Titans ‘ready to plaster’ Eagles receivers, Jeffery Simmons’ hot take, and more before Sunday’s game

Last week, the Eagles kicked off the 2026 season with a 24-22 victory over the Washington Commanders. Now, they will face the Tennessee Titans in Nashville for the first time since 2018. The Titans, who haven’t had a winning season since 2021, lost, 23-10, to the New York Jets in Week 1.

The Eagles are favored to win on Sunday (1 p.m., Fox29), with many predicting a Birds blowout. Here’s what the Titans are saying about their chances:

The biggest headline-grabbing quote of the week goes to Titans defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons.

“We just need to make Jalen Hurts be a QB,” Simmons said Wednesday. “Stop his runs, make sure Hurts doesn’t get out of the pocket and make plays.”

For Hurts, the criticism is nothing new. Coming off a 2025 season that ended with coordinator Kevin Patullo fired, Hurts’ play was scrutinized by fans and the media alike.

However, all three of Hurts’ touchdown passes against the Commanders came from the pocket.

Simmons, a four-time Pro Bowler at defensive tackle, will line up against a depleted Eagles offensive line. Earlier this week, the Eagles placed left guard Landon Dickerson on injured reserve. It is expected that second-year offensive lineman Drew Kendall will replace Dickerson, but the team has kept its plan private.

“We’re going to keep that in-house in terms of what our plan is for this week, just for competitive reasons,” offensive coordinator Sean Mannion said Tuesday regarding whether center Cam Jurgens could move to left guard.

» READ MORE: Eagles respond to Titans’ Jeffery Simmons’ shot at Jalen Hurts

Titans defensive coordinator Gus Bradley is concerned with Hurts’ ability to extend plays with his legs. His solution? Shut down his wide receivers.

“With any quarterback that can use his legs to extend the play, you got to be ready to plaster [his receivers],” Bradley said. “That’s been a big emphasis.”

» READ MORE: Former NFL linebacker found his passion bringing 'legit Philly water ice' to Tennessee

With eyes on newly minted No. 1 wide receiver DeVonta Smith and 2026 first-round pick Makai Lemon, the story at wideout in Week 1 was former Packer Dontayvion Wicks, who came down with a 64-yard reception in the first quarter to set up the Eagles’ first score. Then, he hauled in a 9-yard touchdown pass to put the Eagles up, 14-3, in the second quarter. Wicks trailed just Smith, who finished with three receptions for 53 yards, in offensive snaps.

Lemon is looking to break out against the Titans’ man coverage. The rookie was involved early in new offensive coordinator Sean Mannion’s game plan, but he finished with three catches for minus-5 yards.

Bradley also had praise for Eagles running back Saquon Barkley.

“Where [Barkley is] really good is if he has an opportunity,” Bradley said. “I mean, he will run through darkness. That’s probably a good way to describe it. He will run through darkness, and if he can hit it with a full head of steam, he is extremely difficult. Somehow, we’ve got to do a good job setting the edges, check his feet a little bit like with most good backs, right? You don’t want to hit him full speed. He’s so dynamic, he can take one to the house at any time.”

With the Eagles offensive line struggling, Barkley consistently was bottled up against the Commanders. His 83 yards on 15 carries look a lot worse if you consider that 42 of those yards came on a single rush in the second quarter. Barkley will look to have a more consistent game against a Titans defense that was gashed by Jets running back Breece Hall in Week 1. Hall finished with 102 yards and a touchdown on 22 carries.

» READ MORE: How will the Eagles replace Landon Dickerson?

Titans second-year starting quarterback Cam Ward described the Eagles defense as “standout.”

“I think their back end is very good,” Ward said. “Their rush, they get a lot of praise, which they deserve. I think it’s going to be a great challenge for the guys up front, for myself, and in the protection game and the run game. Make sure we’re in the right look. I think it’s going to be a fun atmosphere, too.”

Ward struggled against the Jets in Week 1 and completed just 19 of his 32 passes for 140 yards and a touchdown. Ward was under pressure on 41% of his snaps, according to Next Gen Stats. On those possessions, he completed just 3 of 10 attempts for 17 yards. Just as New York did, expect Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio to dial up the blitz against the 2025 first overall pick.

» READ MORE: Our writers pick a winner for the Week 2 game in Nashville

Like his quarterback, Titans offensive coordinator Brian Daboll also showed the Eagles respect during his press availability. Daboll, who was head coach of the Giants from 2022 to 2025, finished 2-7 against the Eagles during his tenure there.

“Coach [Nick] Sirianni is an excellent head coach,” Daboll said. “42-4 when he wins the turnover ratio, which is a pretty impressive stat. So that’s going to be paramount. Coach Fangio has done this for about 40 years in the NFL, plus whatever he did in college. Tremendous scheme, very sound. … And then you add the players, a collection of players that Howie [Roseman] assembles each and every year. It’s a tough challenge.”

Listen to the latest episode

Landon Dickerson has made a career of fighting through injuries and pain, last season being the latest instance. But after the left guard looked like a shell of himself Week 1 vs. Washington, the Eagles decided to shut him down — at least for now. With Dickerson landing on injured reserve, The Philadelphia Inquirer's Jeff McLane explains why, this time around, he and the Eagles are taking the cautious route. Jeff also shares what he's heard about how the Eagles might fill Dickerson's void on the offensive line, and takes listener questions in this week's mailbag segment. Listen here.

Listen to all episodes here or wherever you get your podcasts.