– The Eagles` 2023 season came to a halt at Tampa Bay on Monday night in the Super Wild Card Playoff finale of the weekend with a crushing 32-9 loss to the Bucs.
1. A two-possession sequence late in the third quarter stretched a 16-9 Tampa Bay lead – a score that indicated the Eagles were still in the game, but barely so – to 25-9, and both the offense and defense were culpable.
Quarterback Jalen Hurts, under pressure much of the game with Tampa Bay blitzing him often – 18 of his first 25 dropbacks – couldn`t escape pressure with the offense backed up near its goal line and went down with an intentional grounding penalty in the end zone that resulted in a Tampa Bay safety and then the defense gave up a 56-yard touchdown pass to Trey Palmer, who caught a 6-yard out pass from quarterback Baker Mayfield at the 50-yard line, escaped a tackle attempt from cornerback James Bradberry, and broke into the clear with a sprint to the end zone to put Philadelphia in a deep hole heading into the fourth quarter.
2. Philadelphia’s offense through three quarters: 11 first downs, 0-for-7 on third downs, 36 rushing yards on 12 carries, and just 218 total net yards.
The Eagles had no answers for Tampa Bay’s blitz game and just couldn’t sustain any significant offense.
3. Gaining yardage in big gulps is essential to scoring in this league and going up top to wide receiver DeVonta Smith helped the Eagles’ offense out of its early-game malaise on Monday night.
One play later, Hurts went to tight end Dallas Goedert for an easy pitch and catch as Goedert went in motion left to right across the formation and was clear at the snap of the football and the Eagles had their first touchdown to creep back into the game, trailing 16-9.
Philadelphia initially converted the point-after kick, but Tampa Bay was whistled for offsides and the Eagles went for the two-point conversion from the 1-yard line.
4. Tampa Bay scored on its first four possessions – three field goals and a touchdown.
The Bucs had good balance – 15 running plays for 68 yards, and Mayfield completed 10 of 20 passes for 155 yards and a touchdown.
5. But there he was, making a huge play in the first quarter, catching a pass and breaking tackles to reach the end zone and complete a 44-yard scoring play, running away in the middle of the field on a crossing route after Eli Ricks collided with Avonte Maddox and fell in the middle of the field.
In the first quarter alone, on three drives (Tampa Bay had the ball and was in Eagles territory to start the second quarter), Moore had 2 catches for 66 yards.
Mayfield passed for 137 yards in the first quarter, Tampa Bay gained 10 first downs, converted 2 of 3 third downs, and had 178 total net yards.
6. Twice the Eagles took points off the board and tried to get more: The two-point conversion failed in the first half and then early in the fourth quarter trailing 25-9 Jake Elliott made a field goal, but the Bucs were offsides on fourth and 10.
7. Nick Sirianni opted to send the offense back on the field on fourth-and-5, but a Hurts pass in the right corner of the end zone intended for Smith was broken up by a leaping Carlton Davis and the fourth-down attempt failed.
8.The Eagles took a major step back running the football for most of the season, and Monday night was no exception, as the offense managed just 41 yards on 15 carries.