The Biggest Decisions Robert Saleh Got Wrong Against Eagles And What it Means Entering Week 3

Robert Saleh coached scared in the Tennessee Titans Week 2 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles

Sep 20, 2026; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Tennessee Titans head coach Robert Saleh takes the field during pre-game warmups against the Philadelphia Eagles at Nissan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Tennessee Titans nearly came away with their first win of the 2026 season on Sunday, but ended up falling 24-20 to the Philadelphia Eagles at home.

Head coach Robert Saleh's group held a 20-17 lead with 1:56 remaining in the fourth quarter. Victory was in sight until Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts led a nine-play game-winning drive, culminating in a three-yard passing touchdown to wide receiver Darius Cooper to secure a road win for Philadelphia.

Tennessee is 0-2 on the season, and though the blame could go a lot of places for the team's latest loss to the Eagles, Saleh and his coaching staff's conservative play-calling in key situations were among the primary factors in the Week 2 defeat.

Conservative Offensive Play Calling Doomed Titans vs. Eagles

There were two moments in Week 2 when the Titans played scared and didn't trust quarterback Cam Ward in a critical situation.

The first came at the end of the first half when Tennessee decided to run the ball on a third-and-14 with under 40 seconds in the second quarter in Philadelphia territory. Instead of letting Ward, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, throw on a pivotal down, Saleh and offensive coordinator Brian Daboll opted for a short run by running back Tony Pollard and a 37-yard field goal from kicker Joey Slye.

A nearly identical situation occurred on the Titans' final offensive drive. On first-and-goal at the nine-yard line, Ward was sacked for a loss. That ended up being the final dropback of the day for Tennessee's signal-caller, as the Titans kept the ball on the ground the next two snaps and settled for a chip-shot field goal to take a 20-17 lead. Saleh and Daboll's scared play-calling cost Tennessee in the end, with the Eagles tallying the game-winning score with under 10 seconds left.

Though Ward has been up and down to start his second season, the Titans must show more faith in their young quarterback. When a situation gets tough late in a half, Saleh and Daboll can't be overly conservative and accept a field goal. That isn't the way to win close games in the NFL.

Tennessee will travel to MetLife Stadium this week to face the New York Giants. Saleh should be more aggressive this time around and trust Ward to make a play when it matters most. The Titans took the Miami product with the top pick for a reason.

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