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Spadaro: The wide receivers? They are delivering

DeVonta Smith leads the way, but the Eagles' big-play passing attack is getting contributions from the entire group.

WR DeVonta Smith and WR Dontayvion Wicks
WR DeVonta Smith and WR Dontayvion Wicks

NASHVILLE – This was, without question, the biggest conversation point of the entire offseason. Who would step up and be the producer(s) in the wide receiver room for the Philadelphia Eagles? The lineup changed, but how would that impact the offense?

Two games into the season isn't a full-scale sample size, but it's enough to feel really good about where the Eagles are in that department.

DeVonta Smith, coming off a 10-catch, 117-yard, 1-touchdown game, dressed next to Dontayvion Wicks, who caught 5 passes for 74 yards, and who dressed next to Darius Cooper, who caught the game-winning pass in the back of the end zone, as the Eagles worked their way out of Nissan Stadium in Nashville to return to Philadelphia on Sunday night after the thrilling 24-20 win over Tennessee.

The wide receivers? They are delivering.

"We're all talented players. Getting a chance to show what you can do, that's what you want in the NFL," said Wicks, who has 7 catches for 147 yards and a touchdown in the two Eagles wins. "This offense gives us opportunities to make plays. We go out there and do our jobs. Every player in our room is capable of going out there and doing it. For Coop to make that catch, we're all happy for him. He works hard and he's a great player."

They all produced on Sunday. Smith was dominating, making a variety of catches, some of them in the most spectacular, toe-tapping fashion. Wicks was a beast on third and fourth down – he was targeted five times and caught his 5 passes for 74 yards, all of which moved the chains. That's remarkable. Cooper had the touchdown and also produced a 23-yard catch and run that produced a first down. Hollywood Brown had his first Eagles action, taking two handoffs on jet-sweep action and gaining 12 yards on the plays. Makai Lemon made a terrific catch to gain 14 yards on a third-and-8 play (and also had the hustle play of the game, tackling Titans safety Amani Hooker to prevent a pick-six in the first quarter).

"We're spreading it around and that's the philosophy of this offense," quarterback Jalen Hurts said. "We're working within the offense as it is designed to happen. That's a byproduct of the design of this offense. We've put a lot of work into this, in the offseason, every day, and everyone is contributing."

Smith is the focal point of the passing game and that translates into how defenses are playing coverage. His is the first priority to take away, so you see cloud coverage – cornerbacks and safeties "bracketing" him in coverage – to make sure he is always in range. The windows are tight for Hurts at times, and Smith doesn't have a whole lot of room to catch the football and get his feet down, but that's not a problem for Smith, the master of incredible toe-tap receptions.

"I take a lot of pride in it," said Smith, when asked about being the go-to receiver in the passing game, specifically on the final touchdown-scoring drive. "It was time. It was time for me to go out there and show what I can do and be that guy. I had that opportunity and I went out there and did it."

All of the receivers and Hurts have repeatedly praised new Offensive Coordinator Sean Mannion and the Eagles' scheme and the passing game has been a big-play attack through two weeks. There is a lot more to come, of course, but the level of confidence among the wide receivers is sky high.

When your number is called, it is your chance to step up and be the man.

"That's how I feel, that we are here for a reason," Cooper said. "We all work hard. The coaching staff demands a lot out of us and we're out there doing what they ask, whether that's blocking, running routes, whatever. When you have the chance, you go and do it. It feels good. Everybody is contributing."

So far, then, the results are encouraging for the wide receivers and the passing game. The changes were significant in the offseason, but all the work that Hurts and the receivers put in during the weeks between OTAs and Training Camp away from the Jefferson Health Training Complex is paying off.

"We all have a high level of confidence in ourselves and each other," Smith said. "Seeing Coop make that play is great for him. He's only going to grow from that."

That's the mindset – growth. The wide receivers are working as one and the production level is high in this 2-0 Eagles start.

The Eagles hit the road for the first time in the 2026 season when they take on the Tennessee Titans. Philadelphia is looking to start 2-0, while the Titans are hoping to avoid an 0-2 start at home.

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