PHILADELPHIA − A.J. Brown’s first touchdown, from 40 yards out, was overruled after a review. No worry, Jalen Hurts went right back to him on the next play, this time to the other side.
This one was much easier as Brown was wide open after a Tennessee Titans’ defender fell down, and he walked into the end zone, no doubt ecstatic to score against his former team.
But really, the Eagles’ entire wide receiving corps enjoyed success against Tennessee, which came into the game with the 31st ranked pass defense.
The Eagles took a 21-10 lead at the break.
Hurts had 268 yards passing, completing 18 of 25 passes, in the first half. He hadn’t surpassed 200 yards in any of the previous three games.
DeVonta Smith opened the scoring with a 34-yard TD reception on the Eagles’ first possession. Smith had 93 yards on 4 receptions in the first half, while Brown had 61 yards on 3 catches.
But the Titans hung tough, answering with a 25-yard touchdown pass from Ryan Tannehill to rookie Treylon Burks, the player the Titans used with the Eagles’ first-round pick when Tennessee traded Brown to the Eagles last April.
Then Brown’s TD with 13:55 left in the first half put the Eagles back in front by a touchdown. On the previous play, Hurts threw deep down the right sideline to Brown, who caught the ball over his shoulder on the sideline. It was ruled a touchdown, but replay showed that Brown’s toe was out of bounds, so the touchdown was overturned.
No matter, Brown got open on the next play and scored.
Hurts ran the ball in from the Titans’ 2 to make it 21-10 with 51 seconds left in the half. That play was set up when Brown was the beneficiary of a pass interference call. The penalty was worth 24 yards down to Tennessee’s 6.
MILES-TONE IN REACH:Why Titans’ Derrick Henry is a cautionary tale if Eagles give Miles Sanders a big contract
The Eagles’ defense held Titans star running back Derrick Henry to 21 yards on 7 carries.
And the defensive line got a boost from the return of rookie defensive tackle Jordan Davis from injured reserve. Davis last played on Oct. 30. Since then, the Eagles added veteran defensive tackles Linval Joseph and Ndamukong Suh to a rotation that already included Fletcher Cox and Javon Hargrave.
The Eagles had three sacks in the first half, although Davis played sparingly.
The Eagles came into the game with an outside chance to clinch a playoff spot. They need a win, plus a Giants win over Washington, a Seahawks loss to the Rams, and a 49ers loss to the Dolphins.
DeVonta delivers early
While all the attention was on Brown facing his former team, it was DeVonta Smith who dominated early. He caught a 20-yard pass on 3rd-and-5 from the Eagles’ 27. Then he scored from 34 yards out on Jalen Hurts’ pass.
It was Smith’s longest reception since he had 44- and 45-yard receptions against Washington on Sept. 25.
Smith had 4 catches for 93 yards in the first half. The yardage total is the most for Smith since he had 169 yards in the game against Washington.
O-line committing penalties
The Eagles’ offensive line hasn’t gotten off to a good start. It was called for two false starts on the opening drive. By the end of the first quarter, four of the five starters were called for penalties.
Jason Kelce, Landon Dickerson and Lane Johnson were each called for false starts. Isaac Seumalo was called for a hold, but that offset a Titans’ penalty for pass interference.
Left tackle Jordan Mailata joined the penalty party in the second quarter with a false start.
In all, the Eagles committed 9 penalties for 60 yards in the first half.
Dickerson left the game in the second quarter with an undisclosed injury. Andre Dillard replaced him at left guard.
Eagles inactives
For the Eagles, the inactives were DE Robert Quinn (knee), QB Ian Book, RB Trey Sermon, CB Josh Jobe, OL Josh Sills and OL Sua Opeta.
The Titans were without starting defensive lineman Denico Autry, who has a team-high 7 sacks.
Contact Martin Frank at mfrank@delawareonline.com. Follow on Twitter @Mfranknfl.
