DeVonta Smith was everywhere for the Eagles on Sunday, and Sean Mannion says that’s no accident.
In Philadelphia’s 24-20 win over the Titans, Jalen Hurts went to Smith 13 times, and the receiver answered with the kind of day that can carry an offense when the game tightens up. Smith finished with 10 catches for 117 yards and a 22-yard touchdown, and he kept showing up when the Eagles needed him most. On the final drive, he was targeted four times and helped set up the game-winning touchdown pass to Darius Cooper, including a 19-yard catch that put Philadelphia at the Tennessee 3-yard line with 14 seconds left.
“The ball finds guys who get open and win and do things right,” said offensive coordinator Sean Mannion on Wednesday as the Eagles (2-0) prepare to head to Chicago for a Monday night matchup with the Bears (1-1).
Smith’s work ethic has become part of the routine around the team. He’s the last receiver to go through individual drills at practice, and Mannion made it clear that the order fits the player.
“Smitty's a tremendous player. He sets a standard for our offense, for our team in terms of the way he works every day. It's not an accident.”
Smith was one catch shy of matching his career high, which came two years ago against the Steelers, and Mannion pointed to the same theme again: preparation, trust, and execution.
“Smitty's a guy who comes in here ready to work, is a total professional,” said Mannion. “He does things right every time. And so, it's no surprise that you're in a two-minute drill, the ball's gonna find you.
“He’s certainly a focal point of our offense, one of several, and some of that is intentional, and then some of it is, I think, just a byproduct of him working to get open on every snap, and Jalen has a ton of trust in him.”
The Eagles spread the ball around in the win, with one exception: Elijah Moore was inactive for a second straight game. Tay Wicks came through with five catches for 74 yards, including a series of key third- and fourth-down grabs.
Rookie Makai Lemon helped keep Philadelphia’s first touchdown drive alive with a 14-yard catch on third-and-eight. Hollywood Brown added two jet sweeps, and Cooper finished with two catches for 26 yards, capped by the 3-yard score that won it.
“Definitely a focal point for us,” said Mannion. “Some of that (13 targets) was very deliberate.
Some of it was in a two-minute where you're not necessarily thinking of it in the same way, but he's able to win. I just can't speak more highly of him in terms of the worker and the professional he is every day.”
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