Jalen Hurts hits Darius Cooper for TD with 9 seconds left to lift the Eagles past the Titans 24-20

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Philadelphia coach Nick Sirianni had only one thought with his offense on the field on a day so hot he needed intravenous fluids to cool off.

Play to win.

Jalen Hurts threw a 3-yard touchdown pass to Darius Cooper with 9 seconds left, and the Eagles beat the Tennessee Titans 24-20 on a steamy Sunday when the temperature on the artificial turf was measured at 157 degrees Fahrenheit.

“They fought and they clawed and they scratched and did anything they had to do to get the win,” Sirianni said of his Eagles.

Philadelphia (2-0) appeared ready to dominate Tennessee. The Eagles opened the game by stringing together three straight drives of at least 11 plays.

The Titans (0-2) sacked Hurts three times and picked him off twice, turning those into 10 points. Marcus Harris' interception set up Joey Slye's 33-yard field goal with 1:56 left, putting Tennessee up 20-17.

Hurts had 1:56 to drive the Eagles 65 yards for the win. He finished with 264 yards passing and two TDs. Hurts called the drive the result of execution, focus and perseverance.

“I’m not one to harp on the elements, but it was a challenge for us as a unit collectively,” Hurts said. “And I’m happy with how we weathered through that.”

The TD catch was the first of Cooper's career. DeVonta Smith had 10 catches for 117 yards, Tank Bigsby ran for a TD, and Jake Elliott kicked a 58-yard field goal.

Cam Ward got the Titans to midfield, but his final pass under pressure hit the turf harmlessly as time expired.

“It’s not a moral victory, it’s a loss,” Ward said. “That’s all it comes down to.”

Philadelphia improved to 15-4 in September since 2021 and remained tied with Buffalo for the most wins in the NFL's opening month in that span. The Eagles had plenty of fans in the stands, making it feel more like a home game.

The air temperature reached 98 degrees Fahrenheit (37 Celsius) in the fourth quarter and felt like 106 degrees. It was so hot the Titans squirted water on players’ cleats on the sideline to cool them off. Eagles left tackle Jordan Mailata said he dismissed talk of the Titans' cleats melting last week.

“It’s like a very deceiving heat out there,” Mailata said. “It just sucks everything out of you.”

The Titans hadn't started a season with back-to-back home games since 2010. It didn't help new coach Robert Saleh as Tennessee lost its first two for a third straight season. Saleh said he thought his Titans outplayed the Eagles at times.

“They executed better in critical moments,” Saleh said.

Ward threw for 183 yards and ran for a pair of 1-yard TDs.

Three-time Pro Bowl running back Saquon Barkley suffered a stinger in his left arm on the opening play, though he returned to start the third quarter. He finished 9 yards on four carries, his fourth career game held under 10 yards rushing.

Philadelphia seemed ready to run the Titans off their own field, starting the game with a 15-play drive. But Hooker picked off Hurts’ pass to Smith in the end zone and set up Ward’s 1-yard TD run for the lead.

The Eagles led 14-10 at halftime despite holding the ball for nearly 22 minutes. Slye pulled the Titans closer with a 37-yard field goal as the second quarter expired.

The Eagles are 2-0 for the fourth time under Sirianni, which is the most by a coach in franchise history. Sirianni became just the fourth NFL coach to win the first six road openers of a career, joining Sean McVay and George Allen (seven) and Mike McCarthy (six), according to the Elias Sports Bureau.

Hurts trails Roger Staubach (eight) as the only NFL quarterbacks to start their careers winning at least their first six road openers. Hurts is the fifth quarterback in NFL history to win six straight road openers during any stretch of their career, joining Dan Fouts (nine), Staubach (eight), Bart Starr (seven) and Fran Tarkenton (seven).

Eagles TE Dallas Goedert hurt a knee midway through the second quarter.

The Eagles visit Chicago on Monday, Sept. 28.

The Titans visit the New York Giants next Sunday.

