This rekindled the ghosts of Tampa Bay’s past. It forced you to think back when Troy Aikman told the nation in the Eagles’ 32-9 Wild Card playoff loss to Tampa Bay last season that the Eagles were a … “a defeated team and they were when they came in. And there’s been no life to this group really throughout the entire ball game.”
Being labeled “quitter” is a grime that does not easily rinse off.
This time, it seemed, the Eagles quit before they even arrived at Raymond James Stadium on Sunday, losing 33-16 to the Buccaneers, and it did not even seem that close.
The lack of effort may raise red flags as to whether this team has quit on head coach Nick Sirianni.
Want to use heat as an excuse?
Both teams were playing in the oppressive heat and it did not appear to slow the Bucs. They entered the game going 20-straight games without scoring a touchdown on their opening drive, which was the NFL’s longest streak. The Eagles changed that.
The Eagles had 12 missed tackles. For the 12th-straight game, they lost the turnover battle (2-0), turning the ball over 22 times (and causing seven) for a minus-15 turnovers in that span. Tampa Bay made the Eagles pay for their two turnovers, too, scoring 10 points off two lost fumbles.
Another glaring point is that the Eagles are the only NFL team not to score a point in the first quarter this season.
That reflects on coaching and a dubious game plan.
The Eagles were playing without their three most impactful offensive players: Receivers A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith and future Hall of Fame right tackle Lane Johnson.
But the last time Brown, Smith or Johnson ever played defense may have been back in high school. And that trio was on the field for the majority of the last 12 regular-season games when Jalen Hurts failed to protect the ball.
The Bucs sacked Hurts six times for minus-44 yards. Tampa Bay entered the game with a total of two sacks over its first three games. The Eagles surrendered a season-high 445 yards of total offense to Baker Mayfield and the Tampa Bay offense. Through four games, the Eagles’ defense is allowing opponents an average of 365.5 yards a game, which ranks in the lower portion of the NFL.
So far, Vic Fangio has had one good game as the Eagles’ defensive coordinator—one, last week against New Orleans. Last year, under Fangio disciple Sean Desai, the Eagles allowed an average of 321.2 yards a game over the first four games—a 40-yard difference, including allowing just 174 yards of total offense to Mayfield and the Bucs in a Week Three victory in 2023.
So far, Sirianni has not any good games in 2024. The Eagles are 2-2, despite Sirianni’s fourth-down blunders last week against New Orleans and fortunate that Green Bay Packers’ coach Matt LaFleur made more mistakes that Sirianni did in the season opener.
A month ago, this team was projected to win 12 or more games.
Does anyone think that now?
Hurts completed 18 of 30 for 158 yards and a touchdown. Mayfield, with seemingly all the time in the world, threw for 347 yards and two touchdowns, completing 30 of 47 passes and was sacked twice, one coming from Old Man River Brandon Graham.
This game was over in the first half. With 7:24 left in the second quarter, the Eagles had more turnovers than they had yards, down 24-0, giving up 254 yards of total offense to the Eagles’ 0 yards of offense.
No one seemed to want to believe it last week when it said here verbatim: The Eagles’ record says 2-1. But they are a team in trouble. If you think otherwise, time to whip out your Eagles’ footie pajamas and see if they still fit.
But hey, there was some great news for the Eagles: Bryce Huff found his way on the stat sheet and made a tackle. Watch out, Reggie White’s Hall of Fame bust is looking over its shoulder.
And more good news, Hurts snapped his streak at seven-straight regular-season games throwing an interception. Although, Hurts’ streak of turning the ball over continues. That is now nine-straight regular-season games in which Hurts has turned the ball over, dating back to Week 13 last season against San Francisco.
There was hardly any good, a lot of bad, and a laughable mountain of ugly in a horrible 33-16 loss to the 3-1 Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
The Good
Saquon Barkley ripping off 59 yards on the first play of the second half. The play was the complete opposite on how the Eagles played in the first half: Something worked. Center Cam Jurgens made the play. He pulled right, reached the second level, and came up with a great sealing block on Tampa Bay inside linebacker J.K. Britt who was converging on Barkley. That created a corridor for Barkley to run through. It also opened the door for the Eagles to get back into a game that they had no right to be in after the first quarter, pulling the Eagles to within 24-14 with 12:28 left in the third quarter. On the Eagles’ second drive of the second half, Barkley later ran through Bucs’ cornerback Jamel Dean for 27 yards to the Tampa Bay 42. The Eagles blew that when Hurts fumbled in the red zone with 2:36 left in the third quarter. Barkley finished with 84 yards rushing, averaging 8.4 yards a carry on 10 touches. Barkley had a season-low 12 touches, with two receptions on four targets for 32 yards.
