Eagles vs. Titans Preview: Davis returns, Eagles look to Blankenship to step up

The Philadelphia Eagles are getting set to take on the Tennessee Titans in a revenge game for A.J. Brown. Coming off an electric offensive performance against the Packers, the Eagles will look to continue that trend in today’s game. However, they will be trying to turn things around on the defensive end, as they gave up 33 points in the win on Sunday night.

Let’s take a look at three keys to an Eagles win:

Stop the run game early

While this is likely the most apparent key, it must be said for a reason. The Eagles have been killed on the ground as of late, allowing 134 rushing yards per game over their last five games. Most of these yards have come in the first quarter, causing the Eagles to face an early deficit in most of these games. The Eagles will be facing one of the best running backs in the NFL, Derrick Henry, who’s recorded over 500 yards and five touchdowns in his last five games. Fortunately for the Eagles, Jordan Davis will return after sitting on the IR for four weeks.

Before losing Davis to an ankle injury in week eight, the Eagles allowed just 115 rushing yards per game. Despite just being drafted, it’s prominent that Davis made an immediate impact on the Eagles’ run defense. Adding Davis back to the line has eased concern for many Eagles fans, as he should play a significant role in containing Henry and the Titans’ rushing offense. The Eagles should have a very high chance of winning this game if Davis can play up to par.

Reed Blankenship continuing to step up

During the game against the Packers, the Eagles lost CJ Gardner-Johnson to a rib injury, and he did not return. On Saturday, he was placed on the IR, swapping positions with Davis. Reed Blankenship will be his fill-in today against the Titans, getting his first start of the season. Blankenship surprised most Eagles fans against the Packers as he played a great game. He had one bad play in which he let up a touchdown, but that could easily be blamed on Gannon’s play-calling.

Blankenship had a very impressive interception from Aaron Rodgers, coming out of nowhere after perfectly reading his pass. In the preseason, Blankenship showed a lot of upsides. However, the success of Johnson and Epps has taken away opportunities for Blankenship to show his abilities. After a solid game against the Packers, fans are excited to see what Blankenship can offer against the Titans.

Feeding A.J. Brown

As previously mentioned, this is a revenge game for Brown, as he will be playing his former team for the first time in his career. As of late, Brown hasn’t looked right, averaging just 37 yards per game.

Thankfully, Brown let the media know why this was the case. Brown was extremely sick with a stomach bug, losing seven pounds and popping a blood vessel in his eye from vomiting.

Fortunately, Brown should be much healthier heading into this game, hungry for revenge. The Titans have one of the worst passing defenses in the league, giving up 223 passing yards per game, which is the ninth worse in the NFL. This could be a similar game to the win against the Steelers in which Brown was fed the ball, having the best game of his career. Brown could spark a highly-productive offensive game against the Titans, increasing the Eagles’ chance of winning significantly.

The Eagles’ week 13 matchup with the Titans starts at 1:00pm ET and will be broadcasted on FOX.