The Titans lost a heartbreaker on Sunday. And, instead of an improbable victory, the team – and its fans – left Nissan Stadium with a disappointing 24-20 defeat to the Philadelphia Eagles. The game was played under a dome – a heat dome, as the Titans played the second-hottest game at Nissan Stadium, which opened in 1999, and the second-hottest game – home or away – in the franchise’s “Titans era,” which also began in 1999. The temperature at kickoff against the Eagles was 92 degrees.
“There’s no moral victories,” coach Robert Saleh said after his team’s second loss. “There’s going to be things that we’ve got to improve on. Like I told our team, we’re going to be sick when we watch this tape, because we should be 1-1 right now. But we’re not, and that’s credit to Philly. They executed. It sucks. Whether you lose by 100 or in the last second, it doesn’t matter; they all suck.”
After taking the lead in the closing minutes, the Titans lost it in the final seconds. With the game tied at 17-17, the Titans put together a beautiful 10-play drive, highlighted by a 41-yard catch, and hurdle, from receiver Elic Ayomanor and 27-yard run by Tyjae Spears. And with 1:56 left, the Titans took a 20-17 lead on a 33-yard field goal by kicker Joey Slye. But the Titans couldn’t hold on.
The Eagles drove 65 yards down the field and scored on a three-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Jalen Hurts to receiver Darius Cooper with nine seconds left. The loss dropped the Titans to 0-2.
Titans quarterback Cam Ward completed 13-of-20 passes for 183 yards in the contest, and ran for two scores. Ward guided the Titans on several nice drives, including the go-ahead drive late, and he was much improved from a week ago, when the team looked out of sync across the board in a season-opening loss to the Jets. But that was no consolation for Ward, or anyone else.
“It’s not a moral victory – it’s a loss,” Ward said after the game. “With every game, there is good and there is bad. But we have to be a mentally tough team, and we have to be able to play four quarters of football. We all have to be better. … I am proud to be on this team, and I am proud to be one of the leaders in the locker room. I am looking forward to all of us taking it on the chin and getting better.”
The Titans were outgained 341 to 291 yards in the game, and the Eagles held the ball 36:25 to 23:35 for the Titans. But the Titans gave themselves a chance with improved, spirited play in the second half, only to leave disappointed.
After the game, Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts and I (Cass) shared a brief conversation. He told me although he had met most of the NFL quarterbacks he admired, he regrets not having had the opportunity to meet the late Steve “Air” McNair, who died in 2009 when Hurts was only ten years old. McNair was Hurts’ childhood hero. He said he had genuine “feels” when he entered the stadium and saw images of McNair. I told him the spirit of McNair was still there with us, and he had felt it.
The Titans return to action this Sunday, September 27 at the New York Giants, and next Sunday, October 4 at the Ravens, before hosting the Houston Texans on Sunday, October 11. Each game airs at 12 Noon CDT on CBS, locally Channel 5.1.
