5 things we learned from the Eagles’ win over the Buccaneers
Another incomplete game, despite a victory
From Delaware County Daily Times: https://tinyurl.com/mryys6pw
The Eagles escaped steamy Tampa with a 31-25 win over the Buccaneers on Sunday. Here are five things we learned about the Birds from their victory.
1. They still can’t put together a full 60 minutes
A win is a win, especially on the road in sweltering temperatures against a resilient opponent, but this performance in Tampa felt like two separate games. In the first half, the Eagles looked crisp and dominant, building a sizable lead. But in the second half, the offense all but disappeared — registering only 23 total yards with Jalen Hurts going 0 for 8 passing.
Last week against the Rams, it was a bad first half and a soaring second half. But through four games, the Birds have been winning ugly with a few flashes of brilliance, similar to 2023 when they eventually collapsed, and that’s concerning with this talent-loaded roster. For a squad with high expectations, the challenge is to bridge those two halves into one complete, consistent performance.
2. Explosive plays remain in short supply
The Eagles didn’t exactly light up the scoreboard with big, game-breaking plays. Quarterback Baker Mayfield and the Bucs did generate a couple splash plays (77-yard TD to Emeka Egbuka, 72-yard pass to Bucky Irving) that kept Tampa Bay in striking distance, but the Birds’ offense didn’t reciprocate much.
Coach Nick Sirianni emphasizes two stats above others: turnover margin and explosive plays. The Eagles won the turnover battle at plus-2 (Tampa’s first two giveaways of the year), but their only explosive play came on special teams.
3. Special teams are a sharp contrast of playmaking and peril
If there’s one unit that stood out, it was special teams. The Eagles blocked a punt — Cameron Latu forced the breakdown, and Sydney Brown scooped it up and rumbled in for six. That made it two weeks in a row the Bucs have allowed a block returned for a TD.
But the compliments have a caveat: The Eagles also got flagged. A 10-yard holding penalty by Perry Nickerson mitigated out a shanked Buccaneers punt, reminding us that the margin for error remains small.
On the plus side, this team didn’t bungle returns like they did against the Rams, and both Tank Bigsby and Will Shipley looked comfortable handling kicks. Coverage, though, still has holes. Thankfully Mac McWilliams made a shoestring tackle on Cameron Johnson to prevent a severely damaging gain.
4. Hurts solid vs. Bowles’ pressure, initially
Jalen Hurts looked decisive and effective early — he recognized blitzes, hit DeVonta Smith on a third-and-8 from the 40, and generally spread the ball to DeVonta Smith, Dallas Goedert, Grant Calcaterra and others. The QB was 15 for 16 at halftime, but he didn’t complete another pass. As coach Todd Bowles’ Buccaneers mixed coverages and pressures, the downfield attempts faltered.
In the second half, Hurts kept forcing the ball to A.J. Brown on weak curl routes and frequently overthrew him on deep balls. Brown is also to blame. He didn’t run clean routes and even quit on some routes.
5. Offense can be creative when it wants to be
One thing the Eagles continue to do well is push beyond standard play calls. They targeted Brown early, worked Smith and Goedert, stretched the defense deep on second-and-2 from Tampa’s 31, then followed with a shovel pass to Goedert in a tight “diamond” bunch set.
They shuffled targets, even bringing John Metchie into the mix. They involved Saquon Barkley in the passing game, and they went to him on a fake tush push to score. But offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo has yet to get him going this season. And when not calling scripted plays, the offense bogged down again as it has much of September.
6. (Bonus) The defense held up — mostly
To begin, the Eagles got two consecutive punts to open the game — a statement, considering how Tampa attacked early in prior years. Coverage was tight, tackling was excellent compared to past seasons, particularly in the first half, and players swarmed to the ball. Quinyon Mitchell did a good job tracking Egbuka, and Cooper DeJean and Zack Baun delivered some key plays.
But rookies Andrew Mukuba and Jihaad Campbell, who have been impressive overall, gave up a pair of explosive platys that kept the Buccaneers in contention and nearly gave defensive coordinator Vic Fangio a conniption.
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Follow Christiaan DeFranco on X at @the_defranc.