Winners and losers in Eagles’ overtime loss to Titans | Jeff McLane

The Eagles lost in overtime, 26-23, to the Titans in Nashville on Sunday.

Who's trending up, and who's trending down?

DOWN — It's a long season and pulling the plug on Mills as a starter may look like a panic move, but his struggles don't appear to be going away. He was burned for a few early balls over the top, took a costly pass-interference penalty in the third quarter, and was toasted by Corey Davis on deep fourth-quarter toss.

>> SOCIAL MEDIA ROUNDUP: Alshon returns, Jalen gets burned | Video and photos

SIDEWAYS — Jones would be a solution. He may already be the Eagles' best cornerback. Jim Schwartz is a Mills guy, but sliding him into the slot might be the best long-term move. Jones, it should be noted, lost his man on the Titans' go-ahead fourth-quarter touchdown and was called for pass interference on a key fourth down in overtime.

>> READ MORE: Eagles' issues in the secondary go beyond Jalen Mills in loss to Titans | Jeff McLane

DOWN — The Eagles' issues in the secondary aren't all Mills' fault. The loss of Rodney McLeod affected the entire unit and Graham had to play more free safety. But his worst moment came when he allowed a 19-yard completion on fourth-and-15 in overtime.

UP — The missing ingredient in the Eagles' first three games, Jeffery makes a difference every time he steps on the field. Defenses must account for the receiver and he makes catches with regularity — back shoulders,  jump balls — that other Eagles can't.

>> READ MORE: Alshon Jeffery put up the best numbers of his Eagles career

DOWN — For the second straight week, the Eagles' front five couldn't protect Carson Wentz enough. The quarterback was under pressure all game and normally-reliable tackles Lane Johnson and Jason Peters were often the culprits.

>> READ MORE: Offensive line can't protect Carson Wentz, allows four more sacks in loss to Titans

Nelson Agholor

DOWN — Agholor had a rough day. He failed to pull in a couple of third-down tosses, fumbled after one of his few catches, and just wasn't much of a factor.

SIDEWAYS — The coach called a decent game on offense, but his decision to run the ball with 11 seconds left before the half made little sense. You can't control the clock as much on the ground, and even if he had planned to use a timeout with three seconds left, he never gave Wentz an opportunity to throw into the end zone.

>> READ MORE: Following loss to Titans, Doug Pederson confronts his first crisis as Eagles head coach | Bob Ford

UP — The quarterback, despite tons of early pressure, was excellent. Wentz fumbled in the fourth quarter, but he was blindsided. He might have wanted a few late passes back, but it's hard to fault him for the Eagles' falling short.

>> READ MORE: Carson Wentz looks sharper, but the Eagles lose anyway

UP — The Eagles tight end topped the 100-yard receiving mark for the first time since December 2016. Ertz caught balls all over the field — 10 of them — and was often Wentz's safety valve.

>> MORE PHOTOS: Eagles at Titans

SIDEWAYS — With Rodney McLeod sidelined after knee surgery, and Corey Graham taking his spot at free safety, Maddox was the dime defensive back and played some safety as well. The rookie cornerback had his first career interception before the half, but he couldn't stop the Titans' game-winning touchdown in overtime.

UP — Matthews' role, since returning to the Eagles, has been minor. But the receiver, who played college football at nearby Vanderbilt, had a major impact on Sunday's game when he caught a 56-yard touchdown pass to get the Eagles going.

UP — Speaking of  Nashville, the Music City native notched a sack upon his return home. Barnett has 2 1/2 sacks over his last two games.

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