Birds beaten badly by Buccaneers once again, 33 to 16

The Philadelphia Eagles are 2-2 after losing to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Raymond James Stadium on Sunday afternoon. Final score: 33 to 16.

This one was even uglier than the final score indicated. The Birds were outgained by 218 yards (445 to 227).

The tone was set by the Bucs opening the game with a 79-yard touchdown drive where the Eagles showed very little resistance. Tampa continued to have their way with Vic Fangio’s unit en route to a 24-0 lead.

The Eagles’ undermanned offense — no doubt badly missing Lane Johnson, A.J. Brown, and DeVonta Smith — took too long to get anything, opening the game with three straight three-and-outs.

Even the special teams unit got in on in the ineptitude with Isaiah Rodgers pushing a Bucs player into Cooper DeJean to set up a Tampa muffed punt recovery.

If you want to say the Eagles didn’t totally fold and give up, well, you can say that. But whenever it looked like the Birds might actually get back into the game, they blew it. Jalen Hurts’ fumble — his 27th giveaway in his 22nd game dating back to the start of last season — killed the Eagles’ chances of making it a one-possession game late in the third quarter.

Nick Sirianni has been saying that the Eagles winning despite consistently losing the turnover battle is “unsustainable.” He’s right. But it’s hard to suggest he has the answers to fixing those problems.

The Eagles did not look like a team that was ready to play. It was difficult to find evidence of a well-coached team in this one, especially early on.

Mercifully, perhaps, the Birds do not play next weekend. They’ll have a chance to get healthy and reflect on what’s gone wrong thus far during their Week 5 bye.

Will the time off actually help? Or will it just be more of the same once they return?

Read on for a recap and stay tuned for BGN’s postgame coverage.

FIRST QUARTER

• The Eagles won the coin toss and elected to defer, as is their typical preference. Braden Mann’s opening kick was intentionally designed to land and bounce on the field, forcing a Bucs return that only got to the minus 21-yard line (instead of a touchback that would’ve been at the 30-yard line). The combination of a Baker Mayfield completion to Mike Evans and then a Rachaad White run through missed tackles from Zack Baun/C.J. Gardner-Johnson/Nakobe Dean resulted in the Bucs’ first first down. The Bucs continued to drive down the field with a quick passing attack. Baun deflected a Mayfield pass that somehow still landed in White’s hands for a gain into goal-to-go. Pretty annoying bad luck for the Birds there. Mayfield found Evans with CJGJ trailing in the end zone for a touchdown. CJGJ wanted a push off call, didn’t get it. Just not enough resistance on a Bucs opening TD drive that went 79 yards in 10 plays with 5:16 off the clock. EAGLES 0, BUCCANEERS 7.

• On the Eagles’ first offensive play, Saquon Barkley was open deep and Jalen Hurts threw out of bounds while drifting to the right. A handoff to Barkley then went for no gain. Facing 3rd-and-10, the Bucs sent a blitz and Hurts’ pass to Dallas Goedert was completed three yards short of the sticks. Three-and-out. A special teams false start on Tristin McCollum knocked the Eagles back further before punting.

• The Bucs took over at their own 20-yard line. Avonte Maddox had a really bad whiff on a play that could’ve been limited to a short gain if not for that brutal miss. The Bucs quickly moved into the red zone and then Mayfield fired a strike over the middle to Trey Palmer in the end zone. Darius Slay was trailing tightly behind Palmer, hardly the worst coverage ever, but that’s probably a matchup you’d like to see your top corner making top 14 CB money win. Another drive with just no resistance, 80 yards in five plays with 2:46 off the clock.

• Dallas Goedert dropped a nice pass from Hurts for a would-be first down. Just can’t happen in this situation when the offense is so short-handed. A Barkley run went for three yards. Facing 3rd-and-7, Vita Vea beat Mekhi Becton with a club move and got to Hurts for the sack. Another three-and-out. But hey at least there was this?!

