It wasn't the prettiest win for the Philadelphia Eagles, but they took it after beating the Tennessee Titans 24-20 in Week 2, thanks to a game-winning touchdown pass from Jalen Hurts to Darius Cooper with nine seconds left.
The game's story was the offense's resilience after two straight weeks of second-half drive failures, but a fourth-quarter touchdown drive each week helped them win. Philly's defense also struggled in the second half, but they made a big play to keep the team in the game.
Plenty of winners and losers emerged. This game produced plenty of winners and losers that Eagles fans can review after the victory. Here's a look at the biggest ones.
Winners and losers from Eagles' win over the Titans in Week 2
Winner: Darius Cooper, WR
Let's give this man the flowers he deserves. Both receptions were impressive, and the touchdown catch with nine seconds left secured the win for the Eagles. Hopefully, this is the first step toward him getting more playing time moving forward.
Loser: Saquon Barkley, RB
It was a tough day for Barkley, who got hurt on the opening play with a stinger, and he tried to come back in the second half, but he didn't look like himself. He had four carries for nine yards. Barkley shouldn't have tried to come back, and now the hope is that he heals properly and doesn't aggravate it further.
Winner: Cooper DeJean, CB
What a bounce-back game for DeJean, as he looked significantly better than he did in Week 1. He had fewer tackles than last week, with five, but was targeted twice and allowed just one completion for five yards, with a passer rating of 56.3. That's the DeJean Eagles fans love and missed.
Loser: Cam Jurgens, OL
Yeah...moving him to left guard was probably not the best choice. Jurgens was beaten six times in 43 pass-blocking snaps, which is a 14% beat rate, according to Sports Illustrated's Jeff Kerr. Oof. Those aren't the kind of numbers Eagles fans want to hear about a two-time Pro Bowler, especially with a holding penalty for the second straight week. Hopefully Jurgens can adjust and play better there.
Winner: Nolan Smith Jr., EDGE
Smith looked really good in this game and might have been one of his most productive as a pass rusher and defender in a while. He had three tackles, two tackles for loss, one quarterback hit, and one sack. Coming off a game where he had six pressures, Smith is playing as the guy Eagles fans saw in 2024, and it's great to see.
Winner: DeVonta Smith, WR
Let's give some love to another Smith who had a great game, as this was DeVonta Smith's coming-out party as a WR1. He finished with 10 receptions for 117 yards and one touchdown, including two clutch catches on the final drive. Smith needed this one and delivered in style.
Winner: Dontayvion Wicks, WR
Wide receivers continue to get the love in this game, as Wicks also had an incredible leaping contested catch on the final drive that kept it going. He finished with five receptions for 74 yards. All that hype in training camp was well worth it over two games.
Loser: Marcus Epps, S
The Eagles' safety position wasn't that great overall, but Mukuba gets a pass for being hurt. Epps will not get a pass, as he allowed a 28-yard completion from Titans wide receiver Elic Ayomanor on third-and-13, but his worst play was whiffing on Tyjae Spears' 27-yard run on third-and-22. The loss of Reed Blankenship is starting to show, little by little, with Epps being a liability in the secondary.
Winner: Jalen Carter, DT
Carter was great in this game despite the wrist injury, but the sack on the Titans' field goal drive before the Eagles' game-winning scoring drive in the fourth quarter was the most underrated play of the game. He finished with three pressures, one tackle, one quarterback hit, one tackle for loss, and one sack. Carter clearly proved he was worth the money the Eagles invested in him during training camp.
Read more: Grading Jalen Hurts' roller coaster performance in Eagles' Week 2 win
Winner: Jalen Hurts, QB
Hurts is maybe no clearer winner than anyone in this game, despite throwing two interceptions. Both his touchdown passes were impressive in their own way, and he won the contest as a quarterback, not just a runner, by throwing for 264 yards. Hurts sent a strong statement and can hopefully carry that momentum throughout the season.
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