Even Nate Allen got into the defensive act for the Birds.
By Peter Gleason
A lousy team coming to the Linc just before a big game in Dallas had all the makings of a trap.
But the Eagles had their sights on the Tennessee Titans and not the Dallas Cowboys, their Thanksgiving Day opponent in Big D.
Things stayed close into the third quarter, but a pair of fumbles by the Titans and lots pressure from the Eagles helped them pull away for a 43-24 win that felt like it was headed Philly’s way from the opening kickoff. That’s when Josh Huff went 107 yards for a touchdown and the Eagles never really looked back.
There were a pair of bad Mark Sanchez interceptions, but Titans running back Bishop Sankey fumbled on the next play to hand the ball right back and Sanchez had plenty of good throws over the course of the day on his way to a line of 30-of-43 and 307 yards. LeSean McCoy chipped in with 130 yards and the Eagles might have reached 50 if their red zone work was a bit sharper. That will have to change, as will the turnovers and the habit of giving up big passing plays, once the caliber of competition rises again.
The Eagles sacked Zach Mettenberger five times, but the Titans got back into the game in the second quarter on the back of two long gains on passes to Justin Hunter and Delanie Walker. The Titans had no running game to speak of, however, and the pass rush was clearly too much for the Titans line to handle all afternoon.
Even with the flaws in mind, it was a big step in the right direction after last week’s debacle against the Packers. Beating the Cowboys and grabbing control of the NFC East next week would be an even bigger one.