• The Bucs took over at their own 27-yard line. A Moro Ojomo encroachment penalty gave the Bucs another free five yards. Sure, why not, they could probably use the help. An unexpected positive development: Brandon Graham was left unblocked on play action and he got to Mayfield for a sack! Facing 3rd-and-15, Mayfield hit Cade Otton but Blankenship broke up the would-be completion with a big hit. Blankenship a rare Eagles defender who came to play early on. Cooper DeJean was back to return the Bucs’ punt … and a Bucs player contacted DeJean before the ball arrived and bounced off DeJean … and the refs threw a penalty for what seemed to be interference … but it was ruled that Isaiah Rodgers shoved the Bucs player into DeJean, negating the penalty and allowing the Bucs to recover the muffed punt. Just a disastrous development. Really dumb stuff from Rodgers. To a bigger point, just not looking like a well-coached football team!
• The Bucs got the ball at the Eagles’ 22-yard line. They moved to 2nd-and-goal at the 7-yard line to end the first quarter.

SECOND QUARTER

• Quinyon Mitchell broke up a fade pass to Evans to prevent a touchdown. Facing 4th-and-goal from the 1-yard line, the Eagles didn’t have an answer for Mayfield’s QB keeper on the read option. EAGLES 0, BUCCANEERS 21.
• Hurts overthrew Grant Calcaterra downfield. Then a screen pass to Barkley was tipped for an incompletion. Facing 3rd-and-10, Hurts’ pass to Jahan Dotson wasn’t even close. Overthrown out of bounds. Third straight three-and-out.

• The Bucs took over at their own 20-yard line. Jalen Carter deflected a pass to bring up third down. Facing 3rd-and-7, Blankenship hit Evans as the ball arrived to cause an incompletion … or not … because the ref threw a flag way after the contact occurred to rule DPI. The Bucs drove into goal-to-go territory yet again. Mayfield dropped muffed a snap (one of the Eagles’ best defensive plays so far!) to bring up third down. Facing 3rd-and-goal from the 4-yard line, Kameron Johnson dropped an open touchdown (another one of the Eagles’ best defensive plays!). Todd Bowles brought out the kicker to settle for a 21-yard field goal. Should’ve just went for it, why would he think the Eagles could stop them? EAGLES 0, BUCCANEERS 24.

• Hurts threw behind Johnny Wilson, who then had the ball knocked out of his hands for an incompletion. Facing 3rd-and-6, Hurts took off running for the Eagles’ first first down! Woohooooooo! Only took until about 6:30 remaining in the second quarter! The Eagles remembered Barkley was on the team and gave him the ball to move into field goal range. Facing 3rd-and-1, the Eagles went Brotherly Shove and it worked. Working with a clean pocket, Hurts delivered a good strike to Goedert for a gain into goal-to-go territory. Two straight Barkley runs brought up 3rd-and-goal from the 2-yard line. The Eagles took their first timeout. Another Barkley run from the shotgun got stopped short of the goal line with Bucs run-stuffer Vita Vea being a big deterrent. Facing 4th-and-goal from the 1-yard line, Nick Sirianni correctly decided to go for it … Hurts found Parris Campbell (!) in the back of the end zone for a touchdown! Life. Good adjustment by Campbell to uncover himself and good throw by Hurts after Goedert, seemingly the primary target, immediately got bumped off his route. But then a bad decision by Nick Sirianni to kick the extra point to make a three-possession game … still a three-possession game. EAGLES 7, BUCCANEERS 24.

• The Eagles’ defense got a stop after letting up one first down. Is this even possible or legal?!
• The Eagles took over at their own 20-yard line with 1:14 on the clock and two timeouts to work with. Hurts was pressured on his first pass for an incompletion along the right sideline. Then Hurts tried to get a ball out quick to Kenny Gainwell but overthrew him. Then Hurts completed a pass well short of the sticks to Campbell to force the Bucs to burn their second timeout. Three-and-out with just 0:19 off the clock.
• The Bucs took over at their own 28-yard line with 0:55 on the clock. They picked up 19 yards before having to punt with the Eagles taking their second timeout.
• Kelee Ringo tackled Cooper DeJean on the punt return (lol) but, fortunately for the Eagles, they did not touch the ball this time for a muff and Bucs recovery.
• The Eagles took a knee to run out the clock.

THIRD QUARTER

• The Eagles opened the second half with a Barkley run … that went for 59 yards! Much-needed spark. Really nice lead block by Cam Jurgens on the play. A short Hurts completion to Goedert and a Gainwell run for no gain brought up third down. Facing 3rd-and-1, the Birds went Brotherly Shove for the first down. The Eagles then went right back to it for the touchdown. Great start to the second half. 70 yards in five plays with just 2:32 off the clock. EAGLES 14, BUCCANEERS 24.

