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09/20 17:35 CDT Jalen Hurts hits Darius Cooper for TD with 9 seconds left to
lift the Eagles past the Titans 24-20
Jalen Hurts hits Darius Cooper for TD with 9 seconds left to lift the Eagles
past the Titans 24-20
By TERESA M. WALKER
AP Pro Football Writer
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) --- Philadelphia coach Nick Sirianni had only one thought
with his offense on the field on a day so hot he needed intravenous fluids to
cool off.
Play to win.
Jalen Hurts threw a 3-yard touchdown pass to Darius Cooper with 9 seconds left,
and the Eagles beat the Tennessee Titans 24-20 on a steamy Sunday when the
temperature on the artificial turf was measured at 157 degrees Fahrenheit.
"They fought and they clawed and they scratched and did anything they had to do
to get the win," Sirianni said of his Eagles.
Philadelphia (2-0) appeared ready to dominate Tennessee. The Eagles opened the
game by stringing together three straight drives of at least 11 plays.
The Titans (0-2) sacked Hurts three times and picked him off twice, turning
those into 10 points. Marcus Harris' interception set up Joey Slye's 33-yard
field goal with 1:56 left, putting Tennessee up 20-17.
Hurts had 1:56 to drive the Eagles 65 yards for the win. He finished with 264
yards passing and two TDs. Hurts called the drive the result of execution,
focus and perseverance.
"I'm not one to harp on the elements, but it was a challenge for us as a unit
collectively," Hurts said. "And I'm happy with how we weathered through that."
The TD catch was the first of Cooper's career. DeVonta Smith had 10 catches for
117 yards, Tank Bigsby ran for a TD, and Jake Elliott kicked a 58-yard field
goal.
Cam Ward got the Titans to midfield, but his final pass under pressure hit the
turf harmlessly as time expired.
"It's not a moral victory, it's a loss," Ward said. "That's all it comes down
to."
Philadelphia improved to 15-4 in September since 2021 and remained tied with
Buffalo for the most wins in the NFL's opening month in that span. The Eagles
had plenty of fans in the stands, making it feel more like a home game.
The air temperature reached 98 degrees Fahrenheit (37 Celsius) in the fourth
quarter and felt like 106 degrees. It was so hot the Titans squirted water on
players' cleats on the sideline to cool them off. Eagles left tackle Jordan
Mailata said he dismissed talk of the Titans' cleats melting last week.
"It's like a very deceiving heat out there," Mailata said. "It just sucks
everything out of you."
The Titans hadn't started a season with back-to-back home games since 2010. It
didn't help new coach Robert Saleh as Tennessee lost its first two for a third
straight season. Saleh said he thought his Titans outplayed the Eagles at times.
"They executed better in critical moments," Saleh said.
Ward threw for 183 yards and ran for a pair of 1-yard TDs.
Three-time Pro Bowl running back Saquon Barkley suffered a stinger in his left
arm on the opening play, though he returned to start the third quarter. He
finished 9 yards on four carries, his fourth career game held under 10 yards
rushing.
Philadelphia seemed ready to run the Titans off their own field, starting the
game with a 15-play drive. But Hooker picked off Hurts' pass to Smith in the
end zone and set up Ward's 1-yard TD run for the lead.
The Eagles led 14-10 at halftime despite holding the ball for nearly 22
minutes. Slye pulled the Titans closer with a 37-yard field goal as the second
quarter expired.
Elite company for Sirianni and Hurts The Eagles are 2-0 for the fourth time under Sirianni, which is the most by a coach in franchise history. Sirianni became just the fourth NFL coach to win the first six road openers of a career, joining Sean McVay and George Allen (seven) and Mike McCarthy (six), according to the Elias Sports Bureau. Hurts trails Roger Staubach (eight) as the only NFL quarterbacks to start their careers winning at least their first six road openers. Hurts is the fifth quarterback in NFL history to win six straight road openers during any stretch of their career, joining Dan Fouts (nine), Staubach (eight), Bart Starr (seven) and Fran Tarkenton (seven). Injuries Eagles TE Dallas Goedert hurt a knee midway through the second quarter. Up next The Eagles visit Chicago on Monday, Sept. 28. The Titans visit the New York Giants next Sunday. ___ See AP's full NFL coverage here |
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