The Eagles were wilting. The heat was beginning to catch up with the defending Super Bowl champions against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday at sweltering Raymond James Stadium.
The most important thing is that the Eagles survived with a 31-25 victory, moving to 4-0 and winning for the 20th time in the last 21 games—and picking up their franchise-tying 10th-straight victory (including playoffs). The Eagles remain one of two NFL teams that are undefeated (Buffalo is the other).
Eagles’ coach Nick Sirianni became the third coach in NFL history with three 4-0 starts in their first five years as a head coach, joining the legendary Paul Brown and George Halas (Sirianni, Brown and Halas merits some type of emoji).
The Eagles had to sweat this out ending—again.
Jalen Hurts completed 15 of 24 passes for 130 yards and two touchdowns—though all his completions came in the first half. Hurts was 0-for-8 in the second half, and the Eagles offense burped out a minus-1 yard of total offense in the second half, factoring in punter Braden Mann’s 34-yard safety on the final play. Take that away, and the Eagles gained a total of 33 yards in the second half, while giving up 376 yards of total offense to Tampa Bay—275 coming in the second half.
The Eagles had five three-and-out of their eight drives in the second half, after amassing 201 yards and a 24-6 halftime lead.
There are blatant holes in this team that need to be addressed if the Eagles plan on repeating as Super Bowl champions.
The offense under Kevin Patullo is the NFL’s best—in the Red Zone. The Eagles are a perfect 11-for-11 in the Red Zone this season. Everywhere else on the field they have been far less than perfect. In the first half against the Rams, they had minus-1 yard passing. In the second half against Tampa Bay, they had 0 yards passing and 33 yards of offense, excluding Mann’s 34-yard safety.
Saquon Barkley has not been able to get up field as quickly as he did last season, with Patullo and the Eagles’ offensive line unable to pry open stacked defenses willing to commit to the run while allowing Hurts to beat them passing. All-Pro right tackle Lane Johnson missing with a stinger for major parts of Weeks 3 and a shoulder in Week 4 has had something to do with the dubious offense, and the Eagles seemingly lack of trust in Barkley and the running game could be another reason why.
The passing game reappeared in the second half for the Eagles last week. It disappeared the last 30 minutes against Tampa Bay in Week 4.
If not for the defense and special teams, the Eagles would be in some trouble.
But the Eagles will not know just how troubling their issues are until they face a competitive team again, which will not happen for over a month, when they travel to Green Bay on Monday, Nov. 10.
There was a lot of good, some bad, and a lot of ugly in the Eagles’ 31-25 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Eagles’ defensive coordinator Vic Fangio going after Baker Mayfield in the last minute of the game on fourth-and-nine at the Eagles’ 37 with 57 seconds to play.
Moro Ojomo’s nine-yard sack with 1:45 to play at the Eagles’ 40, pushing the Bucs into a third-and-23.
Rookie linebacker Jihaad Campbell making up for an earlier play with an interception in the end zone, taking a possible tying score away when Baker Mayfield scrambled right and made an ill-advised throw with 7:57 to play. TheEagles gave the ball right back with their fifth three-and-out of the second half.
Saquon Barkley’s six-yard counter sweep for a touchdown off the “Tush Push” play on the Eagles’ fourth drive of the third quarter. It was a nice play call from Eagles’ offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo, who did well in the Red Zone. The Eagles were three-for-three in the Red Zone and are an NFL-best 11-for-11 combined over their first four games in the Red Zone this season. The Barkley wrinkle may cause opposing teams to take a broader look when defending what has been an undefendable play for the Eagles.
The Eagles’ fourth drive of the third quarter. After three-straight three-and-outs for minus-9 yards to begin the second half, the Eagles took advantage of a Kelee Ringo fumble recovery at the Bucs’ 25. The Eagles decided to run the ball six times and pound away at the Bucs, grinding them down for a 31-13 lead.
Cornerback Kelee Ringo’s fumble recovery with 7:26 left in the third quarter at the Tampa Bay 25 sustained the Eagles’ lead. It was the Bucs’ first turnover of the season, forced by Jalyx Hunt, with Ringo there to pick it up. Ringo earlier came up to deflect the ball away on a fourth-and-five at the Eagles’ 33 on the Bucs’ first drive of the third quarter defending Sterling Shepard.
The Eagles’ first half offense. They outgained the Bucs 201 to 99 in total yards, were three-of-five on third-down conversions, and had 13 first downs, 10 coming from passing, to the Bucs’ seven first downs. The Eagles had scored 38 points combined in their first three games. Their 24 against Tampa Bay was a season high for points in the first half this season.
The Eagles closing the first half with a Jake Elliott 39-yard field goal for a 24-3 lead.
Linebacker Zach Baun’s four tackles in the first half, three solo, including a sack. He was everywhere, as usual. Baun later made a great stop on Emeka Egbuka for no gain on a third-and-one at the Bucs’ 31 with 4:47 to play. He finished the game with eight tackles, behind Cooper DeJean’s team-high nine.
The Eagles’ third drive of the game. It ended in Dallas Goedert’s second TD reception. It also meant the Eagles scored on two of their first three drives, mixing the pass and trusting the run, an area they gradually lost in.
Dallas Goedert’s two touchdown receptions in the first half for a total of seven yards. The Eagles ran the same play and Tampa had no answer for it.
Receiver DeVonta Smith’s nine-yard reception on the Eagles’ first drive, keeping alive a series on a third-and-eight play at midfield, and his 20-yard reception on another third-down conversion, which came on a third-and-six at the Bucs’ five. It led to Goedert’s second touchdown reception.
