Eagles Hold On, Beat Buccaneers, 31-25, To Move To 4-0

TAMPA, Fla. – The Florida sunshine does something to the Eagles. They get burned every time, especially by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. This time, the Eagles must’ve packed sunblock, because they found a way to hang on for a 31-25 win at Raymond James Stadium.

It was far from easy. After opening a 24-6 lead at halftime, the Eagles’ offense was a mess in the second half, going three-and-out on five of their eight possessions. One was a four-and-out when punter Braden Mann ran backwards for a safety to account for the final score as time expired on the win.

“It’s tough to come back against a good team,” said Tampa coach Todd Bowles. “You are not going to catch a team like that when you start out like that.”

The Bucs almost did, but an end zone interception by rookie Jihaad Campbell and a big sack by Moro Ojomo, his team-leading second of the season, with 1:45 to play were big plays in preventing it from happening.

Jalen Hurts, so efficient in the first half, completing 15-of-16 passes, was 0-for-8 in the second half.

Still, a win in a stadium where the Eagles had been 1-3 in the last three seasons, is still an achievement, despite their four 15-yard penalties, two pass interferences, and, even worse, a running game that is a real problem, managing just 88 yards and 2.8 yards per run.

Jalen Hurts Called It A Gritty Win

Sep 28, 2025; Tampa, Florida, USA; Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley (26) runs with the ball for a touchdown during the third quarter against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

“I think it’ a great team win, another gritty win, coming in and finding a way to win,” said Hurts. “This has been a challenging environment to play in, and a really good opponent for us over the years, and I’m just proud of the way we competed. …We had to go out there and earn it, and we did.”

They are now 4-0 for the third time in four seasons with a visit from the Denver Broncos up next. The Bucs lost for the first time and are 3-1.

The Bucs hadn’t committed a turnover all season, but Campbell ended that run. In addition to his interception, he forced a fumble that was recovered at the Tampa 25 by Kelee Ringo that the Eagles turned into a touchdown when they faked the tush push and swept left with Saquon Barkley, who walked in from 6 yards away with 3:51 to play in the third to make it 31-13.

They would be the last points the Eagles would score. They had -1 yard of offense in the second half.

With Tampa in Eagles territory with less than two minutes to play, Ojomo bulled his way up to sack Mayfield and put them in a third-and-23 situation. They could never recover to get a first down.

The Eagles ran the clock down to six seconds before Mann’s gift safety ended it.

Here are six thoughts:

-The teams that picked ahead of the Eagles in last spring’s draft are going to regret not taking Jihaad Campbell before the Eagles swooped in and took him with the 31st pick. The kid is already a terror. He has three forced fumbles this season.

“That dude’s getting better and better,” said linebacker Zack Baun. “And better and better. I don’t even think he understands how big of play both of them were, but especially that interception to stop them from getting any points there.”

-Cam Latu's blocked punt that was returned 35 yards for a touchdown by Sydney Brown was the Eagles first blocked punt returned for a touchdown since Dec. 6, 2015 when Najee Goode recvered a Chris Maragos block and returned it 24 yards.

-Baun has picked up where he left off last year. He had eight tackles, one sack, a tackle for loss, and a forced fumble.

-It looked like the Eagles’ inability to run the ball would kill them for the first time this year. It’s a real problem that, until it gets fixed, will cost them.

-Dallas Goedert’s two touchdowns, one from 2, the other from 5 and both on shovel passes, was the first time he scored twice on one game since Dec. of 2021 when Gardner Minshew was the quarterback.

“We put in the first one four years ago,” he said. “It was the first time we were able to get it run. Great job by the three people in front of me to block, and let me kind of walk in. The second one, we ran a couple of times. I know Tyree Jackson scored on it a few years back. When it works, it’s awesome. And when it doesn’t, you get stood up by a linebacker right in the hole. I was glad it got called, and I’m glad it worked.”

-Penalties were killers. The Eagles committed two roughing the passer penalties, one unsportsmanlike from Cooper DeJean, and a personal foul by Jalyx Hunt. They ended with eight for 83.

More NFL: Dallas Goedert's Two TDs, Blocked Punt Help Eagles Open 24-6 Lead In Tampa