# Eagles-Titans preview: Five things to watch in Nashville

> The Eagles have several matchup advantages against Tennessee. Will they capitalize on them?
- Title: Eagles-Titans preview: Five things to watch in Nashville
- Summary: The Eagles have several matchup advantages against Tennessee. Will they capitalize on them? The Eagles face a struggling Titans defense and vulnerable…
- Keywords: eagles, titans, nfl, philadelphia eagles, tennessee titans, jeffrey simmons, drew kendall, cam ward, jalen hurts, saquon barkley, landon dickerson, vic fangio
- Source: PhillyVoice — https://phillyvoice.com/eagles-titans-preview-5-things-watch-jeffrey-simmons-cam-ward-drew-kendall-jalen-hurts
- Published: 2026-09-16T10:33:12.006+00:00
- Read time: 3 min
- Topics: eagles, titans, nfl, philadelphia eagles, tennessee titans, jeffrey simmons, drew kendall, cam ward, jalen hurts, saquon barkley, landon dickerson, vic fangio
## Eagles head to Nashville
After beating Washington 24-22 in Week 1, Philadelphia travels south for a rare matchup against the Tennessee Titans.
## Jeffrey Simmons is elite
The Titans defensive tackle posted a career-high 11 sacks in 2025, breaking the franchise record for a defensive tackle.
## Simmons led all interior linemen
He led NFL interior defensive linemen in solo tackles, tackles for loss, sacks, quarterback pressures, and forced fumbles.
## Dickerson out with knee injury
Landon Dickerson had his worst game as a pro Sunday and was placed on IR with a knee injury.
## Drew Kendall steps in
Kendall will likely replace Dickerson at left guard, facing his biggest test yet against the NFL's best interior lineman.

> He has never played against anyone as good as Simmons in a real game. Huge test.
## Kendall showed promise in 2025
In limited action last season and during training camp, Kendall played well and should be an upgrade over Sunday's performance.
## Tennessee's defense is struggling
The Titans ranked 28th in points allowed per game at 28.1 and 28th in yards allowed per play in 2025.
## Run defense took a hit
Tennessee traded 362-pound run stopper T'Vondre Sweat to the Jets. Week 1, the Jets ran for 152 yards and 2 TDs against them.
## Eagles run game sputtered Week 1
Saquon Barkley averaged 5.5 yards per carry, but mainly because of one 42-yard run. Otherwise, he had nowhere to go.
## Another chance to establish rushing
The Titans defense offers another opportunity for Philadelphia to get their run game going after a frustrating opener.
## Big plays but no consistency
The Eagles had several explosive plays against Washington but only managed 10 first downs. The league averaged 19.8 first downs Week 1.
## Five three-and-outs is unacceptable
Philadelphia had five three-and-outs against one of the league's worst defenses, showing a troubling lack of consistency.

> Relying on Hurts to make off-schedule plays and the defense to shut down professional offenses all season is not going to be sustainable.
## Cam Ward is misunderstood
At 6'2, 219 pounds, Ward has similar dimensions to Jalen Hurts but is mainly a pocket passer, not a dual threat quarterback.
## Ward rarely uses his legs
As a rookie in 2025, Ward had just 39 rushing attempts for 159 yards. That's 2.3 rushes for 9.4 yards per game.
## Ward had a rough rookie year
He went 3-14, was sacked 55 times, and fumbled 11 times. Both totals tied for the league lead.
## Titans lack elite receivers
Tennessee drafted Carnell Tate fourth overall in 2026 to help Ward, but the receiving corps isn't keeping defensive coordinators up at night.
## Tennessee's tackles are vulnerable
Left tackle Dan Moore and right tackle JC Latham both gave up 8 sacks in 2025, creating opportunities for Philadelphia's pass rush.
## Interior line has weak spots
The Titans have a career backup at center and a fifth-round rookie at right guard, both potential targets for the Eagles.
## Pass rush disappointed Week 1
Vic Fangio said the pass rush was inconsistent and not good enough. The Eagles didn't win enough one-on-ones against Washington.

> I thought our pass rush overall, when our guys that mainly rushed the passer, was inconsistent and really wasn't good enough.
## High expectations for feasting
Despite last week's struggles, the Feastin Meter is at 8 out of 10 turkey legs against Tennessee's very bad offensive line.
## Key takeaway

The Eagles face a struggling Titans defense and vulnerable offensive line, but must show more consistency after a shaky Week 1 performance.