The Nittany Lions came out of the Beaver Stadium gates firing on Saturday and beat Buffalo, 55-13, behind the best performance from Penn State’s running backs this season and another 100-yard performance from sophomore wide receiver Koby Howard.
Penn State (3-0) forced the Bulls (1-2) to fumble four times and recovered two, while it has yet to commit a turnover this season.
“[We’re] not where we need to be, but I think a team that has certainly grown in different entities each week and is still a team that, in my opinion, has got so much ability and growth to go,” Penn State coach Matt Campbell said. “We grew in some areas that were really critical focal points. This is college football, and I think our ability to grow from Week 3 to Week 4 will be really important.”
Run game gets going
Offensive coordinator Taylor Mouser expressed his frustration with the run game this week, calling out “mediocrity” and taking the blame for the running backs’ struggles through three weeks.
Mouser surely was much happier with Saturday’s performance. Penn State had 304 rushing yards, led by redshirt sophomore Quinton Martin Jr., who had 100 yards on 10 carries.
Martin, who didn’t record a snap against Temple last week, recorded the Nittany Lions’ longest rush of the year with a 61-yard run on just his second carry of the day at the end of the first quarter.
“It was great to see Quinton really had a great moment,” Campbell said. “I think if you ask Q, Q would tell you [he had] maybe one of his best weeks of practice.”
Junior James Peoples and senior Carson Hansen scored their first touchdowns of the year on 16- and 12-yard rushes, respectively, and Peoples added a second TD in the third quarter. Both averaged 7.4 yards per carry.
Hansen again was the announced starting running back, but the carries were split as evenly as could be before Penn State began playing its backups. By the end, Peoples had eight carries (58 yards) and Hansen had five (37 yards) to Martin’s 10.
Redshirt junior Cam Wallace got in on the fun as well with a 59-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter.
“All four guys really did some great things with the ball in their hands at some critical moments,” Campbell said. “So I think that part I thought there was growth, but I also thought there was growth because there was some really good blocking on the perimeter.”
While the run game shined, the production from the passing game matched it. Quarterback Rocco Becht finished 11 for 19 for 212 yards and two touchdowns. Howard had three catches for 115 yards and a touchdown.
Campbell said Tuesday that his team was “getting healthier,” but it was without two of its most valuable offensive starters for most of the win over Buffalo.
Center Brock Riker left the game in the first quarter and didn’t return. He was seen shaking an ankle out on the sideline.
“We really didn’t know exactly where we would be with Brock going into the game,” Campbell said. “We wanted to at least put him out there. It still didn’t feel like he was at 100%. That just didn’t feel like it was the right situation to leave him in the game.”
Redshirt freshman Vaea Ikakoula filled in for Riker the rest of the game. Ikakoula transferred from Iowa State this offseason, where he played in four games (two starts) last year.
Ikakoula had some slip-ups while filling in, including missing a rusher on a third-and-15 that forced Becht to throw the ball away late in the first half.
Tight end Andrew Rappleyea appeared to hurt a shoulder midgame. The redshirt junior went to the locker room and returned in street clothes.
Rappleyea had three catches for 24 yards and a touchdown before he left. Campbell said Rappleyea could have returned to the game, and the staff held him out as a precaution.
Up next
Penn State opens Big Ten play next Saturday at home against Wisconsin (5 p.m., Peacock). The two last faced in 2024 at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison, Wis., where the Nittany Lions won, 28-13.
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.
NEW YORK — Zack Wheeler threw “about three strikes in the bullpen,” by his best recollection. But that wasn’t why he slowed his walk across the outfield before a May 12 start in Boston.
“Man,” he exhaled to catcher/confidant J.T. Realmuto, “this is cool.”
Wheeler doesn’t usually do sentimental. Not publicly, at least. He’s 36, with gray wisps in his beard befitting a father of four small children. He’s still the Phillies’ ace, too, and baseball’s highest-paid pitcher (non-Shohei Ohtani division) at $42 million per year.
Wheeler would rather not waste time, then, on things that don’t matter or aren’t within his control. No-nonsense to his core (save for the occasional cameo on his wife’s TikToks), you have a better chance of getting the password to his email than getting him to go deep on overcoming venous thoracic outlet syndrome, the scary-sounding, career-threatening condition that befell him 13 months ago.
So, why the pause for reflection four months ago on the grass in Fenway Park? It sure seemed like a break from his typical tunnel vision to appreciate something that was nearly taken away.
“Part of that’s me probably winding down my career,” Wheeler said the other day after running sprints in the outfield here. “I’ve only got one more year on this contract. I don’t know if I’m going to play after that. But just going into those stadiums that maybe I won’t go back to — Anaheim, Detroit, Boston — we’re not going to play those teams there next year. So, kind of just soaking that in and enjoying it a little bit more this year than most years.”
