The Tennessee Titans (0-1) will attempt to bounce back on Sunday when the Philadelphia Eagles come to Nashville for Week 2 of the 2026 season.
The Titans laid an egg in the season opener against the New York Jets and completely fell flat, extending their opening-day winless streak to six seasons. Tennessee was completely outplayed in all three phases of the game and will now look to regroup before facing the 1-0 Eagles, who handled the Washington Commanders in the season opener.
This will not be easy, and the Titans enter the week as heavy underdogs. But to take a step forward, they need rapid growth from quarterback Cam Ward and the entire defense, which struggled to stop Geno Smith and the Jets offense.
Here are the top five storylines in the Titans-Eagles
Week 2 matchup.
Can Cam Ward show growth?
The Titans’ offense struggled against the Jets, and Cam Ward had a rough first outing in the 2026 season. Head coach Robert Saleh continues to preach patience with the young signal caller and has tried to come to his defense, but that is getting harder with each poor outing.
In his career, Ward is 3-15 as a starter, and in a small sample size in 2026, he has done little to improve on his dead-last QBR rating from 2025. After one game, he is 26th in QBR. He was dead last in PFF passing grade in 2025, 107 of 108 in the 2026 preseason, and is now 26th after Week 1.
The Titans are banking on Ward to lead them out of the AFC South basement, and so far, it has been rough. Ward played safe against the Jets, and at times looked uncomfortable. This week, it won’t be any easier, but he must start making strides.
On a positive note, Ward does compare well to some top-tier quarterbacks at this stage of his career.
📊 Since everyone wants to pile on @Cameron7Ward right now, I decided to actually look at the numbers.
— Chris D. Jackson (@ChrisDJackson) September 16, 2026
I compared Cam’s first 18 NFL starts to Josh Allen, Sam Darnold, Trevor Lawrence and Bryce Young.
And I added one more name Titans fans know pretty well: Steve McNair.
And… pic.twitter.com/enA092knnb
Will Anthony Hill Jr. continue to start once Cedric Gray returns?
Hill made his NFL debut against the Jets and may have outplayed early expectations. He not only led the Titans in tackles (16), but also played well in pass defense and nearly forced a game-changing fumble, which was ruled an incomplete pass.
Hill made the start in place of Gray, but has clearly outperformed the other starter, Cody Barton, throughout the preseason and in game one. Hill is clearly more athletic, and he proved to be a viable starter, and that athleticism can be an asset against the high-powered Eagles rushing attack led by Jalen Hurts and Saquon Barkley.
Can the Titans make Jalen Hurts play quarterback?
The Eagles love to run the football with both Hurts and Barkley, and the Tennessee defense must do whatever it can to take Hurts out of that equation. From the sound of it, they are well aware of this if you listen to Jeffery Simmons.
#Titans Jeffery Simmons on Jalen Hurts: 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.
— TURRON DAVENPORT (@TDavenport_NFL) September 16, 2026
"We just need to make Jalen Hurts be a quarterback. Stop his runs, make sure he doesn't get out of the pocket and make plays."
Tennessee struggled to stop the run on early downs against the Jets and will have to find a way to limit Philadelphia’s production. Gray's return will help, but the defensive line will have to do its part and play better than it did on Sunday.
Can Titans take advantage of a banged-up offensive line?
The Eagles will be without Pro Bowl guard Landon Dickerson, who was placed on injured reserve on Monday. This should give either Jeffery Simmons or John Franklin-Myers a winnable matchup against a backup.
Tennessee struggled to pressure Geno Smith in Week 1, and we’ve already noted the disappointing run-stopping performance. If the Titans want any chance, the interior defensive line must play at a higher level.
Will the Titans’ offensive line bounce back?
While they weren’t terrible against the Jets and they received little help from Ward, the offensive line now must face a stouter defensive front.
The Titans' offensive line played its first full game together, and there definitely were some growing pains, especially at center, where Austin Schlottmann had a rough first start in his Titans debut. With both Jackson Slater and Pat Coogan on the sidelines, you have to wonder whether Schlottmann has a long leash.
The Titans also need to add physicality and establish the running game. All offseason, there was talk of the physical edge that the unit wanted to play with, and too often, the Jets controlled the front.
This article originally appeared on Titans Wire: Tennessee Titans vs. Philadelphia Eagles: 5 storylines to watch
