Eagles vs. Buccaneers: 3 winners, 10 losers, 4 IDKs

The Philadelphia Eagles are 2-2 after getting their butts kicked by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Time to hand out some winners, losers, and IDKs.

SAQUON BARKLEY

Handsome grand the single factor the Eagles had going for them offensively.

Barkley’s 10 carries went for 84 yards and his two catches resulted in 32 yards for a complete of 116 yards from scrimmage. Pro Football Focal point credited Barkley with four neglected tackles pressured.

With Barkley breaking off a 59-yard bustle to open the 2nd half, it looked fancy he would per chance perchance spark an Eagles comeback for the 2nd week in a row. Alas, the rest of the workers didn’t elevate out their allotment.

Barkley is clearly the Eagles’ MVP to this point this season.

BRANDON GRAHAM

Death, taxes, and BG bringing it.

He’s only the 2nd Eagles participant to ever log a sack on the age of 36 or older (Richard Kent used to be the first in 1997).

Graham moreover had one TFL to boot to his sack.

PFF’s grading gadget has always loved Graham, so, this isn’t a surprise … but BG is the Eagles’ very best-graded defender this season.

THE TIMING OF THE BYE WEEK

After that form of performance, I’m no longer precisely feeling fancy I’m in a speed to see the Eagles play over again. I guess a weekend off can also be good. Plus, the bye week upright so occurs to time up with the Phillies foundation their NLDS playoff battle against the winner of the Original York Mets-Milwaukee Brewers series. I’ll be at Voters Bank Park for these games on Saturday and Sunday, so, say hi there for these who peek me there.

Oh, yeah, the Eagles stand to fetch pleasure from the bye, too. A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith, and Lane Johnson can also all be again when the Birds play over again in Week 6. Sydney Brown can also intention off the PUP list. The instructing workers will private a while to mediate and doubtlessly produce some changes, equivalent to replacing Avonte Maddox with Cooper DeJean at nickel cornerback.

This loss to the Bucs used to be indubitably notorious. The technique the Eagles lost raises important questions on the workers’s ceiling. However the bye provides them a gamble to regroup and take a look at out to figure some things out.

The next four games after the bye:

Week 6 — vs. Cleveland Browns
Week 7 — at Original York Giants
Week 8 — at Cincinnati Bengals
Week 9 — vs. Jacksonville Jaguars

The Eagles it is a ways going to be appreciated in on the least three of these games. There’s a life like route being 5-3 before a key street game against the Dallas Cowboys in Week 10.

LOSERS

NICK SIRIANNI

Where is the evidence of a successfully-coached workers?

• The Eagles repeatedly don’t ogle prepared to play. They’re the single NFL workers that hasn’t scored within the first quarter this season. Dating again to closing season, they’ve long gone six straight games with out first quarter beneficial properties. The Bucs scored 24 beneficial properties (would’ve been 28 if no longer for a dropped landing) and moved the ball 271 yards while the Eagles had bustle upright nine plays that resulted in NEGATIVE FIVE yards. The extent of Sirianni’s say in “Kellen Moore’s offense” isn’t completely certain … but one would assume he plays a ingredient in approving the opening game script. And these approaches private clearly stunk.

• The Eagles in most cases lose the turnover battle. They’ve received it in upright four of the closing 22 games. To his credit, Sirianni recognizes the inform right here and has acknowledged taking part in fancy this isn’t going to sustainably lead to successful. However he doesn’t appear to private any solutions to stop it from persevering with to happen.
• The Eagles elevate out no longer play trim. They’ve been the extra penalized workers in three out of their four games this season. Isaiah Rodgers clearly deserves loads of blame for his special groups mistake that led to the Bucs convalescing a muffed punt. However is it a upright model that he didn’t appear to truly know the guidelines … and then wasn’t even corrected after the truth? And it’s no longer fancy the Rodgers gaffe used to be a fully isolated incident! Later on, Kelee Ringo ran into Cooper DeJean while he used to be seeking to field a punt.

Two things I’ve been occupied with as it pertains to Sirianni:

• I truly imagine that the Eagles didn’t desire to fireplace Sirianni after closing season. I do know that sounds evident since he’s serene right here. However I stress “desire” as a consequence of I guess they’ll also private identified that they can also serene elevate out it. However in most cases you don’t truly desire to defend out the stuff you know you can also serene elevate out. And due to the this truth you build things off before inevitably having to fetch spherical to it.
• I posed this seek info from to my upright buddy Sheil Kapadia in my postgame podcast look on The Ringer’s Philly Special this week: Changed into the Eagles holding Sirianni out of character for this organization? Deem again to this Jeffrey Lurie quote about Howie Roseman in 2023:

“If he had been any less intrepid, he wouldn’t be my customary manager. I don’t imagine in that. I imagine you truly desire to name what can produce you truly successful and drag for it. After which if it’s no longer, if it’s a neglected name, a participant that will get injured, a misevaluation, then you definately come over again collectively and figure out techniques to present up for that in a mountainous technique. … I imply, there’s 32 groups. You don’t desire to be 8-8.”

