Wow! ... and Whoa! Or maybe it was a giant exhale.

Those were likely some of the reactions to the Eagles’ stunning 24-20 victory against the Titans in Tennessee in the game’s final nine seconds on Jalen Hurts’ 3-yard pass to Darius Cooper in the back of the end zone.

It was the type of victory that wasn’t expected, as most Eagles’ fans expected to see Hurts on the bench in the fourth quarter during a rout. But the Birds managed to escape with their second win.

What were some major issues facing the Birds in Music City? Let’s find out.

In this version of our Eagles’ Roundtable, myself and other Times News writers along with a guest broke down the Birds’ performance on several fronts against Tennessee, as we will throughout the season.

This time around, legendary writer Rich Strack and Titans follower and writer Justin Carlucci, along with guest roundtable member — Summit Hill resident and Panther Valley assistant football coach Paul McArdle — will offer their views.

Did Hurts redeem himself with the winning TD pass after his two interception game?

Strack - “Hurts did redeem himself after throwing two picks that led to 10 Titans’ points with the game-winning drive. Despite throwing two INTs, Jalen Hurts stood up against a strong second-half Titans pass rush and led his team to the win. He’s made just enough big plays to lead his team to a 2-0 record.”

Carlucci - “I think outside of the interception in the end zone early in the game, Jalen Hurts played extremely well. That play may have been a better play from Amani Hooker rather than a poor decision from Hurts, not sure if that’s considered redemption, but I thought Hurts was generally excellent!”

McArdle - “Absolutely. Hurts always remains cool, calm and collective during even the most stressful situations. The two earlier interceptions are easily forgotten with that game-winning drive!”

Moeller - “The interceptions were badly thrown, but Hurts has regained his composure and led the winning scores in the first two games. Shockingly, it has been the same script where he struggles at times, but recovers to make the big plays. However, he needs to be more consistent moving forward.”

How did the offensive line look with Cam Jurgens moving to right guard and Drew Kimball to center to replace Landon Dickerson?

Strack - “The shuffle on the O-line is a work in progress. Although Hurts threw for 252 yards and two TDs, he was constantly under pressure in the second half and suffered a couple of sacks.”

Carlucci - “While some Eagles fans may be disappointed with the offensive line effort, and may not be familiar with the Titans, the backbone of the team is directly up the middle with Jeffrey Simmons and John Franklin Myers. They came to play, and it would’ve been a tough matchup for anyone, so I thought the Birds’ O-line held its own, all things considered.”

McArdle - “The line was a little shaky with the low rushing yards total. Hurts was under pressure pretty regularly.”

Moeller - “The line opened some timely holes, but they had trouble containing the Titans’ pass rush. Hurts saved himself from a number of sacks with his ability to escape.”

Was it the offensive line, or is the Eagles’ running game outside of Saquon Barkley a concern?

Strack - “The Birds rushed for only 89 yards in the game, and Barkley was a non-factor. Barkley got a stinger on the first play, and he has been ineffective in two games. Tank Bigsby had a decent game.”

Carlucci - “The Titans did a good job stopping the run, all things considered. The Eagles were without Saquon Barkley, and they had trouble getting their running game going.”

McArdle - “It was clear that the Titans geared up to stop the run, so the numbers are a little deceiving. When the Eagles needed key rushing yards, they converted. Also, the passing game over the middle of the field was successful because the tackle box was so tight to stop the run.”

Moeller - “Not having the offensive line in sync certainly didn’t help the running game. Tank Bigsby got the carries in place of Barkley, but he couldn’t find enough holes.”

Has Dontayvion Wicks established himself as a No. 1 receiver or a 1A along with DeVonta Smith?

Strack - “Wicks is the real deal despite having one drop. His five catches for 74 yards doesn’t put him at the elite level of Smith, but with (Dallas) Goedert out of most of the game, Wicks became Hurts’ second go-to receiver and definitely contributed to the win. DeVonta Smith is a game changer, making big catches. He was the MVP of the game.”

Carlucci - “Not really. But he’s playing well enough to be a bridge until Makai Lemon hopefully figures it out. Wicks strikes me as a great, reliable No. 3 option in a perfect world. He had a pretty underwhelming 14% air yard share with Green Bay last year. I wouldn’t be thrilled if I had to consider him a 1 or 1A, but as far as a No. 2 goes for the short-term, the Eagles seem to be getting by just fine.”

McArdle - “With over 150 yards receiving this year already, he (Wicks) has definitely established himself as a threat to compliment Smith!”

Moeller - “Heading into the season, Wicks was a question mark. He has quickly established himself, and it will be interesting to see him battle through more coverage the rest of the season.”

Did the Eagles’ defense look like a bend-but-not-break unit with some big stops?

Strack - “The Eagles’ run defense against a team that is expected to lose double digit games this year was awful, allowing 122 yards on the ground, most of them in the second half.”

McArdle - “Jalen Carter’s sack on first down (fourth quarter) when the Titans had first-and-goal was huge! Holding them to a field goal was key in setting up the game-winning drive heroics.”

Moeller - “The defense lost a lot of steam in the second half and looked tired. They did manage some big plays, but they made Tennessee look a lot better than they actually are.”

How will the Eagles fare against the Bears, who may be without star QB Caleb Williams on MNF next week?

Strack - “They (Eagles) play away at the Bears who were upset, but are in the mix as an NFC playoff contender. Philly will have to play two halves of winning football to stay undefeated.”

Carlucci - “Assuming Caleb Williams is out, this could be a turning point for the Eagles to put a full complete game together against the Bears defense that has plenty of issues in its own right.”

McArdle - “The Bears are very hard to predict right now. First that crazy high scoring opening week, and then scoring only three points last week. Caleb Williams being questionable adds even more uncertainty to this game. These kinds of games are always worrisome because on paper, it looks like it should be an easy win, but a wounded animal is always dangerous.”

Moeller - “Without Williams, the task seems a little easier. The Eagles need to establish themselves as an elite team with a convincing win, and this is the perfect time to start.

Final Thought ...

Strack - “For the second straight game, Philadelphia was outplayed in the second half when Super Bowl contenders should be putting away their opposition. It’s very early in the season and the Eagles are unbeaten, but late-game winning drives or opposing teams failing to capitalize with the game on the line cannot be a winning formula.”

Thanks to Paul McArdle for sharing his thoughts this week. However, you, too, can join us. Simply send an email to tnsports@tnonline.com with the title “Eagles Roundtable,” and if your email is chosen, we’ll include you in our weekly discussion! It’s that easy!

Your thoughts are always welcomed and will be published; email them to tnsports@tnonline.com