3 Matchups That Should Decide The Eagles-Titans Week 2 Contest

The biggest uncertainty for the Eagles is the idea of handing play-calling to first-time coordinator Sean Mannion instead of betting on a proven veteran like Brian Daboll, who coincidentally landed in Tennessee with the rebuilding Titans.

Sep 13, 2026; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Tennessee Titans head coach Robert Saleh takes the field against the New York Jets during pre-game warmups at Nissan Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

PHILADELPHIA - Three weeks into September, the Eagles already look like a team searching for an identity. They won a sloppy opener over Washington and they lost a Pro Bowl guard in doing so. 

The biggest uncertainty, however, is they handed the play-calling to first-time coordinator Sean Mannion instead of betting on a proven veteran like Brian Daboll, who coincidentally landed in Tennessee with the rebuilding Titans.

On Sunday, Philadelphia will walk into Nissan Stadium for the final time to face a Titans team that is 0-1, but showing signs of the defensive side under new head coach Robert Saleh while trying to decide if 2025 No. 1 overall pick Cam Ward is a major prospect with arm talent at the quarterback position or a mirage.

As always, the scoreboard will be decided by more than one player but three matchups that figure to have a significant impact on the outcome: 

Philadelphia’s interior offensive line without Landon Dickerson vs. Tennessee’s rebuilt defensive front 

This is the most high-profile avenue for the underdog Titans to shock the world.

Dickerson is on injured reserve with a bone bruise in his right knee, a minimum four-game absence after he admitted he was “a complete liability” in the Week 1 win over Washington. The Eagles now have to replace him against the one unit Tennessee can hang its hat on.

Drew Kendall, a second-year interior lineman who was a center at Boston College, is the leading candidate to replace Dickerson at left guard. Willie Lampkin is the other in-house option and there was the performative dog and pony show of  Fred Johnson taking some first-team reps in individual work during limited practice windows. 

Cam Jurgens is expected to stay at center rather than slide to guard and create multiple moving parts for a group that already struggled significantly in Week 1.

Tennessee’s best player is All-Pro DT Jeffery Simmons, who is coming off an 11-sack  season and a contract that made him the highest-paid interior defender. Simmons also has a much better supporting cast on paper with John Franklin-Myers able to provide top-tier complementary work.

Sean Mannion’s second week as play-caller vs. Robert Saleh’s history with Jalen Hurts

Sep 13, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts (1) reacts prior to the game against the Washington Commanders at Lincoln Financial Field. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Mannion is 1-0 as an NFL play-caller. However, the tape from Week 1 was less impressive than the result. 

The Eagles used more 11 personnel than expected but the uptick in motion and wide-zone running concepts expected from Mannion’s background were on display to limited success. 

Hurts’ individual brilliance was the key to the win over the Commanders, not some kind of schematic advantage.

Saleh is calling Tennessee’s defense himself. That matters because he has handled Hurts in the past, most notably in 2023 when Saleh’s Jets held Philadelphia to 14 points and picked Hurts off three times in a 20-14 upset, and back in January when a limited San Francisco team topped the Eagles in the postseason.

In theory, Mannion’s job is to make it easier on Hurts by staying on schedule and not becoming overly dependent on the playground football the Eagles needed to beat the Commanders.

Cam Ward vs. Vic Fangio’s front seven

Ward is an ugly 3-15 as a starter, and it’s getting late early in Nashville when it comes to patience with the young signal-caller.

Last Sunday, Ward went 19-of-32 for 140 yards and a touchdown against the Jets, with no completion longer than 14 yards. His accuracy issues have followed him through a disjointed rookie season.

Saleh has preached patience and pointed to Ward’s seven coordinators in seven years, a familiar talking point in Philadelphia when Hurts struggles but that’s starting to feel like a trope that’s more excuse than explanation. 

Every week Ward shows little on the field, patience becomes a harder sell.

The Eagles defense is not a soft landing for the struggling Ward in Week 2 even with Jalen Carter banged up and Jonathan Greenard set to miss his second consecutive game.

Ward is mobile, but he is also a quarterback who trys to extend plays and is susceptible to sacks.

If the Eagles win early downs and force Ward into obvious passing situations, it should be a breezy Sunday in Music City for Philadlephia despite the oppressive heat expected.

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