The Titans are headed into Week 2 with the NFL world already leaning hard the other way.
After getting embarrassed by the Jets in Week 1, Tennessee now has to deal with the defending NFC East champions, the Eagles, at Nissan Stadium on Sunday. And if the expert picks are any indication, the Titans are not getting much respect heading into this one.
The projections are lopsided. Pamela Maldonado has Philadelphia winning 34-10.
Eric Moody went with 31-16. Seth Walder picked the Eagles 34-13.
Beyond those score predictions, every other expert listed sided with Philadelphia as well.
Pete Prisco. Jared Dubin.
Ryan Wilson. John Breech.
Dave Richard. Jamey Eisenberg.
Jarrett Bell. Nick Brinkerhoff.
Chris Bumbaca. Nate Davis.
Adam Kaufman. Mike Middlehurst-Schwartz.
Jeremy Bergman. Brooke Cersosimo.
Gennaro Filice. Bobby Kownack.
Dan Parr. All of them picked the Eagles.
Bergman summed up the matchup this way: "Fangio's Eagles have held Titans OC Brian Daboll's offenses to a combined 70 points, with a 34-point Giants outburst last year the lone exception to the DC's dominance in the battle. Wan'Dale Robinson and a mobile quarterback (Jaxson Dart) played key roles in flipping that token tie toward Daboll.
Will Ward and Co. deliver a similar result? The odds are not in favor of Nash Vegas."
That kind of clean sweep says plenty about how Tennessee looked in its opener. The offense had trouble moving the ball, and the defense never really compensated for it. Saleh’s group has spent the week trying to clean up a long list of mistakes, but the pressure is squarely on them now.
Still, the door isn’t completely shut. The Eagles have areas Tennessee can try to attack, particularly at receiver, and Philadelphia is also dealing with the loss of guard Landon Dickerson. If the Titans’ defense can stand up to the Eagles’ physical style and Daboll’s offense can string together some sustained drives, there’s at least a route to an upset.
For now, though, the expectation is clear: Tennessee enters Sunday as the underdog. The chance is there to shock one of the NFC’s top contenders and change the tone of the season fast, but almost nobody outside the Titans’ locker room seems to believe it will happen.
In Other News...
Titans Have An Offensive Problem Cam Ward Cant Keep Hiding
The Titans offense has spent too much of the past 18 games fighting the same problems in plain view, and the screen game has become one of the easiest to spot. What was supposed to be a simple way to help Cam Ward settle in has instead turned into another source of frustration, with the operation around those plays not matching the kind of rhythm Tennessee needs to get moving.
Brian Daboll now has to decide whether those calls are worth keeping in the playbook at all, or whether the Titans are better off leaning on other ways to simplify the offense and create cleaner answers for Ward. Tom Bradys recent comments about the early weeks under a new coordinator only sharpen the point here: this is the stage where good offenses start trimming the fat, and Tennessee still has to figure out which part of its passing game is helping and which part is just getting in the way. [Read more 🡒]
Cedric Gray Could Change Everything For A Titans Defense Under Pressure
Cedric Gray was back on the practice field Wednesday and Thursday, a strong sign the Titans linebacker is on track to clear concussion protocol and return for Week 2 against the Eagles. His availability matters more than it might in a typical early-season game, because Tennessee already got a preview of how thin the margin can be when a key linebacker is missing and the defense is forced to lean harder on the next man up.
Anthony Hill handled a bigger role in Grays absence against the Jets, but the Titans still have to prove that performance can translate against a far more demanding opponent. Grays return would give Tennessee a steadier look in the middle and another piece to help a defense that is already under pressure to hold up as the schedule gets tougher. [Read more 🡒]
Titans Make An Early Defensive Change Robert Saleh Couldn't Delay
After a rough opener, the Titans are making an early adjustment on defense, turning to rookie linebacker Anthony Hill Jr. as the starter at MIKE for Week 2 against the Eagles. Hills debut was hard to ignore: he piled up tackles at a pace that stood out league-wide and earned the highest PFF grade among rookies last week, giving Tennessee a fresh option in the middle of the defense at a time when the unit is still searching for answers.
Robert Saleh confirmed the move while the staff continues to sort through what it has in veterans Cedric Gray and Cody Barton. The timing says plenty about where the Titans are right now, trying to stabilize the front seven quickly after Week 1 and leaning into the player who made the strongest first impression, even if the larger linebacker picture is still unsettled. [Read more 🡒]