The Titans walked out of Week 2 with a 24-20 loss to the Eagles, but the game still produced a clear set of standouts - both the guys who swung the action and the spots that kept dragging Tennessee down.
Tyjae Spears delivered the kind of snap that can change a game. With about three minutes left and the Titans staring at 3rd-and-22, Brian Daboll dialed up a draw that looked designed to get Joey Slye into field-goal range.
Spears blew that up by ripping off all 22 yards himself, pushing Tennessee all the way to 1st-and-goal. The Titans still settled for the kick, but it gave them a 20-17 lead.
Amani Hooker also came up huge. Philadelphia was grinding through a 15-play drive when Hooker picked off Jalen Hurts in the end zone and brought it back 92 yards, setting Tennessee up at 1st-and-goal. Cam Ward then helped finish the job, driving the offense to the goal line before the Titans punched in a touchdown on a QB sneak.
Ward earned his place among the winners for more than that. He kept Tennessee alive with timely plays, first on the QB sneak after Hooker’s interception, then again in the third quarter when he scrambled for his second rushing score after Tony Pollard was stopped twice from the goal line. When the Titans needed a response, Ward gave them one.
Marcus Harris also made a play that mattered. In a 17-17 game in the fourth quarter, with Philadelphia facing a critical 3rd-and-long, Harris intercepted Hurts on a throw intended for DeVonta Smith. Smith looked open, but Hurts was hit as he released it, and Harris made a strong over-the-shoulder grab to hand the ball back to Tennessee.
Jeffery Simmons was another bright spot, and he took advantage of the Eagles having to reshuffle the interior of their offensive line because of Landon Dickerson’s injury. Simmons was disruptive all game, showing up as both a pass rusher and a run stopper.
Not everything was so clean on the Tennessee side. The Titans’ third-down defense was a major problem, and Philadelphia kept finding answers whether the situation was 3rd-and-short, 4th-and-short, or even 3rd-and-long. The Eagles converted 12 of 19 third- and fourth-down chances, then Tennessee still couldn’t get the stop after Slye’s go-ahead field goal.
Carnell Tate also had a rough one. Ward looked his way on the Titans’ first must-have play, but Tate let a perfectly thrown slant slip through his hands, killing the drive. Later, in the third quarter, he failed to break a tackle on a blitz beater, and that possession ended with another punt.
Cornerback depth was another issue that showed up fast. Cor’Dale Flott was a surprise inactive after what had been described as a minor injury earlier in the week, and with Joshua Williams on IR, Tennessee had to lean on Micah Robinson and Erick Hallett. That group had a hard time holding up in coverage, and DeVonta Smith repeatedly hurt the Titans’ secondary on the final drive.
In Other News...
Titans Fans Are Piling On Julius Chestnut For Awful Timing
Julius Chestnut has already become a talking point for the Titans in a way no one in the building probably wanted. The running back showed up in costume for consecutive games, first as Black Panther in Week 1 and then as the Green Goblin in Week 2, and the look landed badly with a fan base already on edge about the teams early struggles.
The reaction online was quick and harsh, with some fans calling the move tone deaf and even saying Chestnut should be cut. It only added another layer to a tense start for Tennessee, especially with head coach Robert Saleh already stressing the need to move forward after the Week 1 loss and focus on the next opponent. [Read more 🡒]
Titans Stayed In It But Two First Half Problems Are Growing
At halftime in Philadelphia, the Titans were hanging around despite a first half that left plenty to clean up. Amani Hooker provided the biggest spark with a 92-yard interception return that set up Tennessees only touchdown, and Malik Ward did enough to keep the offense moving with a short, efficient passing line and a rushing score. Even so, the Eagles were still finding answers on both sides of the ball, and Tennessee had not yet found a way to consistently slow them down.
The bigger concern was the way the Titans were getting beaten at the point of attack and in coverage. Philadelphias run game kept creating problems, and the passing offense found enough space to stay ahead on the scoreboard, while Tennessees defensive line, including John Franklin-Myers, had a difficult opening half. The Titans were in striking distance at 14-10, but the issues that surfaced before the break were the kind that can pile up fast if they do not get corrected. [Read more 🡒]
Cam Ward Faces An Early Titans Test Fans Can't Ignore
The Titans are heading into Week 2 with a quick measuring-stick game on the schedule, welcoming the Philadelphia Eagles to Nissa Stadium in a matchup that already has plenty of attention around Cam Ward. Tennessee is a 7-point underdog, which says a lot about the challenge in front of a young quarterback and a team still trying to establish itself early in the season.
Titans Wire analysts have already started weighing in on how this one could unfold, offering predictions and notes on both the likely outcome and what to watch from Tennessees side. For Ward, it is the kind of early test that can sharpen expectations fast, especially against a proven opponent that will force the Titans to find out where they stand before the schedule settles in. [Read more 🡒]