DeVonta Smith is a true No. 1 wideout
This is not exactly a revelation, but DeVonta Smith continues to make the case that he is a legitimate No. 1 wideout in this league.
Smith finished Sunday with 10 catches for 117 yards and a touchdown, but that stat line does not fully capture what makes him so great. His route running remains among the silky-smoothest in the league. But, what truly stood out against the Titans was the sheer variety of ways he is able to win. He converted a key third down on a slant, scored on a corner route, worked the sideline on a comeback, and repeatedly found space against different coverages on the Eagles’ final and game-sealing drive.
That complex route tree matters because Smith is not a receiver who needs to be schemed open. He has the body control to finish catches even when a throw takes him toward the boundary or forces him to adjust in the air. I do wish Smith would get more targets working down the middle of the field. That’s a nitpick, but I think that’s the only thing missing from his game.
Fellow receiver Dontayvion Wicks called Smith the “leader of the pack,” while Nick Sirianni said after the game that “Smitty made just phenomenal plays.” Smith himself was even more direct in saying, “It was time for me to show what I can do, that I can be that guy.”
Jalen Hurts’ costly turnovers almost downed The Birds
Jalen Hurts played a (mostly) good game Sunday, and he also very nearly cost the Eagles their win.
Hurts finished 26-of-37 for 264 yards and two touchdowns, and there were huge stretches of the game (most notably the game-winning drive) where he looked composed and in command of the offense.
The problem; his turnovers.
Philadelphia outgained Tennessee 341-291, held the ball for 36:25 compared with 23:35 for the Titans, and finished with 23 first downs to Tennessee’s 14.
But, two costly interceptions allowed the typically lowly Titans to hang around.
The Eagles moved the ball methodically down the field on the opening possession, only for Hurts to throw an interception in the end zone. Tennessee scored four plays later. As a fan, it was a backbreaking moment. All the gameday hype and energy I mentally build up throughout the week, deflated in the early moments. It was a devastating moment, but more importantly, it was a bad read and a bad throw.
The second interception came with just over six minutes left, when star DT Jeffery Simmons got pressure in Hurts’ face and the Titans picked off an errant pass.
Despite those issues, he looked electric on the final game-winning drive. He went 6-of-8 for 61 yards, and he finished the drive by finding Darius Cooper in the back of the endzone.
Hurts said after the game that the key was maintaining “great focus and poise.” Poise may be Hurts best and most intrinsic trait.
The tackling (and lack thereof) was infuriating
The most frustrating part of Sunday’s game, at least defensively, was how often the Eagles allowed basic plays to become explosive ones because the first tackle was not made.
The heart of the defense was particularly (and surprisingly) bad.
All-pro linebacker Zack Baun overran Tony Pollard on a third-and-1 that turned into a 13-yard gain. Baun also missed a tackle on a Tyjae Spears reception that became a 27-yard play, and later in the fourth quarter both Baun and safety Andrew Mukuba failed to bring down Pollard on an 18-yard run.
Then there was Marcus Epps.
Epps had an especially rough afternoon, and two plays in particular were difficult to ignore. In the fourth quarter, he had an opportunity to bring down Elic Ayomanor after a catch over the middle, but Ayomanor hurdled him and turned the play into a huge 41-yard gain.
As bad as that looked, the third-and-22 conversion was worse (and made me scream at the TV.)
The Titans faced a pivotal third-and-22 with less than three minutes remaining, which should be one of the easier situations for a defense to close out. Instead, Spears took a standard handoff, Epps took a poor angle, and what should have been a harmless run became a 27-yard gain that gave Tennessee a first down in the redzone.
I can only imagine how Vic Fangio looked in looked in that moment. But, thankfully Vic has a extra day of practice this week to clean up the horrible tackling.
The Eagles are too talented in the middle of this defense to let the Titans run all over them. I expect more from Baun. I expect more from Campbell. And, I hope the safety play gets better.
Drew Kendall gave the offensive line (and me) something to feel good about
The interior offensive line remains much maligned by fans and pundits but C/G Drew Kendall gave the Eagles at least one encouraging development.
Kendall was making just his second NFL start and was asked to play center against All-Pro Jeffery Simmons.
Was Kendall perfect? No.
Simmons beat him badly on the opening drive, and there were other moments where Tennessee’s defensive front created immediate interior pressure. But overall, I thought Kendall handled himself well.
But it wasn’t just me, expert analyst Brian Baldinger highlighted several of Kendall’s top reps.
But there were other issues on the line/ Cam Jurgens made his first career start at left guard, and the transition from center was not especially smooth. Plus, Tyler Steen had his own problems, getting beat by Titans linemen all afternoon.
That interior penetration was a major reason the Eagles struggled to establish any consistency on the ground. Philadelphia’s running backs combined for only 66 yards on 24 carries, and way too often the backs were forced to make their first move before they had even reached the line of scrimmage.
I would like to see more Tank Bigsby
Saquon Barkley’s early injury obviously changed the way Philadelphia approached the running game.
Barkley suffered a stinger on the first offensive play from scrimmage, and he returned to gameplay sparingly after halftime. He ultimately finished with just four carries for 9 yards and one reception for 11.
That gave the Eagles a longer look at Tank Bigsby and Will Shipley.
Bigsby finished with 13 carries for 33 yards and a touchdown, while Shipley added 24 yards on seven carries.
Neither stat line is particularly impressive, but the offensive line did neither player many favors.
Of the two, I thought Bigsby gave the running game more juice.
He is a much more violent runner than Shipley, and there were several carries where that physicality allowed him to squeeze out extra yardage despite penetration in the backfield. He looked as good or better than Barkley on Sunday.
NBC’s Mike Florio noted that Barkley “came back second half, didn’t do all that much.”
I want more Tank, even if Barkley is healthy.
Jake Elliott from 58 was encouraging
Jake Elliott had built a reputation as one of the most dependable kickers in franchise history, particularly in high-pressure situations, but 2025 was unquestionably a down year for him. Elliott made 20 of 27 field goals, a career-low 74.1 percent, and went just 4-of-8 from 50 yards or longer.
That made Sunday’s 58-yarder a big deal.
In the third quarter, with the Eagles trying to regain control of the game, Elliott drilled a 58-yard field goal to give The Birds a 17-10 lead.
Elliott hit it cleanly and comfortably. It looked like it would have been good from at least 63+ yards.
The conditions in Nashville were wild
I have watched (and reported on) a lot of hot-weather football, but I cannot remember seeing many games where the temperature of the playing surface itself became such a major storyline.
FOX measured the artificial turf at Nissan Stadium at 157 degrees during the game. (Another reason, I believe all NFL games should be played on real grass.)
Players were having their cleats sprayed with water on the sideline simply to cool them down.
Cam Jurgens said he went through multiple pairs of cleats because of the heat and compared halftime to having a NASCAR pit crew helping him get ready for the second half.
TNick Sirianni, who did not play a single snap, needed an IV.
“It was hot as s—,” Sirianni said afterward. “I didn’t play a snap, and I had to get an IV.”
It was certainly not the prettiest win, and there is plenty for both Fangio and the offensive staff to clean up this week.
But the Eagles are 2-0, they won a road game in ridiculously hot conditions, and they found a way to win when they had to.
The Eagles will take on the Caleb-less Bears on Monday Night Football next.
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