Defensive end Brandon Graham made the first significant play of the game for the Eagles (figures), sacking Mayfield on the Bucs’ third possession at the Tampa 40 for an 11-yard sack. Graham prevented Tampa Bay from, temporarily, going up 21-0. But Cooper DeJean blew that by fumbling the ensuing punt—and the Bucs converted to make it 21-0.
The Eagles’ fourth drive. The Eagles did not achieve their first first down of the game until there was 6:43 left in the first half. It came on a Hurts’ seven-yard scramble. That seemed to get the Eagles’ offense going. They pounded away at the Tampa Bay defense for 70 yards over 14 plays, chewing up 5 minutes, 24 seconds off the clock. The Eagles finally got on the board on fourth-and-goal when Hurts found Parris Campbell in the back of the end zone with 1:54 left in what was otherwise a forgettable first half.
Defensive back Isaiah Rodgers making up for an earlier blunder (under bad) by blocking an extra point, which allowed Kelee Ringo to pick up the blocked extra point for a two-point conversion and making a bad situation palatable with the Eagles down, 30-16, with 6:49 left in the third quarter.
Linebacker Nakobe Dean made a nice play throwing down Bucs’ tailback Rachaad White for a two-yard loss at the Eagles’ 48 with
The Bad
Left guard Tyler Steen (replacing Landon Dickerson, who had to move to center when Cam Jurgens left the game because of the heat) getting called for holding on third-and-19 at the Eagles’ 48. It wiped away Hurts’ six-yard scramble and forced the Eagles into a third-and-29.
The Eagles’ first offensive drive. This was an omen. The Eagles did not answer Tampa Bay’s opening touchdown by moving seven yards and punting. Another portent: Nickel back Tykee Smith converging on Hurts from the right side (Fred Johnson missed a block) on third-and-seven from the Eagles’ 33 and Hurts throwing it away under the pressure.
Dallas Goedert dropping Hurts’ pass on their first play of their second drive on a first-and-10 at the Eagles’ 30. This
Rodgers pushing the Bucs’ Josh Hayes in the back—and right into Cooper DeJean on the muffed fumble with 1:06 left in the first quarter. It was the Eagles’ first turnover and put the Bucs up 21-0.
On the Bucs’ third drive, safety Reed Blankenship failing to tackle Mayfield on a fourth-and-goal on a quarterback draw and a 21-0 Tampa Bay lead with 14:09 left in the half. Blankenship was later called for pass interference on a third-and-seven at the Tampa Bay 23. It led to a field goal and a 24-0 Bucs’ lead. Blankenship was later taken out by the 110-degree heat on the field.
The Ugly
Hurts not feeling the pocket, sacked six times for 44 yards. Bucs’ head coach Todd Bowles is in Hurts’ head and it is obvious. Hurts is 1-4 against Bowles and struggles to see the exotic concoctions Bowles dials up with his blitz packages. Entering the game, Tampa Bay had two total sacks in its first three games. They tripled that in one game against Hurts and Kellen Moore’s offense.
Hurts’ turnover streak continues. He has turned the ball over an NFL-high seven times this season (four interceptions; three lost fumbles). Hurts leads all NFL quarterbacks with 27 turnovers since 2023. In the last two seasons combined, Hurts has thrown a combined NFL-high 19 interceptions and lost eight fumbles. Hurts failed to have any pocket awareness, caught from behind by Bucs’ linebacker Lavonte Davis on a first-and-10 with 2:36 to play in the third quarter. Davis blew right through Barkley to make the play. The Bucs’ Ben Stille was there to fall on it at the Tampa Bay 24. That was Hurts’ third turnover in the red zone only four games into this season (two interceptions in the end zone and the lost fumble vs. Tampa Bay).
The Eagles first half. They were outgained 287-69, the Bucs averaged 6.5 yards a play to their 2.6, and allowed Mayfield to throw for 226 yards on 22 completions on 33 attempts. Tampa Bay had 18 first downs to the Eagles’ six, and the Bucs ran off 44 plays in the first two quarters to the Eagles’ 27. Most importantly, the Bucs led 24-7. Saquon Barkley had 22 yards rushing on eight carries, and was targeted just twice in the first half.
Hurts in the first half. Maybe this shows Hurts cannot to do this on his own. He needs serious weapons everywhere. He clearly did not trust his secondary people, was unsure rolling out, unsure in the pocket, and overthrew wide-open receivers (see first play of the game). He completed 7 of 15 for 49 yards and a touchdown. His longest completion in the half came on the Eagles’ fourth drive, when he found Goedert for 18 yards on a second-and-one from the Tampa Bay six. He averaged 2.4 yards a pass to Mayfield’s 6.6.
