Sept. 21, 2026
My rose-colored glasses are half-empty today.
In other words, I have no idea how to feel after the Eagles barely avoided losing to arguably the worst team in the NFL on Sunday. And yet, because they found a way to win, 24-20, over the Tennessee Titans, it’s hard to feel overly negative.
On one hand, the Eagles are 2-0.
On the other, so far this season they have beaten two weak opponents by a composite total of six points.
On one hand, Jalen Hurts presided over a brilliant final 65-yard drive, culminating the comeback with a touchdown pass nine seconds before the end of regulation.
On the other hand, Hurts threw two brutal interceptions that ruined the start of the game and nearly blew it at the end.
You get the idea. This was an Eagles game you could feel very strongly about either way. And you would he entirely right. Or wrong.
In an effort to help you (and me) sort out my feelings, I think it’s best if I separate the game into the many positives and negatives. Then you (and I) can decide which way we’re leaning.
Positives
By far, the best development in the smothering heat of Nashville was the performance of new offensive coordinator Sean Mannion, who — I can now say with some confidence — is not a clueless novice at calling plays like his predecessor, Kevin Patullo.
If you’re looking for an almost-too-perfect comparison, just take a look at the final play-calls each has made in that role for the Eagles. In January, the Birds were 21 yards from the winning score with 40 seconds left. On Sunday, they were three yards away with nine remaining.
Patullo had no clue what to call. Mannion came up with a winning play that gave Hurts at least two solid options even before the snap. In short, progress. The new guy is a heck of a lot better than the old one.
The fact that somebody named Darius Cooper was the receiver on the clinching touchdown only made the play-call that much smarter and bolder. Not even Cooper’s parents expected their unheralded son to get the ball in that decisive moment. Bravo for unpredictability.
After the game we learned that the primary target on that big play was DeVonta Smith, who was swamped by the Titans defense. Fortunately, Hurts turned to Plan B, and there was Cooper standing alone near the back of the end zone.
That one play proved two things. First, Mannion was smart under pressure, in the biggest moment of his new career as a play-caller. And second, Hurts is comfortable enough in his OC to follow through on his progressions, This has not always been the case. (See: last season).
And speaking of Hurts, his many critics will harp on the brutal interception and 92-yard return by Amani Hooker that turned an impressive opening drive into a 7-0 deficit. They will also mention prominently the pick with about six minutes left in the fourth quarter, an underthrow caused by a mad rush that landed the ball in the hands of Tennessee corner Marcus Harris, setting up the go-ahead field goal.
But please don’t just watch the final drive with two minutes left and no timeouts; study the veteran quarterback’s demeanor throughout that 65-yard march down the field. He looks like someone who refuses to lose. He looks like the winner he has been for his entire NFL career.
It should be clearer than ever that Hurts suffered through last season, shackled by a terrible play-caller and a decimated offensive line. The line is still having problems, but Hurts is either more experienced or more confident now than he was a year ago. He’s in a better place.
And while we’re talking positives, let’s not leave out Tank Bigsby, the backup running back who’s making a quiet but undeniable case for more carries in the future. Yes, Saquon Barkley – who missed a half with a neck injury – is still the most explosive runner on the team, but Bigsby has a tenacity that should never be undervalued.
The four-year pro moved piles all day, running for 33 yards and a touchdown. In tandem with Craig Shipley, the Eagles’ running game is going to be effective, with or without Barkley. Thank you, Howie Roseman.
On defense, the Birds did what they should always do against the shaky Titans offense. Take away the 10 points Tennessee got after the Hurts interceptions, and the Titans managed a touchdown and a field goal in 60 minutes. That’s a solid, if unspectacular performance by the Eagles D – even more so given the oppressive heat.
And how great was it to see Jake Elliott boom a 58-yard field goal in the third quarter, giving the Birds a 17-10 lead at the time? It has been a long time since he was so adept at that range.
Elliott provided the Eagles with another advantage, managing to land most of his kickoffs inside the 10-yard line, something the Titans kicker, Joey Slye, clearly – and shockingly – hasn’t come close to mastering.
Negatives
Unfortunately, there were plenty of these, too.
The biggest concern I have so far this season has been the strength of the best Eagles teams, the lines. Neither has played close to its potential so far.
Coach Nick Sirianni’s big secret after Landon Dickerson went on the injured list was how he would replace the massive left guard. Well, lo and behold, Cam Jurgens was moved one spot down the line from center to guard, making room for Drew Kendall to snap the ball.
