Getty Derrick Henry and the Tennessee Titans have been listening to Meek Mill to prep for the Eagles.
The Tennessee Titans started this week’s preparations for the Philadelphia Eagles by blasting Meek Mill’s “Dreams & Nightmares” at practice. They might be singing a different tune when the dust settles and the clock reads all zeroes on Sunday.
The title track off Meek Mill’s first studio album just celebrated its 10th anniversary. Of course, the song soared in popularity among Eagles fans when the 2017 Super Bowl team adopted it as their anthem. Opposing teams stood in awe as players warmed up and “Dreams & Nightmares” blared over the loudspeakers at Lincoln Financial Field.
#Titans team stretch with Meek Mills Dreams and Nightmares playing. Yep. It’s definitely Eagles week.
The Philly-born rapper was in jail at the time but provided a statement to say how much it meant to have his hometown football team using his songs for inspiration. He also predicted a win over the New England Patriots.
“It really lifted my spirit to hear the team rally around my songs and that’s why I make music—to inspire others and bring people together,” Meek Mill told Sports Illustrated in 2018. “But the Eagles have also motivated me with the way they’ve overcome tough situations and injuries to succeed this year. That’s why I’m confident my guys are going to beat the Patriots and bring the Super Bowl trophy to Philly.”
Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie even danced to it in the locker room. Today, the NSFW banger is etched into the fabric of Philly sports culture. Meek Mill recently performed it on Sunday Night Football and at the 2022 World Series. This year’s Eagles squad knows every word, too.
Titans Players Ready to Face A.J. Brown
Titans running back Derrick Henry won’t have to line up and face A.J. Brown on Sunday. They play on opposite sides of the ball. However, Henry has been in communication with his “brother” this week and sent him some Nike shirts (via ESPN’s Turron Davenport). Meanwhile, Titans safety Kevin Byard has been preparing to stop his former teammate.
“They are going to try and get him the ball,” Byard told Kayla Anderson. “I think he’s going to want to have a great game against us. It’s going to be really fun. We’re going to talk some trash pre-game, post-game, during the game — but, like I said, I know what kind of athlete he is, what kind of dangerous receiver he is, so obviously that’s something we’re going to be working on this week.”
#Titans Kevin Byard going up against his former teammate @1kalwaysopen_ :
Ditto for cornerback Kristian Fulton who battled Brown at training camp in his first two years.
“Tough, physical receiver. We know what he can do after the catch,” Fulton told Turron Davenport. “It’s definitely going to be fun. We had some battles going through camp my first two years, so I’m excited and looking forward to the matchup. They still have other receivers that we gotta take care of.”
Nick Sirianni Ready for ‘Physical Defense’
Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni was an assistant coach in Kansas City when Mike Vrabel was still playing football. Vrabel was a team captain for the Chiefs and Sirianni got watched his leadership up close and personal. Now, after studying the Titans tape, Sirianni sees Vrabel’s handprints all over Tennessee’s defense.
“Man, I couldn’t say more good things about him as a player,” Sirianni said of Vrabel. “You asked me about the defense. Obviously, I have a lot of experience going against that defense. They’re good. They’re really good.
“Again, they’re physical. They’re sound. They don’t beat themselves. They don’t have a lot of penalties. My early studies on them are that I’m seeing a lot of the things I saw when we played them when I was with the Colts.”
Mike Vrabel crossed paths with Eagles coach Nick Sirianni when both were in KC. Calls him very energetic