And take into myth how Lurie believes within the form of aggressive game administration intention that he publicly backed before Doug Pederson went out and then accomplished it in 2017.

Keeping Sirianni wasn’t the intrepid replacement. It wasn’t going for it on fourth down.

It would per chance perchance per chance’ve taken extra courage to resolve that the pinnacle coach who used to be coming off a Colossal Bowl look and his third straight playoff berth wasn’t taking the workers within the trusty route.

As a replace, it appears fancy Lurie performed it bag and either punted or kicked a field goal.

VIC FANGIO AND BASICALLY THE ENTIRE DEFENSE

Figured this allotment from my “10 things to see when the Eagles play the Buccaneers” preview can also be price revisiting:

The Eagles used loads of heavier fronts (5-man and even 6-man line of defense alignments) against a Saints offense that’s using 11 personnel at upright 33.3% of the time, which ranks thirtieth amongst NFL groups.

Below contemporary offensive coordinator Liam Coen, who’s taken over for Dave Canales, the Bucs are using 11 personnel on the third-very best price within the league (per Sumer Sports).

The Eagles private struggled to defend out of 11 personnel.

[…]

Fangio’s adjustments labored truly, truly successfully against the Saints. Phase of that success appeared attributable to an especially convenient matchup for the Eagles, on the replacement hand. That is per chance no longer the the same case right here, so, we’ll peek how Fangio adjusts and fares in this setup.

So, it appears fancy the Eagles is per chance no longer in a enviornment to successfully defend essentially the most customary personnel kit within the NFL. Not ultimate!

The Eagles’ protection had no solutions against the Bucs’ offense from the soar. On their opening landing drive, Tampa went 79 yards in 10 plays while reaching third down upright twice: one Third-and-1 and one Third-and-2. On the next drive, the Bucs went 80 yards in upright 5 plays (four first downs, one 2nd down) to take a 14 to 0 lead. Incredibly puny resistance.

Unlike some previous games, the Eagles’ lacking pass speed wasn’t even the ultimate perpetrator right here. Not to counsel that that unit performed gargantuan on the replacement hand it’s certain they didn’t stand grand of a gamble to fetch dwelling with the ball popping out lightning lickety-split:

The Eagles seemingly didn’t quiz Mayfield to fetch rid of the ball that lickety-split.

However, uh, likely they can also serene’ve viewed it coming since they’re taking part in off coverage larger than any other workers!

Fangio used to be clearly very perfect closing week. However that’s one upright game in four tries this season.

And whereas it’s easy to take a look at how the offense can come over again no longer off direction, it’s spirited to be as optimistic about the protection’s outlook. It’s no longer all Fangio; there are skills components right here as successfully. However the defensive coordinator is a important allotment of the inform.

Now for some lickety-split hitters since I looped “in most cases the total protection” into this Fangio allotment:

• Darius Murder got beat by Trey Palmer for a landing. The Bucs demoted Palmer to WR4 this year; he entered this game with upright one reception.
• Avonte Maddox continues to ogle fancy a obligation.
• Nakobe Dean led the Eagles in neglected tackles with 5. The Eagles neglected 16 as a workers, per NFL Subsequent Gen Stats. He moreover looked boring in coverage.
• C.J. Gardner-Johnson has already tied a occupation-excessive for touchdowns allowed with three. In step with Pro Football Reference, quarterbacks private a 153.3 passer rating when throwing CJGJ’s technique.
• Bryce Huff logged his first solo form out! However he serene private zero sacks, zero QB hits, and zero TFLs.

JALEN HURTS

It’s no longer any microscopic deal that he used to be missing A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith, and Lane Johnson. Hurts it is a ways going to be better when these guys are again.

However in fact that the inform isn’t always going to be perfect for a quarterback. The Eagles didn’t pay Hurts one quarter of one billion greenbacks with that expectation that he can only private success if every little thing goes trusty spherical him. The final be conscious quarterbacks are in a enviornment to elevate their teammates and elevate out extra with less.

Would possibly perchance Hurts moderately private done extra to assist the Eagles fetch off to a larger open? Sure. And reasonably actually on the first play when he had Saquon Barkley starting up deep and … upright threw the ball out of bounds?!

A truly notorious omit.

Hurts remains to be a turnover machine, logging his 27th giveaway over his closing 22 games. And his most modern fumble came at a 2nd that killed the Eagles’ chances of making it a one-possession game late within the third quarter.

The Eagles need extra from Hurts. Fortunately, he’s clearly on the the same net page with Sirianni by strategy of righting the ship.