Phillies ace Zack Wheeler has one season left on a three-year, $126 million contract.Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer
Wait, let’s pause. When Wheeler signed an extension in March 2024, he initially wanted only a two-year deal. The Phillies talked him into three, for a total of $126 million. And at a news conference in Clearwater, Fla., he hinted it might be his last contract.
“I don’t want to play until I’m ‘old, old,’” he said then.
OK, sure. But did anyone really believe him? Wheeler was at the peak of his powers, healthier and better in the first half of his 30s with the Phillies than in his late 20s with the Mets. Besides, 40 is the new 30 in pro sports.
And here’s Wheeler now, pitching as well as ever — 2.99 ERA and 177 strikeouts in 150⅓ innings — even after a procedure last Sept. 23 in which surgeons removed his top rib to relieve a compressed vein.
Surely, he won’t walk away after only one more season. Will he?
“Honestly, I mean, it’s just still up in the air,” Wheeler said. “I think a lot of things have to kind of play out for me just to be able to see.”
Presumably, that includes the outcome of another Red October.
The Phillies are closing in on a fifth consecutive playoff appearance, and their chances of making a deep run hinge on the starters, notably Wheeler, Cristopher Sánchez, and Jesús Luzardo, if he’s able to overcome an inflamed left shoulder. Aaron Nola, Wheeler’s close friend and longtime running mate atop the rotation, can help, too, if he continues his second-half revival.
But there’s also baseball’s looming labor fight over a salary cap. With the collective bargaining agreement set to expire Dec. 1, the owners almost certainly will lock out the players.
What if an agreement isn’t reached in time for a 162-game season in 2027? How would that affect Wheeler’s plans?
“I don’t know,” he said, smiling. “I think it’s just going to be [a decision] at that point in time, whether it’s this or that, honestly.”
Fair enough. Say this, though: A year ago, even some Phillies officials wondered if Wheeler’s retirement, whenever it happens, might not be entirely on his own terms. Wheeler insists he never had a doubt.
Zack Wheeler (right) and Aaron Nola have been mainstays in the Phillies’ starting rotation since 2020.David Maialetti / Staff Photographer
‘To be expected’
As Wheeler comes up on one year since his surgery, it was fitting that he pitched this week in Washington, where his injury odyssey began.
Wheeler allowed two runs in five innings on Aug. 15, 2025, in Nationals Park and felt fine after coming out of the game. But when he developed a bubble in his armpit that looked like a lymph node, head athletic trainer Paul Buchheit recommended that they get it checked by the Nationals’ team physicians.
It turned out to be a blood clot.
Wheeler returned to Philadelphia for a venogram, a test to detect blood flow. The conclusion: The clot was caused by a vein that got compressed between the rib cage and collarbone.
One month after the clot was removed, Wheeler had a second procedure to relieve the vein. Then came the hard part: weeks of physical therapy and rehab, including a strict diet, not easy for an unabashed fast-food and junk-food lover.
It took time for Wheeler to put back the weight. He left spring training at about 195 pounds, roughly 10 pounds less than normal.
And yet, after all that, Wheeler shut out the Nationals on four hits in seven innings Wednesday night in Washington. Among 52 pitchers with a minimum of 150 innings entering the weekend, Wheeler was 14th in ERA and tied for 10th in walks/hits per inning (1.06).
“He’s made it look very easy,” pitching coach Caleb Cotham said of Wheeler’s comeback. “And it’s not.”
If someone had told Wheeler, as he left the hospital last September, that he’d be pitching at this level a year later, what would he have said?
“To be expected,” Wheeler said. “When you have surgery, or anything along those lines, you just have to stay positive and keep a strong mindset, you know? You believe that you’re going to come back and be the same guy, if not better, because you’ve had more time to strengthen and fine-tune everything.
Zack Wheeler says he “expected” to be pitching this well a year after surgery.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
“For me, it was just, come back, hit the ground running, and just be the same guy as I was, if not better.”
It did take time for Wheeler to regain the pre-surgery zip on his fastball. Even now, it isn’t completely back. He averaged 96.5 mph in July 2025, according to Statcast; he’s averaging 95.5 mph so far this month.
But Wheeler leans on his secondary pitches more now. His splitter, in particular, is “as good as it’s ever been,” Cotham said. Wheeler has thrown it 15.7% of the time, according to Statcast, and held opponents to a .182 average and .303 slugging.
If anything, Wheeler said the most unexpected part of the season was the depth of a six-start struggle after the All-Star break in which he posted an 8.51 ERA, bottoming out with an eight-run, five-walk, four-homer dud in Seattle on Aug. 24.
The root of the problem was a glitch in his mechanics. Wheeler dropped his glove, causing him to over-rotate and follow through too far to the third-base side. He fixed the issue and has allowed three runs in his last 26 innings.
