Jalen Hurts throws late touchdown to Darius Cooper as Eagles edge Titans 24-20

Late touchdown seals comeback

Hurts engineered an eight-play, 62-yard drive with under two minutes remaining on Sunday to lead the Philadelphia Eagles past the Tennessee Titans 24-20 at Nissan Stadium. With Philadelphia trailing 20-17 after a Titans field goal, Hurts connected with DeVonta Smith on a 19-yard completion to reach the 3-yard line. He then found Darius Cooper for a 3-yard touchdown pass with nine seconds on the clock to secure the win. The victory gives Philadelphia a 2-0 record and marks their first win in Nashville since the franchise relocated there in 1997. Tennessee fell to 0-2 under new head coach Robert Saleh, losing its opening two contests for a third consecutive season.

Hurts responds through the air

The game unfolded under challenging circumstances for Philadelphia after Tennessee defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons publicly urged his defense before the matchup to keep Hurts in the pocket. Hurts responded by completing 26 of 37 passes for 264 yards and two touchdowns, overcoming two interceptions and three sacks by the Titans defense. He converted four third-and-seven or longer situations through the air, his second-highest single-game total in that category. DeVonta Smith led the receiving corps with 10 receptions for 117 yards, while Tank Bigsby contributed a rushing touchdown and Jake Elliott made a 58-yard field goal. Tennessee quarterback Cam Ward passed for 183 yards and scored two 1-yard rushing touchdowns, but his final attempt under heavy pressure fell incomplete as time expired.

Extreme heat strains both rosters

Conditions in Nashville tested both teams as an official heat advisory remained in effect across middle Tennessee until 7 p.m. local time. The air temperature reached 98 degrees Fahrenheit in the fourth quarter with a heat index of 106 degrees, while the on-field turf measured 157 degrees during the third quarter. The extreme surface heat forced Titans sideline personnel to spray water onto players' footwear to prevent soles from degrading. Hooker described how the conditions had previously compromised footwear during Tennessee's season opener against the New York Jets.

It was hot, it was really hot. My cleats actually had melted; the midsoles melted completely off, so I had to change cleats right before halftime.

Philadelphia had traveled to Nashville on Friday instead of Saturday to acclimate to the environment, repeating a scheduling adjustment used during an earlier trip to Tampa.

Injury concerns for Barkley and Goedert

Philadelphia had to adjust its offense early when running back Saquon Barkley left the field on the opening play after being stopped for no gain by Simmons. Barkley suffered a stinger in his left arm, went to the locker room for examination, and returned in the third quarter wearing a neck roll to finish with four carries for nine yards. Tight end Dallas Goedert exited the contest midway through the second quarter with a knee injury after being cut low while blocking at the line of scrimmage. Goedert caught one pass for four yards prior to leaving the game, leaving Philadelphia thin at the position alongside active reserves Johnny Mundt and E.J. Jenkins. The Eagles travel to play the Chicago Bears on Monday, Sept. 28, while the Titans visit the New York Giants on Sunday.