Omit the build Hurts ranks amongst all avid gamers at his build for a 2nd and upright take into myth the build he ranks within the NFC East. He’s the third-simplest quarterback trusty now within the again of Jayden Daniels and Dak Prescott. How many groups are competing at a excessive level with the third simplest quarterback in their division?

Talking of Daniels, by the technique …

KELLEN MOORE

Moore deserves blame for his allotment in an offense that opened the game with four three-and-outs on their first 5 drives. From these, the Eagles ran 12 plays that netted ZERO yards. How is that even you can also imagine. Did we truly peek Moore prepare dinner up something to are trying to myth for being undermanned? And for the total excuses we are in a position to produce about the Eagles missing key avid gamers, the Bucs had been banged up too. Tampa used to be missing two of their simplest defenders in All-Pro safety Antoine Winfield Jr. and 2023 first-spherical make a choice Calijah Kancey.

THE OFFENSIVE LINE

Hurts got sacked six instances and used to be strip-sacked twice. Phase of that’s on the QB and allotment of that’s on the line. Fred Johnson allowed 11 full pressures on 38 pass blocking snaps, according to PFF’s charting.

AVONTE MADDOX


Already touched on him reasonably but upright desired to take a further 2nd to show how wild it is that the Eagles private relied upon Maddox so heavily this season. Here’s a participant they reduce earlier this year, who then bought puny hobby on the starting up market, only to re-model up Philly, and then lose his build as the slay nickel in coaching camp with Quinyon Mitchell overtaking him in that role … only to then fetch the job again by default with Mitchell entertaining outdoors. After which Maddox taking part in 90% of the snaps in three of the Eagles’ games to this point! And their simplest game coming when he performed his lowest snap count share! Teams private clearly been selecting on Maddox in coverage. The Eagles wish to supply DeJean a ogle as the nickel cornerback after the bye. It’s reasonably relating to the rookie hasn’t gotten the chance already.

DARIUS SLAY

After Sunday’s loss, Murder took to Twitter to remind every person how gargantuan he is. That’s only the form of management you can also fetch from a workers captain.

JAHAN DOTSON

So, I truly private a spirited time believing Dotson isn’t on the least significantly better than his contemporary stats show. However per chance he’s no longer very upright? Whether or no longer it’s his fault or no longer, the underside line is that he’s no longer producing, and that’s a mission.

HOWIE ROSEMAN

Roseman’s offseason is no longer truly looking out unparalleled. The Saquon signing clearly appears very perfect to this point. Begin air of that? Bryce Huff can also be a free agent bust. CJGJ has had extra downs than ups. Devin White got $3.5 million guaranteed and he hasn’t even performed a snap for the Eagles … and would per chance perchance never elevate out so? Kenny Pickett looked notorious in coaching camp and preseason. Dotson has in most cases been ineffective.

Quinyon Mitchell appears fancy successful and that’s crucial. How about previous draft picks, even though? Jalen Carter has no doubt flashed elite doable but isn’t repeatedly inserting it collectively yet. Jordan Davis and Nolan Smith were disappointments.

The head coach and quarterback deserve loads of blame but let’s no longer neglect to comprise the GM in that dialog.

MICHAEL CLAY

Special groups has no longer been so special fancy they had been closing year. The Eagles had a punt fetch blocked closing week and they had the Rodgers and Ringo errors in this one. In equity, the ST unit did moreover intention up with the Eagles’ first returned two-point conversion in franchise ancient past after Rodgers blocked a PAT kick and Ringo took it to the dwelling.

I DON’T KNOWS

ISAIAH RODGERS

Actually notorious and uninteresting mistake to are trying to shove the Bucs participant into DeJean to procedure a penalty. That acknowledged, he did block a PAT kick that gave the Eagles two beneficial properties and he nearly had yet another block on Tampa’s field goal.

KELEE RINGO

Bumped into DeJean on a punt return and can’ve led to yet another muff for a Bucs recovery. However he did private a pretty gargantuan bustle again on the returned two-point conversion. Did a terribly good job of managing to stay in bounds. And that two-point play kept it a two-possession game.

COOPER DEJEAN

Again, reasonably troubling that he hasn’t been in a enviornment to fetch on the sphere over Maddox. He neglected time in coaching camp, yeah, on the replacement hand it’s time to ogle what he’s got. If he’s no longer taking part in extra after the bye, successfully, that’s a mission.

PARRIS CAMPBELL

He’s averaging 5.0 yards per reception (six catches for 30 yards) after averaging 5.2 closing year. Not very upright. However, hi there, he caught a landing for the first time since November 13, 2022. He did a pleasing job of uncovering himself on that play. And Hurts is actually interesting to throw the ball his technique, so, he’s got that going for him. Campbell is off form squad elevations so we’ll peek if the Eagles resolve to truly model him to the roster or no longer.