hats as a backup in the Eagles secondary. He is the sixth defensive back in the dime package, plus he’s capable of playing safety and nickel cornerback. He has taken the vast majority of snaps in his NFL career (particularly in his 3½ years with the New York Jets) at nickel cornerback.
Still, Carter said in an interview with The Inquirer on Wednesday that he has felt “comfortable” in his cross-training at safety. He took four snaps at safety in Week 1 against the Commanders.
“I feel pretty good, and I feel like the preseason was good, training camp, and just getting so many reps at the position, at safety,” Carter said. “And then playing in the games, I felt like helped me out a lot, because I was able to get the feel of it, game pace, game speed, and everything like that. So Sunday wasn’t my first time going out there and playing safety live. And so I felt like that was really helpful and beneficial for them to throw me out there and make sure I got those reps, live action.”
Additionally, defensive tackle Jalen Carter (wrist) was a limited participant in Friday’s practice, but did not have a game status on the final injury report, indicating that he is available to play.
Defensive back Cooper DeJean (calf/abdomen) was a full participant in Friday’s practice. He did not participate on Wednesday and was limited on Thursday.
The Eagles had two additions to Friday’s injury report — wide receivers Hollywood Brown (hamstring) and Elijah Moore (neck). Both players are available to play against the Titans.
Titans star defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons made headlines this week when he seemed to take a shot at Jalen Hurts.
Asked a question about the Eagles quarterback Wednesday, Simmons said, via ESPN: “We just need to make Jalen Hurts be a QB. Stop his runs, make sure Hurts doesn’t get out of the pocket and make plays.”
This quote seemed like textbook bulletin board material, a motivator ahead of the Eagles’ Week 2 matchup with Tennessee on Sunday. But when left tackle Jordan Mailata was asked about it, he downplayed its impact.
“I don’t pay attention to that stuff. That’s clickbait stuff,” said Mailata. “That’s what you guys get paid for. … I only care about everyone in this locker room. This locker room is all I give a damn about. I don’t care what you guys say about this locker room, I don’t care what any other locker room says about this locker room. This is my focus.”
Cam Ward has yet to live up to his promise as a No. 1 pick but has the Eagles’ respect, per Nolan Smith Jr. George Walker IV
Edge rusher Nolan Smith Jr. took it one step further. Smith was asked about Titans quarterback Cam Ward, who had a QBR of 34.4 in Tennessee’s Week 1 loss, which was the seventh worst in the league. Smith took the opportunity to praise the former No. 1 pick.
“Man, I ain’t gonna do what [Simmons] did,” Smith said with a smirk. “Man, they’re a good team. Any team in the NFL, they get paid just like we get paid and they go out there and put their best foot forward. And Cam Ward is a great quarterback. The media may portray this and that, but he’s a really good quarterback.”
Simmons’ analysis came days after a solid Week 1 showing from Hurts. The seventh-year QB was one of only three quarterbacks to toss three-plus touchdowns with zero interceptions. He finished with 203 yards on 14-of-25 passing, along with 46 rushing yards on seven carries.
How, in Smith’s opinion, did Simmons’ comments ring throughout the locker room?
“Man, everybody got phones,” Smith said. “Everybody’s got social media, you know? I just tell people, they’re an NFL team, too. They get paid just like we get paid and they go out there and try to put their best foot forward. I’m not a big ‘tearing people down’ type of person, man. Just because you never know what somebody is going through personally in life off this field.”