“I feel like, since I’ve been [with the Phillies], I haven’t had more than two, maybe three starts in a row where it’s kind of gone bad,” Wheeler said. “I think I probably thought I was going to get out of it a little quicker than I did. And I didn’t. So, maybe I should have checked in a little bit earlier.”
It probably cost him a chance for his elusive Cy Young Award, although Brewers sensation Jacob Misiorowski probably wrapped that up months ago. But there’s little doubt Wheeler will be the Comeback Player of the Year.
Zack Wheeler and J.T. Realmuto have played together with the Phillies since 2020.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
‘This is where you want to be’
Eleven days after the removal of his rib, Wheeler was introduced with his teammates before Game 1 of the divisional round against the Dodgers.
It was a helpless feeling.
“Yeah, it was tough,” he said. “Maybe if it was like June or May, I would have been like, ‘All right.’ But being that close to the finish line and the playoffs where, that’s your goal every year is to make the playoffs and see what happens. It was tough.
“But what are you going to do? I’m that type of person where, stuff’s going to happen in your life. Everyday stuff, normal person stuff, baseball-wise stuff, and sometimes you just can’t help. Injuries happen. Car wrecks happen. Stuff happens in life. You just have to learn how to deal with it and figure stuff out.”
It helped that Wheeler overcame injuries early in his career.
Drafted in the first round (sixth overall) by the Giants in 2009, traded to the Mets in a one-for-one deal for Carlos Beltrán, and hailed as a top prospect, he missed 2½ seasons after Tommy John elbow surgery and multiple setbacks during the recovery.
By comparison, coming back from thoracic outlet syndrome was straightforward.
“That was my first injury where I was missing time at any level, even high school, so I was honestly just nervous that I wouldn’t get back,” Wheeler said. “I was unsure, just hoping for the best. But this far into my career, at the level that I’ve been pitching at, I expect to be there and want to be there.”
A year later, it’s like Wheeler was never gone.
“This time of the season, it’s cool, it’s special,” Wheeler said. “This is where you want to be, and these games really, really matter. It’s fun competing in these types of games, these atmospheres, and getting that close to the finish line. You’ve got to really bear down, and I think everybody knows that.”
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.
NEW YORK — José Urquidy lost one job Tuesday, found another Thursday, and barely sat down in the Phillies’ bullpen here Friday night when he was told to warm up.
Because with eight games left in the season, 11 days before the start of the wild-card miniseries, they are down one ace starter (Jesús Luzardo) and one setup reliever (Jonathan Bowlan). A pitching staff that was never deep in the first place is leaking oil.
And even though Urquidy introduced himself with 4⅔ scoreless innings, the Phillies lost, 6-3, to the Mets on three first-inning runs against opener Tim Mayza and Juan Soto’s three-run homer in the sixth against embattled Orion Kerkering.
“Just a rough last couple of months,” Kerkering said, and he might have been understating the depths of an 8.84 ERA since July 22, including runs in seven of his last eight appearances. “I think tonight was a lot better executing besides one pitch to Soto. But it’s just the turnaround, hopefully here soon.”
Soon, or never.
Zoom out, and the Phillies stayed tied for the top National League wild card because the Cubs blew a one-run lead in Cincinnati. But the Padres forced a three-way tie with a win at home over the Marlins.
How’s that for putting the “wild” in wild-card race?
Phillies interim manager Don Mattingly, second from left, pulls pitcher Tim Mayza, left, out of the game during the first inning.Seth Wenig
It wouldn’t be quite as wild as Urquidy’s week. He got designated for assignment by the White Sox and was back in Chicago with his family when his agent called Thursday with an offer from the Phillies.
But there was one catch: Urquidy won’t be eligible for the postseason, assuming the Phillies get in, because he wasn’t in the organization on Sept. 1.
“I threw a little bit, and they told me to plan to come here [Friday] and throw,” said Urquidy, a 31-year-old righty who faced the Phillies in the 2022 World Series. “They asked me if I was ready for the day, and I said yes and everything was good.”
Wait, he threw Thursday? With whom?
“I found an academy in Chicago,” Urquidy said. “The academy was behind the airport, and I threw there. I was watching the time to see when my flight. It was a very crazy afternoon, actually.”
The only thing crazier would’ve been if Urquidy started the game. Instead, the Phillies went with Mayza, who delivered three scoreless innings last Saturday night in Atlanta after Luzardo was scratched with an inflamed left shoulder.
This time, Mayza faced five batters and got one out.
Soto and Bo Bichette put up back-to-back 10-pitch at-bats against Mayza before Carson Benge smashed an RBI single. And by the time Urquidy could get ready, the bases were loaded with one out.
Nice to meet you, too.
