By MIKE ROBERTS
For the third straight year and the fourth time in five years, the Tennessee Titans are off to an 0-2 start.
On Sunday afternoon, the Tennessee Titans lost their Week 2 home game to the Philadelphia Eagles, 24-20. Before then, the Eagles had never beaten the Titans in Nashville since the franchise moved there from Houston, losing the previous three matchups.
Philly was heavily favored, but the Titans managed to hang with one of the best clubs in the NFL and actually play some competitive football.
Here are a few takeaways from Sunday’s loss and a look toward next week’s game.
What Happened Against the Eagles
It was a heartbreaking loss for the Titans, who owned a 20-17 lead late in the fourth quarter before Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts came up with a touchdown pass with just nine seconds on the clock.
Tennessee‘s secondary continued to struggle, allowing Hurts to pass for 264 yards and two touchdowns. The Titans’ run defense looked better than it did in Week 1, though, giving up 89 rushing yards, which is good compared to the 152 rushing yards the New York Jets had the previous week. Titans rookie linebacker Anthony Hill Jr. (26 total tackles, 2 passes defended), who had 16 tackles in Week 1, had another nice outing with 10 tackles against Philadelphia.
Unfortunately, Tennessee’s starting quarterback Cam Ward struggled once again. While he did have two rushing scores, he threw for a modest 183 yards, completing 13 of 20 throws without a touchdown. Ward has 323 passing yards and one TD through the air through two games.
Conditions were brutal, with heat in the 90s at kickoff, a triple-digit heat index, and temperatures on the playing surface reaching more than 150 degrees. Players for both teams reported their cleats melted during the game.
What’s Next?
In Week 3, the Titans will play their first road game of the season as they travel to the Big Apple to face the New York Giants this coming Sunday.
The Giants were far from an elite team in 2025, finishing last in the NFC East with a 4-13 record. But under new coach John Harbaugh, this might prove to be a much better season for the “Big Blue.”
New York, which lost 28-6 to the Rams on Monday Night Football, looked very impressive in Week 1, defeating the Dallas Cowboys 28-20 in the Sunday primetime game. The Giants also lost QB Jaxson Dart during their first offensive drive on Monday night, with what’s believed to be a sprained MCL. Dart’s absence is a big blow, as he was excellent against Dallas, completing 23 out of 29 passes for 230 yards and three touchdowns while also rushing for 54 yards.
The Giants ran for 165 yards against the Cowboys, but only had 52 yards on the ground against the Rams. They were also much worse on third downs. After posting an 81.8% third-down conversion rate and a flawless 100% red zone efficiency in Week 1, Harbaugh’s squad was 3-for-14 on third downs and 0-for-2 in the red zone on Monday night.
Prediction
Monday night’s game changed everything for the Titans. In addition to Matthew Stafford carving up the Giants ‘D’ for 327 yards and four scores, the Giants had several injuries not counting Dart. WR Malik Nabers suffered an apparent shoulder injury, returned, but only made one catch the rest of the way. Other injuries included EDGE Brian Burns (ankle) and OT Andrew Thomas (groin).
Look for Tennessee to go into New York and get their first victory of the year. Dart’s absence dramatically increases the Titans’ chance to win.