NASHVILLE – The Titans face the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday at Nissan Stadium.
Here’s a look at six things to watch in the contest:
Cam’s Response
The season-opening loss was by no means all on Cam Ward. Anyone who watched that game saw the Titans had far more issues than just at quarterback. Ward, however, needs to perform far better this Sunday than he did against the Jets, because he missed some throws and at times looked flustered in the pocket. With experience, Ward has done a better job of taking care of the football – he’s thrown 153 passes without an interception dating back to last season, the fifth-longest streak in the NFL. Ward has thrown 11 touchdowns vs 1 interception since Week 11 of 2025. But the Titans – and the team’s fans – want to see Ward make more plays, and for him to look more comfortable on Sundays. He’ll get a chance to redeem himself on Sunday, but he’s going to need some help against an Eagles defense which has allowed just 4.9 yards per play since 2025 (6th in the NFL).
Protect The QB
Ward was pressured on 21 of his 32 pass attempts on Sunday, on some plays right out of the gate. Since the start of the 2025 season, Ward has been sacked 58 times, which is the most in the NFL. So yes, the Titans need to be better around him. If the passing game is going to have more success, Ward is going to need more time to operate. Eagles outside linebacker Jalyx Hunt led the team with seven quarterback pressures in the team’s Week 1 win over the Commanders, and Philadelphia’s 25.9 QB pressure percentage was 4th best in the NFL on opening weekend (even though the Eagles had just one sack). A Titans offensive line that is a work in progress needs to be better up front to give Ward, and the offense a chance.
Run The Ball
Another way to help Ward is by running the ball with more success, and this is definitely one of the keys to Sunday’s game. The Titans ran the football just 14 times in the opener, and four of those were on runs by Ward. Running back Tony Pollard had just 35 rushing yards in Week 1, when he also forced just one missed tackle. But again, he had just seven opportunities, and this is something that has to change. Running back Tyjae Spears wasn’t much of a factor in Week 1 either, as the team eventually abandoned the run because of a growing deficit. The Eagles allowed 132.0 rushing yards in Week 1.
Be Disruptive On Defense
The Eagles present challenges, with a versatile quarterback in Jalen Hurts, and a dangerous back in Saquon Barkley. The Titans need to do a better job of generating pressure (only nine pressures in Week 1, 3rd fewest in NFL), and the team also needs to tackle better. Titans linebacker Anthony Hill Jr. was a tackling machine in the opener – his 16 stops were the most by any player in his NFL debut in the last 30 years. But other standouts were hard to spot against the Jets. The Eagles didn’t exactly light it up in Week 1 against the Commanders – they had just 10 first downs, and five three-and-outs. But Hurts made plays in the pass game, and he scrambled for first downs, which frustrates defenses. The Titans need to be disciplined, and a lot better.
Special Teams Needs To Help
It was an uneven performance all around for the Titans in Week 1, even here. The Titans are better than what they showed as a team in the opener, and certainly better than what they showed on special teams, when not a lot went right. Kicker Joey Slye has made 14 straight field goals at home dating back to last season, which is tied for the fourth longest active streak in the NFL. He’s just two away from matching the third-longest streak by a Titan in the last 45 years (Ryan Succop, Al Del Greco). Returner Chimere Dike will look to make plays, while punter Tommy Townsend aims to have a better performance himself the second time out.
The Importance Of Week 2
It’s too early to panic about the 2026 Titans, even if this team already has given fans plenty of reasons to be concerned. The Titans started 0-2 in 2024 and 2025, and they want to avoid doing it again. A look at history reveals the importance of winning in Week 2. Since 1990, teams that started 1-1 made the playoffs 41.6% of the time, won the division 23.9% of the time, and won the Super Bowl 2.3% of the time. The stats don’t look so great for teams starting 0-2 – those teams made the playoffs just 12.8% of the time, won the division 7.0% of the time and won the Super Bowl just 1.0% of the time. A nugget: The Titans have won three straight home games against the Eagles, despite trailing by at least seven points in the fourth quarter in each game. The Eagles, by the way, are seven-point favorites over the Titans.
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