When it comes to bouncing back from a loss, the Eagles know what they're doing.
The Birds racked up 461 yards of offense, scored a touchdown in each of the first three quarters, and saw little resistance en route to the team's eighth win of the season, a 43-24 victory over the Tennessee Titans on Sunday afternoon.
Rookie Josh Huff got the afternoon off to a thrilling start with a 107-yard kickoff return for a touchdown, the longest return in franchise history. Huff tore down the right sideline, shedding would-be tacklers and administering a demoralizing stiff arm before trotting into the end zone.
From there, the Birds' skill players just kept the momentum rolling in the team's tenth straight win at home.
Running back LeSean McCoy had himself quite the day as he attacked Tennessee's run defense, the second-to-worst unit in the league. Chip Kelly unleashed the ground attack Sunday, hitting the ground time and time again. McCoy finished the game with 130 yards on 21 carries, a 6.2 yard-per-carry average, and his third rushing touchdown of the season.
McCoy picked up 34 of those yards in a first quarter that saw the Eagles fly out to a 17-0 lead in just over 12 minutes of game time. Huff's kickoff return putĀ them up by a score early, and running back Darren Sproles capped a 51-yard drive with a four-yard touchdown run just 4:16 into the game to give the Eagles a 14-point cushion.
After a Cody Parkey made it 17-0 at the end of the first quarter, the Titans answered with a pair of touchdowns to start the second quarter, broken up by another field goal from Parkey. Titans quarterback Zach Mettenberger completed a 40-yard pass nine seconds into the quarter, and Tennessee running back Shonn Greene capitalized from two yards out to make it a 20-14 game halfway through the period.
So it was time for an answer from Chip Kelly's offense.
The Eagles put together a 10-play, 69-yard drive that took up just 3:44 of clock and closed with a 2-yard touchdown run from LeSean McCoy. McCoy finished the first half with exactly 100 yards.
The score put the Birds up, 27-14, before a Ryan Succop made it a 10-point game with a field goal before halftime.
From there everything came up all green jerseys and white pants as the Eagles outscored Tennessee, 13-0, over the first 24 minutes of the second half before surrendering points near the end of the game.
Tight end James Casey caught a 14-yard touchdown, the only score of the third quarter, to put the Birds up by 17 points. And a pair of Cody Parkey field goals gave the Eagles a 23-point lead until the Titans scored a largely inconsequential touchdown with 5:43 to play in the game.
The Eagles kept the Titans' offense off the board for the majority of the second half with a consistent defensive assault, picking up an interception, forcing two fumbles and racking up five sacks on the afternoon.
The Eagles (8-3) will travel to Texas to take on the rival Dallas Cowboys on Thanksgiving at 4:00.