See AP’s full NFL coverage here

Tennessee Titans quarterback Cam Ward (1) is sacked by Philadelphia Eagles defensive tackle Jalen Carter (98) during the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Sept. 20, 2026, in Nashville, Tenn.(AP Photo/George Walker IV)

Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver Dontayvion Wicks (13) catches a pass over Tennessee Titans cornerback Marcus Harris (26) during the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Sept. 20, 2026, in Nashville, Tenn.(AP Photo/George Walker IV)

Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver Darius Cooper (80) celebrates with teammates after catching a touchdown pass during the second half of an NFL football game against the Tennessee Titans, Sunday, Sept. 20, 2026, in Nashville, Tenn.(AP Photo/George Walker IV)

Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver Darius Cooper (80) catches a touchdown pass over Tennessee Titans cornerback Micah Robinson (21) during the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Sept. 20, 2026, in Nashville, Tenn.(AP Photo/George Walker IV)

Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts walks off the field after an NFL football game against the Tennessee Titans, Sunday, Sept. 20, 2026, in Nashville, Tenn.(AP Photo/John Amis)

CHICAGO (AP) — Rome Odunze knew something was wrong when Caleb Williams stayed on the ground.

Williams left Chicago's 9-3 loss to Minnesota in the fourth quarter with a right hamstring injury, punctuating a frustrating afternoon for the Bears. The third-year quarterback got hurt on a scramble deep in Vikings territory with about 7 1/2 minutes left.

“I’ve never seen him go down like that and be down like that,” said Odunze, one of Chicago's top receivers. “He usually pops back up. I’ve seen him pop back up from hits, all sorts of things. So definitely not a great feeling but instantly praying for him and know he’s going to be back as soon as he can.”

Williams, 24, was helped off the wet field on a rainy afternoon. The No. 1 pick in the 2024 draft had a towel draped over his head as he was carted to the locker room. He took the towel off as the cart moved along the sideline and pumped his right arm to rev up the sullen crowd of 58,914 at Soldier Field.

Williams was 15 for 26 for 138 yards with an interception. He also had five carries for 42 yards.

Bears coach Ben Johnson said he saw Williams right after the loss and he was in good spirits.

“I’m actually happy it’s nothing with the knee,” Johnson said. “That was my first inclination. But yeah, a hamstring can be pretty damaging as well. We’ll see how bad it is tomorrow and we’ll go from there. It’s quickly you’ve got to turn the page.”

Williams threw for a franchise-record 3,942 yards while leading Chicago to the NFC North title in Johnson’s first season as coach. He had 27 touchdown passes and seven interceptions.

He was coming off a terrific performance in a 59-37 win over Carolina in Week 1. He was 21 for 29 for 269 yards and two touchdowns against the Panthers. He also rushed for 65 yards and two TDs in the highest scoring opener in franchise history.

“It hurts man. I thought we had a touchdown,” wide receiver Luther Burden said. “To see him go down, I mean he’s the heart and soul and the engine of this team. Hopefully he’s OK and he’ll get back out there.”

Chicago was down 6-3 when Williams departed ahead of a second-and-goal play from the 6. Tyson Bagent came in and passed to D’Andre Swift for 1 yard before throwing an incomplete pass on third down.

Johnson then sent Cairo Santos on for a 23-yard field goal, but the kick was blocked by Isaiah Rodgers.

“We needed points desperately at that point and, you know, it’s a shame,” Johnson said.

Bagent, 26, also drove Chicago deep into Minnesota territory on its last possession, but he was sacked by Dallas Turner on the final play of the game. He was 5 for 9 for 54 yards.

“Last play, yeah, it got kind of hairy for me but unacceptable on my end,” Bagent said. “But you’ve got to at least give someone a chance. You’ve got to be better executing when we get down at the end.”

Bagent had a record-setting career at Division II Shepherd University before signing with Chicago in May 2023 as an undrafted free agent. He made four starts while appearing in five games as rookie, passing for 859 yards and three touchdowns with six interceptions.

Bagent, who signed a two-year contract extension in August 2025, is confident in his ability to step in for Williams if he has to miss any games.

“I feel great," he said. "I feel like I have a good team around me, good coaching staff, so I’m ready to roll.”

See AP’s full NFL coverage here

Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams (18) runs with the football during the second half of an NFL football game against the Minnesota Vikings in Chicago, Sunday, Sept. 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams (18) throws during the second half of an NFL football game against the Minnesota Vikings in Chicago, Sunday, Sept. 20, 2026. (AP Photo/David Banks)

Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams (18) lies on the field during the second half of an NFL football game against the Minnesota Vikings in Chicago, Sunday, Sept. 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams (18) scrambles as Minnesota Vikings outside linebacker Dallas Turner (15) defends during the first half of an NFL football game in Chicago, Sunday, Sept. 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)