The Eagles are 2-0. Nobody said they had to make it look easy.
They beat the Tennessee Titans 24-20 Sunday at Nissan Stadium despite two turnovers, an injured Dallas Goedert and Saquon Barkley, a reshuffled offensive line and a defense that still hasn’t forced a turnover this season.
Five things we learned:
1. Hurts can lead a 2-minute comeback
For all of Jalen Hurts’ accomplishments, leading a fourth-quarter comeback drive with under 2 minutes left hasn’t been a signature of his. But he did it in Nashville
Hurts threw two interceptions. The first was a bad decision in the end zone that Amani Hooker returned 92 yards. The second came with the score tied in the fourth quarter.
Then he got the ball back with 1:56 left, no timeouts and the Eagles trailing, 20-17.
He went 6 for 8 for 61 yards on a nine-play, 65-yard drive, finishing it with a 3-yard touchdown pass to Darius Cooper with nine seconds remaining.
Hurts finished 26 of 37 for 264 yards and two touchdowns. It was hardly spotless, but it was clutch.
2. DeVonta Smith is ready to carry the passing game
Not that it was really in doubt. But Smith was the Eagles’ best offensive player Sunday.
He caught 10 passes for 117 yards and a touchdown, then did his finest work when everybody in the building knew where Hurts wanted to go.
Smith caught four passes for 38 yards on the final drive. His 19-yard grab in traffic put the ball at the Tennessee 3 and set up Cooper’s winning touchdown.
The Eagles needed a No. 1 receiver. He looked like one.
Defensive tackle Jalen Carter (98) of the Philadelphia Eagles reacts after a play against the Tennessee Titans during the fourth quarter Sunday, Sept. 20, 2026, in Nashville, Tenn. (Johnnie Izquierdo/Getty Images)
3. Life without Barkley and Goedert isn’t much fun
Barkley suffered a stinger on the Eagles’ first offensive snap. He eventually returned, but the offense never established much on the ground.
Philadelphia finished with 89 rushing yards on 32 attempts — 2.8 yards per carry. Tank Bigsby led the running backs with 33 yards on 13 carries and scored a 2-yard touchdown.
Barkley had four carries for nine yards.
But the Eagles also lost tight end Dallas Goedert in the first half with an apparent knee injury, and he didn’t return. Until last year, one of the knocks on Goedert has been durability. Rookie tight end Eli Stowers is on injured reserve.
4. The O-line experiment bears watching
With Landon Dickerson on injured reserve, the Eagles didn’t simply plug Drew Kendall into left guard.
They moved Cam Jurgens from center to left guard and started Kendall at center. That meant changing two positions to replace one player. And they didn’t give either guy much help.
The results were mixed. The Eagles averaged 2.8 yards per rush, and Tennessee star Jeffery Simmons caused problems inside. Maybe the arrangement improves with practice. Maybe the Eagles eventually decide simpler is better.
5. Defense needs to start taking the ball away
Two games. Zero takeaways.
The Eagles held Tennessee to 291 yards and 20 points, and Nolan Smith and Jalen Carter each recorded a sack. But the Titans ran for 122 yards and somehow converted a third-and-22 with a 27-yard run during their late go-ahead drive.
Cam Ward completed only 13 passes, but he also ran for two touchdowns and never turned over the ball.
The defense has been good enough to help the Eagles reach 2-0 against winless opponents, but it has to improve going forward.
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Follow Christiaan DeFranco on X and Threads at @the_defranc.