No need to talk too much about this game; you all saw what i saw. When you allow 24 points and 250 yards before getting your initial first down, you'll lose that game 99.9% of the time. I do not know why Philly showed up so unprepared to play, but the list of proofs that they clearly weren't interested in competing was LONG:
almost no effort to tackle all game long.
I saw no meaningful coverage on Tampa's talented WRs till the second half.
Goedert's drop on their second possession was brutal...
...as was Maddox's missed tackle on the ensuing possession.
Isaiah Rodgers' moronic block in the back set Tampa up for their third TD.
Most of that disaster list was in the first quarter. Is it possible that the heat affected them more than it affected Tampa (maybe; the Eagles lost Carter, Davis and Blankenship to heat related issues at different times)? Did the Bucs have an emotional edge from surviving the hurricane last week? Did Philly lose some mental edge, knowing they were down AJ Brown, Devonta Smith and Lane Johnson? Does the reason matter at all, considering that there's really no good reason to look that bad? Shoot, this loss could have been even worse (Tampa was forced into a FG on their fifth drive after that brutal dropped TD, and of course the blocked PAT returned for two was a three point swing).
If you're looking for any positives, I guess there's a few:
The Eagles at least did not give up; they fought back from a 24 points deficit and would have pulled within a TD, had Hurts not fumbled in FG range (again). Hurts later fumbled inside the Tampa 30 a second time. For those keeping score, that's eight turnovers for Jalen in four games.
It's not an excuse, but the Eagles were hurt by some questionable officiating. I thought the pickup up flag on the punt fumble was questionable, I thought the PI call on Blankenship that extended the one Tampa scoring drive was atrocious, and I was pretty sure there was a missed holding call on Baker's third down scramble. All three calls leads to Buccaneer scores.
The team seemed to escape the game without sustaining any more major injuries.
Philly (players and coaches alike) will get the full fury of the Philly media and fandom for two full weeks as they go into their bye week. They usually respond pretty well to that pressure, and they'll need to if they still want to be a contending team.
Comments