NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Tennessee coach Robert Saleh warned watching tape of the Titans' latest loss would make them feel sick.
There was plenty of that Monday.
“There’s things that we could have done better as play callers to put us in better situations,” Saleh said. “There’s things that we could’ve done from a player’s standpoint to execute and these are games that we’re going to learn to win."
The result is a third consecutive 0-2 start to a season
for the Titans.
Making this hurt worse is the Titans took a 20-17 lead with 1:56 left. They wound up losing 24-20 to Philadelphia with issues on both offense and defense. The Titans had first-and-goal at the Eagles 9 that turned into a 33-yard field goal by Joey Slye after a sack and two conservative run plays that netted 4 yards.
Asked about the play-calling in that sequence, Saleh called it a “toss-up.”
“At the end of the day, we came away with points,” Saleh said. “We got to win the football game on defense.”
That didn't happen.
The defense allowed the Eagles to convert 61.1% (11 of 18) of their third downs, including two big third downs on the game-winning drive. That left the Titans very frustrated.
“We just need to find a way to get off the field and win,” Titans safety Amani Hooker said.
The Titans focused this offseason on giving All-Pro tackle Jeffery Simmons help for the line to anchor the aggressive, quarterback-chasing defense Saleh wants.
They showed signs of what they can do against Philadelphia.
Simmons had one of three sacks and three quarterback hits a week after the Titans managed just one quarterback hit in losing to the New York Jets. Simmons also had the pressure that forced the second of Jalen Hurts' interceptions. The Titans finished with eight tackles for loss.
“It just came down to two-minute execution, and we didn’t execute good enough when the game really mattered,” Simmons said.
The offense. The Titans finished with 291 yards and had more yards rushing (122) than the Eagles (89), averaging 4.2 yards per attempt. They managed only two drives of at 10 plays and got points out of each of those.
The 10-play drive after Marcus Harris' interception bogged down after getting to the Eagles 9 on a run by Tyjae Spears. Ward was sacked, then two runs left the Titans settling for the field goal. A touchdown would have left the Eagles needing a touchdown to try and force overtime.
WR Elic Ayomanor. The fourth-round pick in 2025 had the Titans' two longest plays on catches of 41 and 28 yards. His 41-yarder came in the fourth quarter where the Titans took a 20-17 lead, and Ayomanor hurtled a defender for a few extra yards.
Ayomanor finished with a team-high 69 yards receiving catching two of the three passes Ward threw to him.
WR Calvin Ridley. The veteran wide receiver finished with his first two catches of the season for 35 yards. He also was flagged for unnecessary roughness after the Titans reached midfield, and they punted three plays later.
CB Cor'Dale Flott was inactive for the Eagles' game after Saleh said he was dealing with some tightness in a quadriceps muscle that the coach didn't think would sideline the starter. Flott should practice Wednesday.
Rookie RG Fernando Carmona Jr. was getting a shoulder checked, and Saleh didn't have an update Monday.
2-17 — The Titans' home record since the start of the 2024 season. It's why fans wearing the visitors' gear dominate the seats at Nissan Stadium. Running back Tony Pollard called that unfortunate.
“That’s on us,” Pollard said. “We got to give our fans something to cheer for. We got to make plays. We got to win games. That’s when they’ll start and when we’ll get our fan base back up to be where we should.”
Winning the first game this season doesn't get easier with three of the next four on the road. The Titans visit the New York Giants and then Baltimore. They host Houston, then hit the road again to Indianapolis.
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