They both sucked. Now granted, trying to keep DT Jeffrey Simmons out of the Eagles backfield is no small challenge, but those two linemen were putrid all day, starting with the snuff on the very first play that sent Barkley to the sidelines.
Jurgens is becoming a real concern now. Leg injuries were the explanation for his dramatic decline last season. What’s the problem now? He’s been slow, soft and has displayed an annoying knack for drawing penalties. Other than that, he’s having his best season.
Makai Lemon finally made a catch for plus yardage – 14 yards. Otherwise, he was invisible again. First-round draft picks – especially ones with his buildup – need to do a lot more than that. He still looks too small and too slow to be a big-impact wide receiver.
Remember how the Eagles defensive line was going to be maybe the best in the NFL this season, especially now that Jordan Davis and Jalen Carter got huge new contracts? So far, not even close.
After a one-sack game against Washington, the Birds managed only two sacks against Cam Ward. The Titans offensive line could get a product-placement deal for Swiss cheese, and still these big-money players got barely a sniff of Ward all day. Hell, even the Jets got three sacks the previous week.
Finally, there’s the coaching. I’m dreading another week of Sirianni’s many sycophants rolling out his amazing record (66-30) because I watch every play of every game, and I still can’t offer even one tangible thing he actually contributes.
However, I can offer yet another example of his indecisiveness. Again on Sunday, confronted with the choice between third and 23 or second and 28, Sirianni first declined the penalty, then changed his mind. On the third-down play that would have been fourth down, Tyjae Spears reeled off a 27-yard run down the sideline for the play that set up a go-ahead field goal.
Sirianni did the same thing last season against the Rams. It worked out better that time. If a situation hasn’t already been addressed by analytics, Sirianni has a terrible time knowing instinctively what to do.
And yes, I have already seen the new puff piece by Michael Silver of The Athletic demanding a full appreciation for Sirianni. No thanks, Michael. I know good coaching when I see it. This is not that.
Conclusion
Of all his memorable quotes, ex-Giants coach Bill Parcells is best known for saying “You are what your record says you are.”
OK, then. The Eagles are golden.
If Parcells were grilled on the wisdom of those words, I’m pretty sure he would offer an addendum that said 2-0 against awful teams is not as meaningful as 2-0 against playoff teams.
The truth is, the Eagles have not impressed in any aspect of the game so far. The lines are underperforming, Barkley is still trying to find the magic of 2024, the top picks are not contributing and there is no reason to believe the Birds are a Super Bowl contender at this point.
But hey, 2-0 is not bad. In fact, it’s the best you can do after two games.
So my rose-colored glasses are actually half-full right now.
Let’s just hope I’m not seeing red next week.
Some unfinished business. . . .
- If you’re reading this blog, I assume you’re aware of the 26-year radio promotion we ran at WIP called Wing Bowl. Well, a brilliant documentary on the chaos and pageantry of our annual bacchanal is available now on Amazon Prime. It’s called No One Died. The doc has already won four film festivals and is a major hit on Amazon. It’s $5.99 for rental and $12.99 to buy.
- Michael Silver of The Athletic is suggesting that Nick Sirianni is the most underrated NFL coach of all time. How about the luckiest? How many times has the best player on the next Eagles opponent gone down with an injury just before the game? It happened again on Sunday when amazing Chicago QB Caleb Williams was carted off the field with a hamstring problem. He’s unlikely to play against the Birds. That’s luck, friends. Pure luck.
- Drew Brees, one of the best quarterbacks of the past generation, is a lousy listen as an analyst on Fox. At one point in Sunday’s Eagles-Titans game, Brees suggested that Jalen Hurts lower his shoulder and fight for first-down yardage at the end of a run. Hey, I’m as old-school as the next guy, but that’s just plain stupid. Other than that one really dumb remark, Brees had nothing noteworthy to offer for three dull hours.
- Aaron Nola appears to be emerging from a two-year funk, inspiring debate already about what role, if any, he should serve in the playoffs. Unless Jesus Luzardo has a miraculous recovery from shoulder issues, Nola slots in as the No. 3 starter in the playoffs, behind Zack Wheeler and Cristopher Sanchez. That means the Phillies’ playoff fate could come down to a pitcher who gave up close to six runs a game for two seasons. No thanks.
- Word leaked out the other day that the NFL is investigating the most famous security guard in sports, “Big Dom” DiSandro. for rigging the system to help Eagles players stay off the police blotter. When the NFL is done with this silly probe, it should take a look at the Chiefs, who have enabled an army of criminals and bad acts for a generation now under fraud head coach Andy Reid. I’m just saying. . . .