The heat was on for the Eagles and the Titans during Sunday’s game in Nashville.
Temperatures in the high 90s and a heat index that went even higher drove the temperature of the playing surface at Nissan Stadium to 157 degrees according to the Fox broadcast. Players were changing cleats before they melted and spraying their feet with water to try to keep them cool, but Eagles guard Cam Jurgens said after the game that his feet were “still hurting.”
“Halftime was like a NASCAR pit crew helping me get ready for the second half,” Jurgens said, via Tim McManus of ESPN.com. “That turf was just radiating.”
Eagles left tackle Jordan Mailata said that the heat coming off of the turf field was another reason why he would favor playing on grass.
“I’ve never thought about how hot a stadium can be if it’s turf. [The heat] just sits there and bounces up into you,” Mailata said. “We’ve got to bring it up. This is why we want all grass fields, to create a standard of play in the league where we’re not putting players in dangerous positions if we don’t have to.”
Eagles right tackle Lane Johnson called playing in those conditions a “mental test” and it was one that the Eagles were able to fight through well enough to win 24-20 and improve to 2-0 on the season.
Titans Clips
The Eagles were expected to beat the Titans easily today in Tennessee. Philadelphia won, but it wasn’t easy.
The Titans were competitive throughout the game and took a 20-17 lead with two minutes to go, but the Eagles came back with a nine-play, 65-yard drive that ended with Jalen Hurts hitting Darius Cooper in the end zone for the game-winning touchdown in a 24-20 victory.
The Eagles got next to nothing from Saquon Barkley, who was injured on Philadelphia’s first offensive snap, missed the rest of the first half, and was limited in the second half. Barkley finished with four carries for nine yards and one catch for 11 yards.
Titans quarterback Cam Ward showed promise, completing 13 of 20 passes for 183 yards and also running for two touchdowns. The game ended, however, with Ward setting up to throw a Hail Mary and getting nowhere close.
The Eagles are 2-0, but neither win has been particularly impressive. The Titans are 0-2, but they have to feel like today’s game showed progress.
Titans quarterback Cam Ward has two rushing touchdowns today against the Eagles, and the game is tied 17-17 at the start of the fourth quarter.
Eagles running back Saquon Barkley spent most of the first half on the sideline after suffering a stinger on the Eagles’ first offensive play, but he returned in the second half. He hasn’t been much of a factor, however, with three carries for five yards and one catch for 11 yards.
Barkley’s injury wasn’t the only one for Philadelphia: Eagles tight end Dallas Goedert has missed most of today’s game with a knee injury.
In a game the Eagles were expected to win easily, the Titans have proven surprisingly competitive. They’re in the fourth quarter and it’s still anyone’s game.
Philadelphia running back Saquon Barkley was hurt on the Eagles’ first offensive play today, but through the first half, his team has been fine without him.
The Eagles lead the Titans 14-10 at halftime.
Barkley ran into the line and was stood up for no gain on the first play from scrimmage for Philadelphia, and he immediately left the field and went to the locker room with a stinger. He has been back on the sideline, in uniform and wearing a neck roll, but he has not been back on the field.
Still, the Eagles’ running game has moved the ball. Tank Bigsby has 27 yards and a touchdown, while Will Shipley has 24 yards. Jalen Hurts has completed 14 of 17 passes for 141 yards with one touchdown and one interception. Eagles tight end Dallas Goedert suffered a knee injury and is questionable to return.
The Titans’ offense scored its only touchdown after an Amani Hooker 92-yard interception return set them up with first-and-goal. They scored their only other points with a Joey Slye field goal as time expired on the first half.
The Eagles’ offense had an ugly opening opening possession today in Tennessee.
Eagles running back Saquon Barkley was injured on Philadelphia’s first offensive play, running into the line for no gain and then going to the locker room. The Eagles said he is questionable to return with a stinger.
Philadelphia marched down the field deep into Tennessee territory without Barkley, but Jalen Hurts threw an interception into the end zone that Amani Hooker returned 92 yards.
From there, the Titans’ offense took over with first-and-goal, and on fourth-and-goal inside the 1-yard line, Cam Ward scored on a quarterback sneak.
The Eagles trail 7-0, but an even greater concern is the injury to Barkley.
Getting a plate of hot chicken is one of the culinary highlights of a trip to Nashville, but Sunday in the city is going to be focused on a lot of hot Eagles and Titans.
Weather forecasts call for a high of 97 degrees in Nashville on Sunday with a heat advisory in place from the National Weather Service that warns the heat index will rise above 105 degrees.
The Eagles tried to prepare for the intense heat at practice this week. Cameron Wolfe of NFL Media reported that the team’s offensive linemen wore hoodies to practices in order to simulate the kind of conditions they will face when they are on the field at Nissan Stadium.
The temperature could test the depth on both sides of Sunday’s matchup and the team that manages the conditions better could find themselves with an edge come the fourth quarter in Nashville.
Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow called it “ridiculous” to think he might miss Sunday’s game in Houston because of back tightness and he is active for the Week 2 matchup with the Texans.
Burrow’s health became a talking point this week when he was limited in practice on Wednesday and Thursday, but he returned to full practice on Friday. The Bengals still listed him as questionable for the team’s first road game of the season.
