
SEEMINGLY ANYONE WHO TRIED TO MAKE A TACKLE - The daily tackling drills conducted by the Eagles during practice have proven to be ineffective. Vic Fangio's defense failed to make 12 tackles in the game, with linebacker Nakobe Dean accounting for four of them, as reported by TruMedia.
In the type of defense that the Eagles employ, effective tackling is essential for achieving success, and this marked one of the poorest tackling displays by any NFL team this season.
THE HEAT - Temperatures soared into the 90s, with a heat index of 108 on the field, making it a challenging situation for all individuals involved.
Tampa Bay, accustomed to the hotter climate, appeared to handle the conditions better than the Eagles, who struggled with a 74-56 play differential. Reed Blankenship and Jalen Carter were notable players who had to retreat due to the intense heat.
THE COACHES - Sirianni asserts that everything the Eagles display on the field reflects his leadership. However, he might reconsider that claim following Sunday's display.
The offensive strategy had a rough start, marked by three consecutive three-and-outs. With Brown, Smith, and Johnson absent, Philadelphia found itself with little room for error.
On the defensive end, Fangio's team struggled in nickel formations early in the season, a weakness exacerbated by subpar tackling performance.
Defensively, Fangio's unit has been a disaster in nickel personnel early in the season, something that was amplified even further by the poor tackling effort.
Despite the heat and humidity in Tampa, it was the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' dominant performance against the Eagles in Philadelphia that stood out the most. The 33-16 victory was characterized by numerous missed tackles and offensive struggles without key players A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith, and Lane Johnson.
The game was so unimpressive that the only thing worth considering a "stud" in this week is Philadelphia's early bye week. Well, maybe not the only thing if we're being honest here...
Studs
THE BYE WEEK - There isn't much to be happy about this week other than the fact that the Eagles get next week off and it's more than likely that Brown and Smith, along with Johnson will be back after the bye week for Cleveland in Week 6.
TODD BOWLES - The guy just seems to own Jalen Hurts. What else can you say, really?
Duds
THE RUNNING GAME - If there was ever a game for Saquon Barkley to shine, it was this one, especially with Brown and Smith absent.
Coming into the game, the Eagles' talented running back was averaging 24.3 touches per game and was on track for 414 touches for the season. However, due to a slow start, Barkley ended up with a season-low of 12 touches. The problems arose early in the game as Tampa Bay took an early lead and the Eagles struggled with three consecutive three-and-outs.
"Out of the nine plays we had, three were third-downs. Barkley only had two carries out of six plays. When you keep going three-and-out, no one will get any touches," explained head coach Nick Sirianni. "We just couldn't sustain drives."
JALEN HURTS IN THE POCKET - Once again, Todd Bowles outsmarted Hurts by implementing a strategy that resulted in six sacks, one of which was a strip sack by Lavonte David. Sirianni appeared to struggle with the pass protection by Barkley.
Aside from Dallas Goedert, there were few available receivers. Hurts, at this point in his career, must learn to accelerate when needed and improve his ability to cope with attrition.
REPLACEMENT RECEIVERS - Even Jimmy McGinty wouldn't have been able to succeed with the receivers that the Eagles had to rely on. If you understand that reference, we can definitely be friends. The group consisting of Jahan Dotson, Johnny Wilson, Parris Campbell, and John Ross only managed to make seven catches for 34 yards. The return of Brown and Smith is eagerly awaited, as Hurts is evidently unable to uplift the supporting cast.

Sep 29, 2024; Tampa, Florida, USA; Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts (1) is pressured by Tampa Bay Buccaneers linebacker Joe Tryon-Shoyinka (9) in the second quarter at Raymond James Stadium. Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images
Studs and Duds: Eagles vs Buccaneers
September 30, 2024
Who rose to the occasion this week? On this team... pft.
Philly Sports Jawn
Jawn Madden
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