Eagles’ first offensive drive. They went 73 yards over eight plays, and new offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo was doing a fine job of dialing up creases in the Bucs’ defense. The Eagles only had to convert one third down, and scored on an imaginative play when Hurts flicked a two-yard shuttle pass to Dallas Goedert for a touchdown. Patullo was calling quality plays, leaving the Bucs wondering what to do. Hurts’ 29-yard run was the big play of the drive.
Safety Sydney Brown’s 35-yard scoop-and-score off Cam Latu’s blocked punt in the first quarter for a 7-0 Eagles’ lead.
Cam Latu’s blocked punt in the first quarter, which led to an Eagles’ 7-0 lead. Latu came through the center-right guard gap, finding a crease in the Bucs’ punt protection. It was a great effort by Latu, who split tight end Payne Durham and Bucs’ long snapper Evan Deckers. Latu took the punt right off of Bucs’ Riley Dixon’s foot. Eagles’ special teams coach Michael Clay has dialed two blocked field goals and a blocked punt in the Eagles’ last two games (the Eagles’ punt return needs tightening).
Cornerback Quinyon Mitchell’s coverage at the outset on Bucs’ rookie wide receiver Emeka Egbuka, coming up to defend a pass on the Bucs’ first drive, stopping a third-and-five at the Tampa Bay 48. Everywhere Egbuka went, Mitchell followed. Mitchell came up with another huge play with Tampa driving early in the fourth quarter, coming up to knock the ball away from Chris Godwin on a second-and-five play at the Eagles’ 42.
Rookie Andrew Mukuba losing Chris Godwin on a third-and-nine at the Eagles’ 22. Mayfield found Godwin for an 11-yard reception at the Eagles’ 11, seemingly going in for a trying score. Fortunately, Jihaad Campbell bailed Mukuba out with an interception in the end zone with 7:57 to play.
Patullo had some great calls in the Red Zone, but seems to have problems outside of it. The Eagles decided to pass on three successive plays to start the fourth quarter. It was yet another three-and-out. The Eagles went three-and-out, three-and-out, three-and-out, a six-play, 25-yard scoring drive (thanks to a Tampa Bay lost fumble), five-and-out, three-and-out and another three-and-out in the second half with 6:18 left in the game. Hurts 0-for-8 in the second half, trying to work with right tackle Lane Johnson on the bench with a shoulder injury.
Joshua Uche’s 15-yard roughing-the-passer penalty on the Bucs’ first drive of the fourth quarter. It added more fuel to the waning momentum the Eagles had built in the first half.
The Eagles’ third drive of the third quarter. A third-straight three-and-out, this time for minus-seven yards. After gaining 201 yards of total offense in the first half, the Eagles were minus-9 yards of offense on their first three drives of the third quarter, highlighted by two Vita Vea nine-yard sacks.
The Eagles’ second drive of the third quarter. The Eagles went three-and-out for the second-straight time in the half, leaving makable second- and third-and-threes on the table.
Right guard Tyler Steen going down with a left knee injury with 1:59 left in the first half, and Matt Pryor coming in to replace him. Pryor came in to replace Lane Johnson at right tackle against the Rams last week and was a human turnstyle before being replaced by Fred Johnson. Steen returned to the game on the first drive of the second half, with Johnson lost again with a shoulder injury.
The Eagles’ third quarter offense produced three three-and-outs and 21 total yards of offense in allowing a Tampa Bay resurgence. The Ringo fumble recovery proved to be very pivotal, because the Bucs would have been within one score entering the fourth quarter without it.
Bucky Irving’s 72-yard, third-quarter touchdown reception beating Eagles’ rookie linebacker Jihaad Campbell down the sideline on a second-and-six play from the Bucs’ 28. Mayfield actually made the play, when he scrambled and Irving leaked out of the backfield. The touchdown may have had more to do with the Eagles’ inability to get to Mayfield than anything Campbell was able to do.
Mayfield finding Egbuka downfield for a 77-yard, third-quarter touchdown between safeties Reed Blankenship and Andrew Mukuba. The pass went by the outstretched left hand of Blankenship and right through Mukuba’s arms. Mukuba was looking up field at Mayfield, and Blankenship could not get over in time to prevent the completion.
Kam Johnson’s 46-yard punt return after the Eagles’ three-and-out, setting up the Bucs at the Eagles’ 40 early in the third quarter. Johnson later followed that punt return with a major 27-yard punt return to the Eagles’ 47 with 11:48 to play.
The Eagles’ first drive of the second half. The Bucs had to keep Hurts in the pocket and went three-and-out for minus-9 yards on the opening drive of the second half. Steen got beat by Vita Vea for a nine-yard sack.
The personal foul on the Eagles’ defense after what looked like a Cooper DeJean interception with 4:27 left in the first quarter. The Bucs wound up scoring their first points of the game off 30 yards in Eagles’ penalties. The Eagles were flagged four times for 55 yards in the half, which was about the only ugly blotch of a very good half.
Cooper DeJean getting flagged for taunting after making a sound defensive play with 5:04 left in the first quarter. It was certainly a questionable call, though DeJean should have known better than to stand over Chris Godwin after batting the ball away on a second-and-11 at the Bucs’ 37. It’s basic Football 101 taught to Pee-Wee players. But Sirianni likes his players to compete with emotion, which can sometimes overflow and backfire.
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