A.J. Ewing greeted Urquidy with a two-run single. But Urquidy set down 10 of the next 11 batters, and the Phillies chipped away at a 3-0 deficit against lefty Zac Thornton.
“José was really good today,” Mattingly said. “It was fun to watch, actually. It just seemed calm all day and no real panic in any situation. Yeah, it was fun to watch.”
The Mets’ Juan Soto celebrates his three-run home run in the sixth inning.Seth Wenig
Mattingly could choose to start Urquidy next Thursday when Luzardo’s turn in the rotation comes up again.
By then, the Phillies hope to have secured a wild card.
Unless the bullpen keeps melting down. It would help, of course, if the Phillies scored more than three runs, which has happened twice in the last eight games. But Mattingly is also running out of relievers that he can trust, especially with Bowlan sidelined now by a strained right groin.
Kerkering was making his first appearance in six days because of a case of turf toe. He gave up a leadoff infield single and a one-out single before hanging a sweeper to Soto with two outs.
Three Septembers ago, Kerkering made a meteoric rise to the majors because of his sweeper. It will always be his best pitch, but even he wonders if he has become too predictable.
“It’s maybe a factor of guys sitting on it more,” he said, noting that he throws his sweeper nearly 50% of the time. “It’s just been my bread and butter. I think most guys, if they shouldn’t know, they probably already know that’s my pitch now. I’m just trying to figure out how to attack guys a little bit better and go from there.”
Whatever the case, the Phillies need Kerkering to figure it out. Because Mattingly has little choice other than to keep using him.
“The one thing I can’t do is look backwards, right? And he can’t either,” Mattingly said. “And obviously, with Bow going down, we’re going to need good innings out of Kerky.
“Anybody that gives up runs, when things aren’t going good, your confidence is not sky high like when you’re getting all your outs and everything’s going smoothly. But we’ve got to get past that at this point.”
After all, there are only so many hired guns available.
NEW YORK — The message landed on Andrew Painter’s phone before the Phillies landed at LaGuardia Airport.
When are you pitching?
Christian Scott had to know. More importantly, a few former coaches from Calvary Christian Academy in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., needed to book plane tickets. Because if the Phillies’ starting rotation stayed in order — not a guarantee after Jesús Luzardo went on the injured list — Painter would face the Mets’ Scott, his former high school teammate, here on Saturday.
“They were all pretty eager to figure out what was going on,” Painter said Friday. “I didn’t know if I was going to be throwing [Friday] or [Saturday]. So everyone was just kind of waiting for that answer.
“It worked out.”
So former Calvary Christian coach Alan Kunkel was en route to New York — “Can’t wait!” he said Friday in a text message — along with then-pitching coach Alex Norris.
Painter and Scott were teammates in 2018, when the former was a freshman and the latter a senior. Not surprisingly, Calvary Christian was a powerhouse, winning the Class 4A state championship in 2016 with Scott and in 2018 with Scott and Painter.
Phillies pitcher Andrew Painter had a roadmap of sorts in the form of Christian Scott, who he’ll face on Saturday.Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer
Kunkel remembered Scott as “very emotional at times” on the mound; Painter was more laid-back. If there was a question about Painter in high school, Kunkel said some scouts wondered if he was competitive enough.
“They were both equally competitive; they just did it different ways,” Kunkel said earlier this year. “I really think that if clubs thought [Painter] was as competitive as he really is, he’d have been the first or second [overall] pick of the draft. Because, man, he wanted the ball when it mattered.”
If anything, Painter said Scott’s path through amateur baseball almost served as a road map.
Scott, 27, pitched for Florida before the Mets drafted him in the fifth round in 2021. Painter, 23, verbally committed to Florida, too, but changed course after getting drafted in the first round in 2021 and signing with the Phillies for $3.9 million.
“We worked out together as well, outside of school,” said Painter, who drove with Scott twice a week to the Cressey Sports Performance training facility in South Florida. “Just kind of being able to lean on him for some of that stuff when I was just getting into it and kind of being able to take a little bit of his work ethic and kind of just pay attention to that stuff.”
They’ve shared other experiences. Painter missed the 2023 and 2024 seasons after tearing an elbow ligament and having Tommy John surgery; Scott didn’t pitch in the majors last season while recovering from the same procedure.
Painter made his major league debut this season. And after posting a 7.06 ERA and getting sent back to the minors in June, he returned a month later and has a 3.58 ERA in his last nine starts.
Scott debuted for the Mets in May 2024 and had a 4.56 ERA in nine starts. He has a 3.76 mark through 22 starts this season.
“It’s really awesome,” Painter said. “It’s not something you really think about when you’re in high school. … It’s a big day. It’s special. I can only imagine from [their coaches’] point of view how much they’re looking forward to it.”
