The Tennessee Titans lost 24-20 to the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 2, but they answered the biggest offensive question left by the New York Jets loss: would Tony Pollard and Tyjae Spears get enough chances to matter?
They did, and it changed the way the offense looked.
Against the Jets, Pollard and Spears combined for 10 carries and 47 yards. The Titans had only 14 team rushing attempts for 68 yards. That was not enough opportunity to establish a running game or keep the offense balanced.
Week 2 was different. Pollard ran 14 times for 64 yards, while Spears had seven carries for 41. Their 21 combined carries produced 105 yards, an even 5.0 yards per carry. The Titans finished with 29 rushes for 122 yards.
The run game opened up the rest of the Titans’ offense in Week 2
That balance showed up through the air. Cam Ward completed 13 of 20 passes for 183 yards and averaged 9.2 yards per attempt. He was not asked to drop back 30-plus times just to give the offense a chance.
Elic Ayomanor accounted for 69 of those 183 yards on two catches. His 41-yard reception, which included a hurdle over an Eagles defender, was the biggest play on the Titans’ late go-ahead drive. Spears added a 27-yard catch.
The Titans also found ways to keep drives going. Going 6-of-13 on third down is a good day against the Eagles, and they added seven rushing first downs while finishing with 291 yards.
Titans offense still left too many opportunities on the field
The Eagles threw two interceptions, and the Titans turned them into 10 points. Amani Hooker’s first-quarter pick set up Ward’s one-yard touchdown run. Marcus Harris’s fourth-quarter interception led to Joey Slye’s 33-yard field goal and a 20-17 lead with 1:56 remaining.
That is why the missed chances hurt. The Titans went 2-for-4 in the red zone and took seven penalties for 45 yards. In a four-point game, those possessions and mistakes mattered.
The Eagles took the final possession, drove 65 yards, and scored the winning touchdown with nine seconds left. The Titans got one final chance, but Ward’s Hail Mary from midfield fell incomplete.
The Titans did not need to dominate on the ground. They needed Pollard and Spears involved enough to keep Ward from carrying the entire offense. Week 2 proved that run-game formula can keep them competitive against good teams. Now the Titans have to trust that strategy again moving forward.
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