The Eagles head to Nashville in Week 2 carrying the confidence of a Week 1 win and a pretty sturdy road habit under Nick Sirianni. Philadelphia has opened on the road five times in Sirianni’s tenure and won all five, a stretch that says plenty about how this team handles September even when it isn’t at peak form.
That backdrop matters because this matchup with the Titans has a few pressure points worth watching closely.
Start inside. Jeffery Simmons is the kind of defensive tackle who can change the tone of a game fast, and he’s been front and center this week after his comments on Jalen Hurts.
The numbers don’t support those remarks, but the player himself is still the problem. Simmons is a First Team All-Pro coming off 11.0 sacks last season, and even without a sack in Week 1, he still logged three pressures and a 13.0% pressure rate.
Now he gets an Eagles interior line that was solid in the opener but not untouched. Philadelphia’s interior allowed 3 pressures and 5 beats in Week 1, with a pressure rate allowed per dropback of 2.94% and a beat rate allowed of 4.81%. That challenge gets tougher with Landon Dickerson out, which means Drew Kendall or Willie Lampkin will be in the mix, with Kendall looking likeliest to start.
That’s not the only spot on offense worth watching. The Eagles also have to sort out what they want from Lemon after a rough NFL debut.
He wasn’t helped much by the way Philadelphia used him - bubble screens and throws behind the line of scrimmage produced three catches for -5 yards and a -1.7 yards per catch. There were moments when he was open downfield, but it wasn’t always clear whether he was meant to be part of the passing game or just serving as a blocker.
The usage question is the bigger one now. Lemon played more than 60% of the snaps in Week 1, while Hollywood Brown didn’t play at all.
Nick Sirianni said that Brown’s role will change, but the open question is how much of that comes at Lemon’s expense. The bigger issue: if Lemon is targeted again, does he help this offense, or does he drag it down?
On the edge, the Eagles are waiting on another health decision. Greenard is still limited in practice, and the team is expected to decide Friday whether he’ll be active.
If he suits up, the pass rush gets a meaningful lift, even if he isn’t at full strength. That matters because Nolan Smith turned in a strong Week 1, while Jalyx Hunt needs a bounce-back performance.
The reserve edge rushers didn’t offer much, and A.J. Epenesa barely saw the field.
If Greenard doesn’t go, the burden lands again on Smith and Hunt. That also sets up a favorable individual matchup for Smith, since Dan Moore allowed a beat rate of 5.1% and a pressure rate of 5.1% in Week 1.
And then there’s the biggest tactical point of all: if the Titans let Hurts stay in the pocket, they may be asking for trouble. Over the last two seasons, Hurts has thrown 34 touchdowns against just 8 interceptions from inside the pocket. Only Jared Goff, Lamar Jackson and Joe Burrow have posted a higher passer rating over that span, and Jackson is the only quarterback with a better TD/INT ratio from the pocket.
That’s the version of Hurts the Eagles want to lean on in Week 2. The numbers say he’s elite there.
In Other News...
Eagles Suddenly Face A Saquon Barkley Problem They Can't Ignore
A routine-looking exit turned into a concern for Philadelphia when Saquon Barkley left the game early with what could be a left shoulder injury, according to sports doctor Jesse Morse. Morse noted the mechanism of the injury was unclear and said Barkley might be headed for X-rays, while team doctors had not officially confirmed anything by the time the issue surfaced.
For an Eagles offense that has leaned on Barkley as a central piece, even a short-term absence would force the team to rethink its running back depth and some of its game-planning. Philadelphia has been built with Barkley in mind, so his availability is now one of the most important updates to watch heading into the next stretch of games. [Read more 🡒]
Cooper DeJeans Cowboys Connection Is Getting Awkward For Eagles Fans
Cooper DeJeans off-field life has started drawing a little more attention in Philadelphia, where every Cowboys reference tends to land with extra weight. The Eagles cornerback has been dating Abby Summers since early 2025, and the relationship has become more visible as Summers continues her role with the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders, a spotlight that only grew after she was featured in a Netflix docuseries.
Summers recently posted photos from a Cowboys cheerleading event on social media, which naturally stirred up some chatter among Eagles fans who noticed the connection. DeJean has already addressed concerns about whether the relationship could spill over into his NFL career during a podcast appearance, but the pairing remains the kind of cross-rivalry subplot that keeps getting discussed whenever the two sides of his life overlap. [Read more 🡒]
Eagles Suddenly Have A Backfield Problem Fans Didn't Expect
Saquon Barkleys afternoon against the Titans turned sideways almost immediately when he left after one carry with a stinger and his return was listed as questionable. For a team that expected Barkley to be the centerpiece of the ground game, the early exit forced a quick rethink and put the Eagles in a spot they probably did not want to face this soon.
In his absence, Philadelphia is set to lean on Kenneth Gainwell Bigsby as the primary running back, with Boston Shipley sliding into the secondary role and taking on more work as a receiver. Bigsby had only limited carries last season, but the expectation now is that he handles a much larger load, while Shipleys involvement should rise as the Eagles try to keep the offense balanced without Barkley on the field. [Read more 🡒]