Jalen Hurts won again. The Eagles should have smoked the lowly Tennessee Titans on Sunday, but they did not. What they did do, however, was win, 24-20 at Nissan Stadium, in Nashville, Tennessee—thanks again to Hurts’ will power.
He completed 26 of 37 for 264 yards passing, including two touchdowns, and two interceptions. When pressed, when he had to be the game-changing player some in the past may have questioned, Hurts did what it seems he always tends to do, go into “Jordan mode” and carry the Eagles
with a three-yard touchdown to Darius Cooper with nine seconds to play.
Hurts completed six of eight on the game-winning drive for 61 yards, including converting a pair of third-and-six plays.
What added to Hurts’ accomplishments is that he did it with very little help—again, despite some stumbles of his own, despite missing both Saquon Barkley for much of the first half and tight end Dallas Goedert for the much of the game,
on-field turf temperatures that reached 157 degrees by the third quarter and behind a revamped offensive line, which continues to stir more questions than answers heading into Week 3 of the NFL season.
Hurts finally solved Titans’ head coach Robert Saleh, though the Eagles’ offensive line struggled mightily against Titans’ game-wrecking defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons. It was the first time the Eagles won in Nashville since the Titans moved from Houston in 1997. Hurts also beat a Saleh-led defense for the first time after previously going 0-2 (when Saleh was head coach of the Jets and in last year’s Wild Card playoff loss to San Francisco).
There was a lot of good, some bad and some cringing ugly in the Eagles’ 24-20 win over the Tennessee Titans.
The Good
Jalen Hurts continuing to do the “Jalen Hurts thing,” carrying the Eagles to victory. He threw down the middle again, this time to some mixed results, but what matters to Hurts—the only thing that matters to Hurts—is that the Eagles won and he willed it. He completed 26 of 37 for 264 yards passing, including two touchdowns, and two interceptions. He scrambled to make plays. He was not dragged down by the two mistakes he made. He idolizes Michael Jordan and it’s what Hurts is turning into—the football Jordan, grabbing the game by the scruff of the neck and putting it on him to win. He says he does not listen or pay attention to the “outside noise.” He does. He likes it. He embraces doubt. He would rather hear the negative and flush out the positive, because it pushes him to play like he is right now. Right now, fresh into a new season, there may not be a better clutch performer currently in the NFL than Hurts.
The game-winning drive. The Eagles went 65 yards on 9 plays with no timeouts and endured a ton of pressure. Hurts converted two third downs. He did it with poise and the underlying feeling he would win the game. The 19-yard Smith completion between two defenders was the play of the game,
DeVonta Smith proving he is a No. 1 receiver. He led the Eagles with 10 catches for 117 yards and a touchdown. He continues to come through each time the Eagles need a big play. On the game-winning drive, Hurts went to Smith four times for 38 yards, including probably the play of the game when he hit Smith for a 19-yard reception on a third-and-six play with 20 seconds left at the Titans’ three. Hurts hit Darius Cooper—while looking for Smith—the next play for the game-winning touchdown.
Darius Cooper catching the first touchdown of his career—and making it memorable. Cooper caught two passes on three targets for 26 yards, the most important the game-winning three-yard TD catch with 9 seconds to play. His first catch, down the middle of the field for 23 yards, came on a first-and-17 with less than eight minutes to play.
Jake Elliott showing he still has it, nailing what turned out to be a big field goal when he booted a 58-yarder in the third quarter for a 17-10 Eagles’ lead.
Third-down efficiency. The Eagles converted 11 of 18 third downs, including 6 of 9 in the first half.
Tank Bigsby stepping in for the injured Barkley for 33 yards on 13 carries, including a second-quarter touchdown.
Dontayvion Wicks continues to be impressive. He caught a 27-yard pass on a third-and-12 down the middle of the field on the Eagles’ first drive. By halftime, he had four catches for 56 yards, and had a huge 20-yard reception on a third-and-six on the game-winning drive. He finished with five catches for five receptions on six targets for 74 yards.
Britain Covey’s 24-yard punt return to begin the Eagles’ first possession.