• Evans had a step on Slay downfield but failed to bring in an over-the-shoulder catch to bring up third down. Facing 3rd-and-7, Mayfield took off running for a first down. CJGJ seemed to barely just get a finger tip on a Mayfield deep pass that otherwise would’ve went for a touchdown. Facing 3rd-and-11, Mayfield found Godwin with Maddox trailing (drink) for another first down. The Bucs drove to goal-to-go for the eleventy billionth time and Bucky Irving reached the end zone. Or not, he was ruled just short upon review. But then the Bucs pitched to Irving for the score anyway. 12 plays, 70 yards, 5:39 off the clock. Vic Fangio’s defense showed some more resistance on that drive (relatively speaking) by forcing the Bucs into some challenging third downs … but that didn’t really matter since they couldn’t close it out and get off the field on third down. Isaiah Rodgers got some level of redemption on the PAT by blocking the kick to set up a two-point return by Kelee Ringo! Very nice job by Ringo to tightrope the sideline and stay in-bounds on the run back. Pretty big play that prevented the Bucs from taking a three-possession lead and keeping it a two-score game! EAGLES 16, BUCCANEERS 30.

• Barkley broke a tackle after making a short catch for another chunk gain. Simply unstoppable player. Facing 3rd-and-1, another Brotherly Shove, 4/4 on the day. Hurts picked up another first down into the red zone with his legs. Hurts stepped up against pressure from a blitz but held the ball just a bit too long and got strip-sacked for a Bucs recovery. With a chance to make it a one-score game, just a total momentum killer. The trend continues. At least one Hurts giveaway in every game this season and seven in total. Three in the red zone! It really has to stop.

• Mitchell gave up a 30-yard completion to Sterling Shepard on a double move. The rookie corner was still was able to contest the ball but not enough to break it up. Josh Sweat picked up his first regular season sack since November 5, 2023 to knock the Bucs back. Facing 3rd-and-14, Maddox bailed the Bucs out with a defensive holding penalty. Brutal.

FOURTH QUARTER

• Bad diving missed tackle from Nakobe Dean allowed White to take a screen for a first down. Facing 3rd-and-12, Irving dropped Mayfield’s swing pass. Todd Bowles brought out the kicker for a 52-yard field goal attempt. Chase McLaughlin made it to make it a three-possession game again. EAGLES 16, BUCCANEERS 33.
• Hurts had a nice 26-yard completion to Grant Calcaterra to move into Bucs territory. Hurts then took a big sack on a blitz to knock the Eagles back into their own territory. Facing 3rd-and-20, Hurts took off running but there was a holding penalty on Tyler Steen. Facing 3rd-and-29, Hurts got strip-sacked again but Fred Johnson was able to recover the ball this time to bring up an Eagles punt from 4th-and-39.

• CJGJ missed a chance to catch a Mayfield pass that got deflected for a pick. Fangio brought a third down blitz to help force an incompletion for a Bucs punt.
• Hurts had an interception dropped. Facing 4th-and-11, he took a sack for a turnover on downs
• The Bucs got to the Eagles’ 17-yard line and ran out the clock.

FINAL SCORE: EAGLES LOSE, 33 to 16

EAGLES LINEUP NOTES

• The Eagles’ defense opened with a four-man front in nickel instead of the five-man front we often saw in Week 3.
• Fred Johnson got the start at right tackle with Lane Johnson ruled out.
• Jahan Dotson and Johnny Wilson started on the outside with Parris Campbell in the slot.

EAGLES INJURY UPDATES

• Reed Blankenship (illness) was not in the game late in the second quarter. Tristin McCollum came in to play safety. He was ruled questionable to return. Maybe heat exhaustion? Blankenship was later ruled out.
• Fred Johnson entered the medical tent in the third quarter. He returned to the game.
• Darius Slay went down in the third quarter. Isaiah Rodgers, not Kelee Ringo (like last week), came in to replace him.
• Jalen Carter (cramps) left the game late in the third quarter. He was seen limping. He returned in the fourth qaurter.
• Johnny Wilson (concussion) entered the medical tent in the fourth quarter.
• Cam Jurgens (cramps) left the game in the fourth quarter. Landon Dickerson took over at certain with Tyler Steen coming in to play left guard. Jurgens returned later on.
• CJGJ left the game later in the fourth quarter. Maddox shifted back to safety to play with McCollum on the back end.