The Eagles first quarter. In a word—horrendous. The Eagles are the only NFL team through four games not to score a point in the first quarter. That says something about the coaching and their inability to put together a cohesive, attacking game plan. The Bucs had 10 first downs to the Eagles’ zero. The Bucs averaged 8.9 yards a play to the Eagles’ meager 1.7, and Tampa Bay had thrown for 137 yards to the Eagles’ minus-3. It was embarrassing. The game seemed over then.
The Eagles’ defense on Tampa Bay’s second drive. They made Mayfield look like Joe Montana, John Elway and Dan Marino wrapped up into one on this series. Mayfield went four-for-four for 76 yards and his second touchdown. With 5:03 left in the first quarter, Tampa Bay was rolling, 14-0, and showing no signs of breaking. The Bucs had five plays, four first downs and a second down. The Bucs averaged 16.2 yards a play on first down alone during the drive. And it was the same problems: No pass rush, faulty tackling, and Vic Fangio’s inability to stop that daunting Montana-Elway-Marino combination known as Baker “The Unstoppable” Mayfield (a journeyman who is with his fourth NFL team).
Hurts missing a wide-open Barkley running down the right sideline on the Eagles’ first play of the game. Barkley was at least eight yards behind the Bucs’ back-up safety Christian Izien and linebacker Joe Tryon-Shoyinka. Hurts was not even close to Barkley, throwing the ball out of bounds.
The Bucs entered the game going 20-straight games without scoring a touchdown on their opening drive, which was the NFL’s longest streak. Well, the Eagles sure changed that, through failing to pressure Mayfield, shotty tackling and, quickly honestly, Vic Fangio’s soft approach. The Bucs took the opening kickoff 79 yards over 10 plays, converting two third downs, one for one yard, the other for two yards. Otherwise, it was smooth sailing for a team that scored just one touchdown the previous week. Tampa Bay averaged 10.2 yards a play on their first series, with no pressure inside coming from Jalen Carter and Jordan Davis, and with Nakobe Dean and C.J. Gardner-Johnson getting beat.
Safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson burned by Mike Evans for a 2-yard touchdown on the Bucs’ opening drive. This seems like we are pointing out CJGJ, though in four successive weeks this is what has happened to the safety: In Game Three against the Saints, Gardner-Johnson was stung on a 12-yard touchdown reception to Chris Olave on a second-and-10 from the Eagles’ 12 with 2:03 to play. Gardner-Johnson was nowhere near Olave; In Game Two against Minnesota, Gardner-Johnson got caught looking at Kirk Cousins as Darnell Mooney ran by him for a 41-yard touchdown pass with 1:21 left in the third quarter; and in the season opener, Gardner-Johnson turned the wrong way, when Jayden Reed ran by him unchecked for an easy 70-yard TD score.
Nickel corner Avonte Maddox completely whiffing on Chris Godwin on the second play of the Bucs’ second drive, going for 28 yards to the Eagles’ 36. It led to a 14-0 Tampa Bay lead. Maddox had a tough day. He was later called for defensive holding on the last play of the third quarter on a third-and-14 at the 50. It gave the Bucs’ new life entering the fourth quarter up, 30-16. The new set of downs enabled Tampa Bay to go up 33-16 on a Chase McLaughlin 52-yard field goal with 12:59 left to play.
Dean was not able to defend the pass. Mayfield went right at him on the first play of the Bucs’ second drive, completing a 16-yard pass to tight end Cade Otton at the Tampa Bay 36. On Tampa Bay’s first drive of the second half, Dean later missed Bucky Irving on a first-and-10 at the Eagles’ 43, and later came back to tackle him from behind. On that same drive, Dean lost Mike Evans rolling behind him on a first-and-10 to the Eagles’ seven. Three plays later, Irving scored for a 30-16 Tampa Bay lead.
Joseph Santoliquito is a hall of fame, award-winning sportswriter based in the Philadelphia area who has written feature stories for SI.com, ESPN.com, NFL.com, MLB.com, Deadspin and The Philadelphia Inquirer/Daily News. In 2006, he was nominated for an Emmy Award for a special project piece for ESPN.com called “Love at First Beep.” He is most noted for his award-winning ESPN.com feature on high school wrestler A.J. Detwiler in February 2006, which appeared on SportsCenter. In 2015, he was elected president of the Boxing Writers Association of America.
