Sluggish Eagles Outplayed Again In Loss To Defending Super Bowl Champion Bucs
PHILADELPHIA (CBS/AP) -- The Eagles were outplayed from the start ... again. The Birds made it interesting late but they couldn't overcome a dreadful start vs. the Super Bowl champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers in a 28-22 loss at home Thursday night.
It was a familiar story for the Eagles -- the defense was gashed, Jalen Hurts was not sharp and not much went right.
The Birds' offense didn't hit 100 yards until the fourth quarter.
Down 28-7 in the third quarter, the Eagles fought back on two Hurts' rushing touchdowns to make it interesting, but it wasn't enough.
Miles Sanders ran 5 yards for a first down and Eagles fans erupted in a standing ovation.
Oh, the fans in their green jerseys cheered, sarcastic ones directed at coach Nick Sirianni for calling only the third running play of the game and with Philadelphia trailing by 21 points late in the third quarter.
Sirianni has ignored the run game in his first season — so much so that Sanders, an 867-yard rushing, six-touchdown featured back last season — has been about as vital to the offense this year as those biting fans.
Maybe it's time for Sirianni to mix up his offense.
Leaning almost exclusively on Hurts, the Eagles failed to generate much offense until too late and lost 28-22 to Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Thursday night.
Consider, when Leonard Fournette scored on a 1-yard run early in the third for a 28-7 lead, the Buccaneers wrapped a 79-yard scoring drive. A that point, the Eagles had 77 total yards.
Hurts underthrew receivers all night -- the security guard who ducked when the QB fired the ball into the stands on a rushing touchdown never had to worry — and the Eagles have lost four of their last five games.
Sanders and Kenneth Gainwell had only 69 carries over the first five games. The duo ran the ball on just 22.5% of Philadelphia's offensive plays. Hurts had 43 rushes himself. Some were scrambles but many are designed runs or run-pass options.
The numbers didn't get any better against Tampa Bay. Sanders had five carries through three quarters, Gainwell none.
Philly fans were still cheering Sanders for his small rush when he got the ball again on the next play -- and lost 2 yards. The Eagles had 99 yards of total offense over the first three quarters. As for Brady, well, the seven-time Super Bowl champion went 11-for-12 for 121 yards and two touchdowns in the first quarter alone.
"RUN THE BALL!! Run the ball!!!" tweeted Brian Westbrook, third on the team's career rushing list.
It was that kind of game for the Eagles.
The Eagles gave up points on the first drive of the game for the fifth time in six games. Jake Elliott missed a 46-yard field goal when the Eagles still had a pulse. The Eagles stopped Tampa Bay on a drive in the second quarter (a potential interception was overturned on review) and forced the Buccaneers to punt — and Hurts gave it right back when an underthrown ball was intercepted by Jamel Dean.
Hurts, though, kept the Eagles in the game with his legs and his 1-yard run and 2-point conversion toss late in the fourth made it 28-22.
Against Brady, it's not enough.
Sirianni has yet to win a home game in three tries and with straight road games ahead, he won't get another chance until Nov. 7 against the Chargers.
At this rate, by the time the Eagles come home, their season could be about over.
The loss drops the Eagles to 2-4 on the season.
Next up, the Eagles travel to Las Vegas for a 4:05 p.m. start vs. the Raiders.
(© Copyright 2021 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
