On Monday, the Philadelphia Eagles faced the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on the road at Raymond James Stadium.
Both the Eagles and Buccaneers started the game with a 2-0 record. The Eagles entered the stadium with the second-best rushing yards in the NFL, right behind the Cleveland Browns, ready to face the Buccaneers’ second-best rushing defense.
In the end, the Eagles dominated the Buccaneers, 25-11, advancing to a 3-0 record.
Eagles running back D’Andre Swift had a stellar performance with a 130-yard game. Remarkably, he is the first Eagles player to have back-to-back games with 130+ yards since Lesean McCoy in 2014.
Jalen Hurts recklessly threw two interceptions during the game but made up for it by scoring a touchdown with 9:12 left in the third quarter. The Eagles outgained the Bucs with 472 yards compared to the Bucs’ 170.
The Eagles got 27 first downs compared to the Bucs’ twelve first downs. Although the Philadelphia offense outplayed Tampa Bay’s offense, the X factor that led to Philadelphia’s victory was their scorching defense.
The Buccaneers found themselves in a relentless struggle against the Eagles defense, managing to scrape together a mere three points for the majority of the game, and quarterback Baker Mayfield was intercepted with 2:32 left in the second quarter.
Tampa Bay’s ground game faltered with a meager 41 rushing yards, while their passing attack managed only 133 yards. With 9:22 left in the final quarter of the game, the Buccaneers earned a touchdown as Mayfield successfully passed the ball to wide receiver Mike Evans.
In a post-game interview, Eagles Head Coach Nick Sirianni expressed his unwavering faith in the team’s defensive prowess, stating, “I really had a lot of confidence in our defense, and we hired [defensive coordinator] Sean [Desai] because we had a lot of confidence in him.”
Sirianni’s sentiments emphasized the importance of a well-rounded team effort, with the defense stepping up when needed most.
A notable play was when Buccaneers defensive back Dee Delaney intercepted a lengthy pass — approximately 50 yards. But Eagles linebacker Nick Morrow tackled the Buccaneers running back, Rachaad White, in the end zone with 3:40 remaining in the third quarter. It led to a safety, and the Eagles accumulated two extra points.
Looking forward, the Eagles have some areas for improvement. Firstly, Jalen Hurts needs to throw fewer interceptions. Throwing two interceptions could be costly if the game is close, potentially granting free touchdowns for the opposing team.
Additionally, the Eagles exhibited a somewhat sluggish start, tallying a mere three points in the opening fifteen minutes of the game. It’s essential for the Eagles to have consistent offense throughout the game.
The Eagles boast a perfect record, thus far, something only two other teams have, the Miami Dolphins and the San Francisco 49ers.
Looking ahead, the Eagles are set to face the Washington Commanders on Sunday at 1:00 PM EST, in a match-up sure to captivate football enthusiasts.
