NASHVILLE, Tenn. _ The Eagles experienced the other side of a close game on Sunday. The Tennessee Titans sprinted onto the field in celebration, and an Eagles team that had been so tough to beat in these type of finishes during the past year was left wondering how they were on the wrong side of a 26-23 overtime loss Sunday at Nissan Stadium.
Marcus Mariota found Corey Davis for a 10-yard touchdown on a third down in the final seconds of overtime to drop the Eagles to 2-2. There were 17 seconds remaining, and the Eagles needed to stop the Titans to force a field goal to at least go home with a tie. The touchdown ended a wild overtime.
After kicking a field goal to send the game into overtime in the final minute of the regulation, the Eagles opened overtime with a physical running game that helped bring the ball into the red zone. Once there, though, they could not find the end zone. The Titans forced the offense off the field with a third-down stop at the 19-yard line, and the Eagles settled for a 37-yard field goal in Jake Elliott to take the 23-20 lead.
The Eagles had a sigh of relief when the Titans dropped a deep pass down the field, but the Titans had more chances. They kept their hopes alive with two fourth-down conversions _ one with a 19-yard gain on a fourth-and-15, the other when a pass interference gave the Titans a new set of downs.
Facing another fourth down _ a fourth-and-2 with 77 seconds remaining at the Eagles' 32-yard line _ Titans coach Mike Vrabel initially decided to kick a field goal before he sent his offense back on the field. Once again, they converted. Mariota hit Dion Lewis on a screen pass, and Lewis ran it for a 17-yard gain. The Titans had no timeouts, and the game was down into its final minute. There were no more fourth downs to convert, because Davis caught the game-winning touchdown.
Carson Wentz went 33 of 50 for 348 yards and two touchdowns. Zach Ertz (10 catches, 112 yards) and Alshon Jeffery (eight catches, 105 yards) both topped 100 yard receiving yards. Jay Ajayi rushed for 70 yards.
It was a listless start for both teams. The Titans opened the game with a field goal and didn't score again in the first half. The Eagles could not get the ball past the Titans' 47-yard line in the first quarter, not threatening the Titans until the first touchdown with around four minutes to go in the half.
The Eagles struggled with blitz pick-up early in the game, leaving Wentz under duress. Nelson Agholor, who saw more chances for big plays with Jeffery on the field, couldn't haul in two potential catches early in the game.
Field position was also an issue for the Eagles in the first half, starting two second-quarter drives inside their 10-yard line. That did not stop Wentz from leading the Eagles on an eight-play, 97-yard drive to get on the scoreboard for the first time. The touchdown came when Wentz found Jordan Matthews deep down the middle for 56 yards, rekindling a 2016 connection. Matthews, who went to Vanderbilt and lives in Nashville during the offseason, scored in his second week back with the team.
The lead inflated before halftime when Avonte Maddox intercepted Mariota in Tennessee territory to give the Eagles a scoring opportunity before halftime. Maddox took on a larger defensive role without Rodney McLeod in the lineup, playing as the center-field safety. It was the first interception of the rookie's career. Jake Elliott hit a 27-yard field goal to go into the break with 10-3 lead.
Jeffery's value was apparent on the first drive of the second half, when the Eagles went 75 yards on 12 plays. Jeffery had three catches, including a key third-down conversion and a 16-yard touchdown. He made contested catches, winning on plays that would ordinarily be considered 50-50 balls. Jeffery thinks the percentages are in his favor when he's the target.
The Eagles had a 17-3 lead with 7 minutes, 36 seconds to go in the third quarter, and it seemed they were on the way to an important road victory.
Their win probability would have increased if Brandon Graham scooped a fumble after a Mariota pitch was mishandled, but Graham couldn't grab possession and the Titans had renewed life. The defense couldn't tackle Dion Lewis on a screen pass for a 17-yard gain, Jalen Mills was flagged for a 20-yard pass interference, and the Titans scored on a two-yard run by Mariota to cut the Eagles' lead to 17-10.
The Eagles couldn't extend their lead. Wentz fumbled when he was sacked by Harold Landry, who beat Lane Johnson around the edge, to set up a Titans field goal.
Momentum started to shift, and Wentz and the offense were nowhere to be found. Agholor dropped a third-down pass. The offense was off the field after three passes.
The defense had bailed the Eagles out already this season, but not this time. Mariota hit Davis on a deep 51-yard pass to put the Titans in scoring range before they took the lead when Mariota found Tajae Sharpe on an 11-yard touchdown to give Tennessee a 20-17 lead with five minutes remaining in the game.
Needing to put a drive together, the Eagles stalled at their 42-yard line. Instead of going for it on a fourth-and-4, though, Pederson sent his punter onto the field.
He trusted his defense, and it worked.
The defense forced a three-and-out, forcing the Titans to punt with 1 minute, 54 seconds remaining while the Eagles still had two timeouts. But the Eagles didn't to drive the length of the field. That was because of DeAndre Carter.
Carter awoke Saturday morning a member of the Eagles practice squad. By Sunday, he was their punt returner. He took the fourth-quarter punt 42 yards to give the Eagles possession at the 39-yard line with 1 minute, 41 seconds remaining.
It was more than enough time for the Eagles to score a touchdown, but Wentz couldn't get them that far. He completed three passes to set up a 30-yard field goal, which Elliott hit to send the game into overtime.
