Two-minute thriller | Sports Daily Newsletter

It came down to the final two minutes on a steamy Sunday in Nashville.

The Eagles were down by three points after the Titans made a 32-yard field goal late in the fourth quarter. It was the Birds’ final chance with the ball to either score or tie the game.

So all eyes turned to Jalen Hurts, who threw two interceptions Sunday, and his performance that followed made up for it.

Hurts orchestrated a nine-play, 65-yard scoring drive, capped by a 3-yard Darius Cooper touchdown to seal the Eagles’ 24-20 comeback victory.

Sean Mannion’s offense struggled to find its rhythm for much of the day. The offensive line’s play made the win more difficult than it should have been, which impacted the run game.

Also, Saquon Barkley suffered a stinger and ran just four times Sunday.

The defense also suffered some big lapses that almost cost the Eagles a win, but some positives were the wide receiver and tight end rooms. Jeff McLane shares with us his instant grades on the Eagles’ performance.

Let’s give wide receiver DeVonta Smith some credit. Just when the Eagles looked finish the star receiver came through with a 19-yard sideline catch with 14 seconds remaining.

It may have not been perfect, but for the fourth time in five years, the Eagles are 2-0.

— Isabella DiAmore, @phillysport, sports.daily@inquirer.com.

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❓What did you think of Jalen Hurts’ play against the Titans? Email us back for a chance to be featured in the newsletter.

Alex McFarlane has been put in a lot of tough situations. He inherited a runner from Cristopher Sánchez in the seventh inning, and had then allowed two singles to flip the Mets’ lineup back over.

To get out of the jam, he had to contend Juan Soto, and the rookie did just that. Then an inning later, Justin Crawford delivered a three-run triple in the Phillies’ 7-2 win over the Mets, as the club shrank their magic number to clinch the playoffs to three.

And the Phillies are optioning reliever Orion Kerkering to triple A, following his second-half struggles. In four appearances in September, Kerkering had an 18.68 ERA.

Up next: After an off day on Monday, the Phillies begin their penultimate series of the season at home Tuesday against the Brewers (6:40 p.m., NBCSP).

🏈 Watching: Highlights from the Eagles-Titans broadcast. And did you see what Jalen Hurts said about Titans DT Jeffery Simmons?

🙌 Praising: Friends and family coming together in Maple Shade in support of Xavier Taylor, who is still recovering after being struck by a baseball.

🤔 Wondering: What happened to Adem Bona? According to the Sixers, he suffered a left foot sprain in FIBA World Cup Qualifiers.

📖 Reading: Villanova star Jasmine Bascoe played on Canada’s national team. Here’s what she learned from the experience.

The Union changed the narrative in what might be one of the best come-from-behind wins of the season on Saturday against Sporting Kansas City.

Union interim manager Ryan Richter and Co. continue to surge up the Eastern Conference ladder as a team that was written off in June — after limping into the World Cup break with just one win in 15 matches. Now, the Union have scored 14 goals in their last three games and are on an 11-game unbeaten streak.

Koby Howard has been putting in extra work since the spring and it seems to be paying off. The sophomore receiver continued his great start of the 2026 season with 135 total yards and two touchdowns in Penn State’s 55-13 win over Buffalo.

(The win also bumped Penn State from No. 14 to No. 13 in the AP Top 25 college football poll.)

Howard has 344 receiving yards and three total touchdowns through three games this season. He’s averaging 28.67 yards per catch and is on pace to break the Nittany Lions’ single-season receiving yards record. Matt Campbell isn’t surprised by the sophomore’s success.

In other college football news:

You can say a lot of things about Jalen Hurts, but he has shown time and again at every level of football that talent and self-belief prevails. Rarely will you see a quarterback make a more consequential series of throws than the ones Hurts made late on a muggy afternoon in Week 2.

There are lots of things to be ironed out, but it is far better to iron these things out while 2-0. And once again, Hurts was the difference, writes columnist David Murphy.

We compiled today’s newsletter using reporting from David Murphy, Olivia Reiner, Jeff McLane, Jeff Neiburg, Kerith Gabriel, Ryan Novozinsky, Lochlahn March, DeAntae Prince, Mia Messina, Conor Smith, Lexie Linderman, Mike Livingston, Dylan Johnson, and Hannah Chang.

By submitting your written, visual, and/or audio contributions, you agree to The Inquirer’s Terms of Use, including the grant of rights in Section 10.

Thanks for starting off your Monday with our newsletter. We’ll be back in your inboxes on Tuesday. — Bella