Edge rusher Jalyx Hunt starting the game with a two-yard loss by taking down Tony Pollard on the Titans’ first play of the game at the Tennessee 29. Hunt finished the game with five tackles—all solo, that included three pressures in the first half.
Linebacker Jihaad Campbell showing what kind of impact player the Eagles envisioned. The second-year pro made a team-high 10 tackles, six solo, andseemed to be playing with a chip on his shoulders from the major gaffe he made in the season opener against Washington, when he completely losing Antonio Williams for a 33-yard reception on a third-and-14 at the Eagles’ 47 with 12:12 left to play. It led to a Washington touchdown with 9:59 to play.
Nolan Smith and Jalen Carter each registering a sack. Carter’s sack could have come at a better time, with 2:32 to play, rushing through the middle and taking down Cam Ward for a 9-yard loss at the Eagles’ 18.
Safety Andrew Mukuba making six tackles and improving. He came up to stop Pollard on a second-and-goal at the Eagles’ two before Cam Ward tied the score 17-17 with 57 seconds left in the third quarter.
The Bad
Left guard Cam Jurgens flagged for holding for the third time in two weeks, this time on a second-and-nine at the Titans’ 12. Fortunately, Hurts hit Smith for a 22-yard touchdown on the next play.
The Eagles third quarter offense. For thesecond-straight week, it was deplorable.The Eagles went three-and-out on two of the three drives for a total of five yards of offense and one first down. What was really embarrassing was the last three-and-out, which lasted 50 seconds. The Eagles punted the ball back to Tennessee with 7 seconds left in the third, after the Titans had scored with 57 seconds left in the quarter. In the season opener against Washington, at least they managed 59 yards of offense and one first down. They went three-and-out on their first three drives, and could not do anything until Smith’s 31-yard tip-toe reception down the sideline with two minutes left in the quarter.
The Ugly
Hurts second interception by cornerback Marcus Harris underthrowing an open Smith down the sideline with 6 minutes to play. Quite honestly, it seemed the Eagles were ripe for an upset. It was Harris’ first career interception. Simmons forced the throw, beating Jurgens thoroughly and getting up in Hurts’ face. He hit Hurts early and caused the underthrow.
The Eagles certainly looked finished when Hunt lost outside contain, Moro Ojomo got thrown down, three plays after making a tackle for loss, and safety Marcius Epps took a bad angle as Tyjae Spears went down the left sideline for a 27-yard run—on a third-and-22 play. Plays like that happen all of the time in Pee Wee football.
Hurts tossing the first of his two interceptions on a third-and-goal at the Titans’ eight on the Eagles’ opening drive. The interception by safety Amani Hookerwas returned 92 yards to the Eagles’ 10, before rookie first-round draft pick Makai Lemon caught up to him. It led to the Titans’ first touchdown. Hooker jumped the route seeing the ball was going to Smith.
Hunt, Zack Baun, and Nolan Smith all missing Ward on the Titans’ third-and-goal with 5:01 left in the first quarter. Ward reached the one and slammed into the end zone the next play for a 7-0 Titans’ lead, when he should have been sacked at the 10 on the previous play.
Center Drew Kendall getting beat badly by Simmons on the Eagles’ opening drive that forced Hurts to throw the ball away on second-and-goal play. It was a text book swim move and Kendall had no idea how to handle it, or Simmons.
The Eagles’ offensive line just did not look right again. Jurgens and Kendall may have nightmares of Simmons for weeks. The pair could not do anything with him. They could not stop him, push him aside, or even stand in front of him for a second to slow him down. Simmons moved them like he was pushing paper across a desk. Hurts was forced to scramble, and sacked three time for minus-12 yards, once by Simmons. He forced to scramble and sacked three times for minus-21 yards in the second opener against Washington. In the Eagles’ first two games, Hurts has been sacked six times for minus-33 yards. If it was not for his scrambling ability, it would be much worse. And it may be moving in that direction, risking Hurts to injury behind a porous offensive line. If that that were to happen, kiss the 2026 season goodbye.