Ian Rapoport of NFL Media reports that Burrow felt normal while going through Friday’s practice, but was very sore earlier in the week. The Texans pass rush could exacerbate that soreness if they’re able to get to Burrow early in Sunday’s game.
Bengals at Texans
Bengals: WR Ke’Shawn Williams, CB Josh Newton, OL Connor Lew, DL BJ Hill, DL Landon Robinson, QB Josh Johnson, OL Myles Hinton
Texans: TE Brevin Jordan, WR Nico Collins, LB Jake Hummel, CB Collin Wright, G Ed Ingram, OT Nate Thomas, DE Jadeveon Clowney
Panthers at Falcons
Panthers: LB Pat Jones, TE Ja’Tavion Sanders, QB Haynes King, CB Chau Smith-Wade, LB Tyrel Dodson, OT Albert Reese, DT Bobby Brown
Falcons: QB Tua Tagovailoa, QB Michael Penix, DB Billy Bowman, DB Malcolm DeWalt, OL Ethan Onianwa
Saints at Ravens
Saints: RB Kendre Miler, QB Zach Wilson, DB Decamerion Richardson, LB Isaiah Stalbird, DL Christen Miller, OL Mason Murphy, DL John Ridgeway
Ravens: QB Joe Fagnano, WR Zay Flowers, G Andrew Vorhees, OT Gerad Lichtenhan, LB Teddye Buchanan, DL Nnamdi Madubuike
Vikings at Bears
Vikings: QB Kyler Murray, WR Jauan Jennings, DB Zemaiah Vaughn, DB Jakobe Thomas, OL Nick Samac, OL Caleb Tiernan, DL Elijah Williams
Bears: QB Case Keenum, DE Jamree Kromah, DT Jayden Loving, OT Ozzy Trapilo, OL Jordan McFadden
Steelers at Patriots
Steelers: CB Joey Porter Jr., WR Michael Pittman Jr., QB Drew Allar, QB Will Howard, G Gennings Dunker, DT Kevin Jobity, DT Gabriel Rubio
Patriots: CB Carlton Davis, OT Dametrious Crownover, OT Walter Rouse, TE Tanner Arkin, DL Leonard Taylor, QB Behren Morton
Packers at Jets
Packers: CB Benjamin St-Juste, OL John Williams, OL Travis Glover, DT Warren Brinson, DT Javon Hargrave
Jets: CB D’Angelo Ponds, S Minkah Fitzpatrick, K Blake Grupe, RB Kene Nwangwu, LB Joseph Ossai, LB Trevin Wallace
Browns at Buccaneers
Browns: QB Taylen Green, LB Justin Jefferson, S Daniel Thomas, CB Toriano Pride, C Parker Brailsford, G Teven Jenkins
Buccaneers: CB Ayden Garnes, CB Jacob Parrish, G Luke Haggard, G Billy Schrauth, DL DeMonte Capehart, DL Elijah Simmons
Eagles at Titans
Eagles: QB Tanner McKee, QB Cole Payton, WR Elijah Moore, LB Jonathan Greenard, G Micah Morris
Titans: CB Cor’Dale Flott, LB James Williams, OL Atonio Mafi, OL Brandon Crenshaw-Dickson, TE Kylen Granson, DT Jackie Marshall
The Week 1 win over Washington was more sluggish than expected for the Eagles. But they emerged 1-0. Which has added to coach Nick Sirianni’s impressive record in the month of September.
He’s 14-4 in his sixth season during the first month of the campaign. Via NBC Sports research, that gives him the all-time third-best winning percentage in September, based on a minimum of 15 games.
The leaders are George Allen, at 26-4, and Potsy Clark, at 15-4-3. (And, yes, that’s the second time Potsy Clark has been relevant to the early weeks of the 2026 season.)
Sirianni can move to 15-4 with a win in Tennessee on Sunday. And if quarterback Jalen Hurts throws three touchdown passes, he’ll become the first quarterback in franchise history to have three or more touchdown passes in the first two games of a season.
It won’t be easy for Sirianni to get to 16-4. September ends for the Eagles with a Monday night visit to Chicago, and a rematch of last year’s Black Friday drubbing by the Bears.
Eagles offensive coordinator Sean Mannion said this week that the team would keep any plans for replacing left guard Landon Dickerson in-house, including whether moving center Cam Jurgens to the spot was a consideration.
It appears that the Eagles have settled on doing just that. Cameron Wolfe of NFL Media reported on Sunday morning that the Eagles will be moving Jurgens to guard with Drew Kendall taking over at center against the Titans.
Kendall played center at Boston College and was a 2025 fifth-round pick in Philadelphia. He started in Week 18 last year when the Eagles rested their starters ahead of the postseason.
Jurgens broke into the Eagles’ lineup as a guard, but moved to center in 2024 after Jason Kelce’s retirement.
The Eagles will once again be without edge rusher Jonathan Greenard for Sunday’s matchup against the Titans.
Philadelphia has ruled Greenard out with his pectoral injury. He was a limited participant in practice all week, but is not yet ready to play.
Additionally, safety Andrew Mukuba (knee) is questionable. He was limited on Friday after he did not participate on Thursday.
While Marquise Brown (hamstring) and Elijah Moore (neck) were both added to the injury report on Friday, they were both full participants and are expected to play.
Defensive tackle Jalen Carter (wrist) and defensive back Cooper DeJean (calf/abdomen) are also expected to play with no game status.
