Eagles vs. Bucs 10 Observations: Weird Stuff Happening?
TAMPA, Fla. – It was a weird score: Philadelphia Eagles 25, Tampa Bay Buccaneers 11.
So weird, in fact, that it’s a score that had never happened in NFL history until Monday night’s matchup at Raymond James Stadium, per an X (Twitter) account called Scorigami.
Here are 10 more observations from the game:
Weird offense. As if the score isn’t enough weird, there’s the Eagles offense. It has yet to find its groove, yet for the second straight week, the offense put up more than 400 total yards, posting 472 against Tampa after putting 430 against the Minnesota Vikings.
It was also the second straight week the rushing attack went for more than 200 yards, getting 201 on Monday after having 259 the week prior.
“It’s a growth process,” said head coach Nick Sirianni. “We’re not a final product yet. Everybody wants us to be a final product now, but it’s a growth. You want to grow every day, so we’re not going to be playing our best football until we get going into the season. We still (have) things to work on, and we still (have) growth to do.”
Weird record stuff. After Week 3 last year, the Eagles were already the last undefeated team still standing on their way to an 8-0 start. This year, there are three unbeatens left, with the San Francisco 49ers and Miami Dolphins joining them.
How hard is it to start 3-0, well, ask the Dallas Cowboys who got caught up in believing how great they were after two weeks then were humbled by the Arizona Cardinals.
Meanwhile, the Eagles have started 3-0 for just the fifth time since 2000. The Bucs were trying to do it for just a third time and first since 2002.
Weird defensive stat. The Eagles have as many sacks (six) as they do forced fumbles (six).
Hot hand. Exactly what constitutes the hot hand Sirianni talked about using when it came to his running back group? Clearly, for the second week in a row D’Andre Swift had it. Through three quarters, he had 16 carries for 130 yards (8.1 yards per carry) then Sirianni pulled the plug and went with Kenny Gainwell, who ended with 14 runs for 43 yards (3.1 ypc).
The guess is they wanted to rest Swift a bit on a short week with the Washington Commanders due to visit Lincoln Financial Field on Sunday (1 p.m.) and also navigate a health history that hasn’t allowed Swift to play every regular-season game since entering the league in 2020.
Swift had 28 carries a week earlier.
Olamide Zaccheaus (13) and D'Andre Swift (0) celebrate in a game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
© Nathan Ray Seebeck, USA TODAY
Jalen Hurts. The last time Jalen Hurts walked into the interview room in the bowels of the stadium, he wore a walking boot and was headed for ankle surgery after that wild-card playoff loss to Tom Brady and the Bucs in the 2021 season.
On Monday night, the Eagles quarterback walked into the same room with his head stuffed with congestion and flu-like symptoms. He played through it all, completing 23 of 37 passes for 277 yards with a 34-yard touchdown pass to Olamide Zaccheaus and one rushing touchdown, though he threw two interceptions.
Afterward, he didn’t want to make a big deal out of it.
“We won,” he said. “Again, I’m just happy we made it through.”
Still, it was Hurts’ first win against Tampa. He had been 0-2 coming in.
More Hurts. He is 20-1 in his last 21 regular-season starts. Since his first year as a starter in 2021, he has a .758 winning percentage to lead all quarterbacks and he is 10-0 in his last 10 road starts. That road record dating back to Week 17 of 2021 is the longest streak in franchise history and the longest since Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes went 11-0 from Nov. 18, 2019, through Dec. 20, 2020.
Jalen Carter’s emergence. The rookie defensive tackle continues to impress. Per Next Gen Stats, he had five quarterback pressures on 16 pass rushes (31.3 percent pressure rate). Through the first three weeks, he is tied for second among defensive tackles in total pressures with 15.
More Carter. The ninth overall pick in the draft said he was still getting undressed when his phone started to buzz with texts and phone calls from the 40 or so friends that made the two-hour-plus drive from the Orlando area to Tampa.
“I couldn’t even make it to the shower before they started calling me,” he said. “I played for them, and I played for my team.”
Streak-ending defense. Chris Godwin had his streak of 16 games with at least five catches snapped. He had just three. It had been the longest active streak in the NFL. That distinction now belongs to the Los Angeles Chargers’ Keenan Allen at 11.
No Mario Goodrich. It can’t be a good sign for the cornerback that he was inactive after having 10 days to prepare to be the slot cornerback with Avonte Maddox lost for the season. The Eagles will likely have two roster moves to make at some point. One, when Nakobe Dean is ready to come off IR as early as Week 6, and possibly a roster spot for punter Braden Mann, who is on the practice squad and has two elevations left. Goodrich could be one of those sacrificed from the roster to make room.
