Tennessee Titans fans who squeezed into their seats next to the thousands of Philadelphia Eagles fans — who seemed to occupy most of Nissan Stadium — got what they’ve been waiting for some time.
Hope, if nothing else.
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Jalen Hurts and the Eagles left town with a 24-20 win over the Titans on Sept. 20, but there were signs of improvement for Titans coach Robert Saleh.
Hurts led a long drive in the final seconds of the fourth quarter, capped by short go-ahead TD throw to Darius Cooper with 9 seconds remaining.
The Titans were searching for their third home win since 2024.
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But there was obvious improvement.
Titans quarterback Cam Ward finished 12-of-18 for 168 yards passing. He had his first explosive play of the season, a 28-yard strike to Elic Ayomanor, and led the Titans’ best drive, too, a 12-play, 69-yard march.
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Ward also pushed the Titans down the field on their go-ahead Joey Slye field goal, which made it 20-17 with two minutes remaining in the fourth quarter.
Plays like Ward’s late 41-yard connection to Ayomanor — who caught a perfect pass and hurdled a defender to get down to the Eagles 24 late in the fourth quarter — can only help Ward’s confidence.
The Titans offense had a semblance of balance and flow with an increased focus on establishing the run. And after the Titans debuted a limp pass rush, it had four hurries and three sacks midway through the fourth quarter against the Eagles.
It didn’t hurt either that Marcus Harris and Amani Hooker both intercepted Hurts.
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How Cam Ward, Titans nearly pulled off stunning upset vs Eagles
On the Eagles’ opening drive, Hooker intercepted Hurts and returned the ball 92 yards to set up a Ward fourth-and-goal touchdown from the 1, giving the Titans a brief 7-0 lead.
As encouraging as the start was, the Eagles dominated the first half even, though their lead was just 14-10 at intermission. The Titans were dominated in time of possession and total yardage; FOX reported the temperature on the field at 133 degrees, and the Titans defense rarely caught its breath.
Titans receiver Calvin Ridley put a first-half drive behind the chains with a costly unnecessary roughness penalty. Ward and the offense struggled on third down and couldn’t stay on the field.
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But by the third quarter there were the Titans, hanging with Hurts and the 2025 Super Bowl champions. After the Titans flushed Hurts out of the pocket and forced an Eagles field goal to make it 17-10, Ward led a 12-play, 69-yard drive that lasted over seven minutes. It ended with Ward’s leaping touchdown at the left pylon.
It was the Titans’ best drive this season, and their outnumbered fans could suddenly be heard … cheering.
Hurts didn’t have a vintage game, even though there were opportunities against a Titan defense missing starting cornerback Cor’Dale Flott. Hurts finished 26-of-37 for 265 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions.
Hello, Elic Ayomanor
It’s hard to understate Ayomanor’s impact.
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He looked like a comfortable downfield target for Ward, which is vital if the Titans want to stretch the field more. He was sure-handed on the long connection with Ward in the first half, and his hurdling of an Eagles defender late in the fourth quarter injected some energy into the stadium.
Ayomanor finished with a team-high two catches for 69 yards on three targets.
Pass-run balance
The Titans rushed for 122 yards and two TDs on 29 carries.
That makes their 14 rushing attempts in Week 1 even more puzzling, but the adjustment worked.
Tyler Palmateer covers high school sports for The Tennessean. Have a story idea for Tyler? Reach him at tpalmateer@tennessean.com and on the X platform, @tpalmateer83.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Tennessee Titans stumble late in loss vs Jalen Hurts, Philadelphia Eagles
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