The Philadelphia Eagles took down the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 25-11 in a battle of unbeatens Monday night at Raymond James Stadium. Here’s what you need to know:
- Eagles QB Jalen Hurts threw for 277 yards and one touchdown with two interceptions, while RB D’Andre Swift racked up 130 yards on 16 carries. Hurts added another score on the ground, the 29th rushing TD of his career.
- Philadelphia’s defense limited Tampa Bay to 174 total yards (41 rushing) and QB Baker Mayfield to 15-of-25 passing for 146 yards, one touchdown and one interception. Mayfield’s pick late in the first half was the Buccaneers’ first turnover of the season.
- The Eagles are one of three remaining undefeated teams in the NFL after Week 3, joining the Miami Dolphins and San Francisco 49ers.
The Athletic’s instant analysis:
Eagles show signs of growth
Hurts said it last week: the Eagles are a work in progress, and Monday night, the quarterback and his teammates confirmed that statement by showing signs of growth on offense from Week 2 to Week 3. But despite statistically dominating the hosting Buccaneers, the Eagles were still far from perfect and could have won by even more if not for a few self-inflicted wounds and missed opportunities.
Philadelphia turned in another dominant rushing performance on the back of Swift, and Hurts recorded his first 200-plus passing game of the season. But two interceptions in scoring position limited the Eagles’ output. If Philadelphia can reduce those miscues, it will reach last season’s level of effectiveness. — Jones
Philadelphia defense shines despite injuries
Defensively, the Eagles didn’t appear to struggle because of injuries in their secondary and that’s because of the pressure their front is able to generate, making it hard for opposing quarterbacks to find comfort in the pocket and settle into a rhythm. Philly has some promising depth in the secondary as well, as rookie safety Sydney Brown made a couple of nice plays, including a touchdown-saving deflection while covering Mike Evans.
It’s pretty scary that even though the Eagles have yet to put it all together on both sides of the ball, they’re pulling off victories because of their ability to make the clutch plays on both sides of the ball when they have to have them. — Jones
Tampa Bay struggles against better competition
Monday night was the truth-teller game for the Bucs, who like the Eagles, entered the game with a 2-0 record, but are anything but dominant. Tampa Bay will be fine against weaker teams like the Vikings, the Bears and their divisional opponents. But once they run into teams that are as talented and versatile as the Eagles, they will struggle.
Tampa Bay’s defense had limited foes to 41 and 67 rushing yards, respectively. But Philly — with its imposing offensive line and talented and deep backfield — had topped the 100-yard rushing mark before the third quarter was halfway over. — Jones
Bucs’ offense finds rhythm too late
Mayfield threw his first interception of the season but didn’t let that mistake snowball. He and his offense struggled for much of the game but produced a few positives, like that fourth-quarter scoring drive where Mayfield looked crisp while directing a quick-hitter passing attack that fueled a nine-play, 75-yard scoring drive capped by a one-yard toss to Evans. The problem was, it was a little too late. The Bucs’ defense couldn’t provide the backing that the offense needed to keep them in the game until they finally found a rhythm. — Jones
Highlight of the game
Swifties will love this run.
📺: #PHIvsTB on ABC
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus https://t.co/NkpBC1YFYJ pic.twitter.com/jLOLxddeU1— NFL (@NFL) September 26, 2023
Key stats
Hurts’ 29th career rushing touchdown came in his 48th game, breaking a tie with Cam Newton for the most rushing touchdowns by a quarterback in his first 50 games in NFL history.
Thanks in part to the Eagles recording a safety against the Bucs in the third quarter, Monday’s result marked the first 25-11 final score in NFL history, per NFLscorigami.com.
Required reading
(Photo: Nathan Ray Seebeck / USA Today)
