Philly Leader

The Philadelphia Eagles experienced a tough loss against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday, falling 33-16 at Raymond James Stadium. This result brings their season record to 2-2 as they head into a bye week.

"It wasn't the best showing for us, but what I do like is we're going to be healthy coming off this bye," said Brandon Graham. "We're 2-2 and it's like, 'What do you do?' It's how you respond and as long as we're not pointing fingers and are trying to get better, by the end of the season, we should be getting stronger."

The Eagles faced significant challenges throughout the game. Injuries played a role in their struggles, with key offensive players such as wide receivers A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith, along with right tackle Lane Johnson, unavailable.

Tampa Bay's strategy was clear from the start. The Buccaneers drove 79 yards on their first possession to score a touchdown, with quarterback Baker Mayfield completing eight out of nine passes for 62 yards. The Eagles' defense struggled to contain Mayfield's quick-passing game and efficient running attack.

Philadelphia’s offense had difficulty gaining momentum. In the first quarter alone, they failed to generate any net yards or first downs in six plays. Tampa Bay capitalized on these struggles by scoring quickly and effectively.

"We obviously didn't start well, down 24-0 to start things off," Head Coach Nick Sirianni commented post-game. "We didn't come out - we didn't coach well enough and we didn't play well enough."

Special teams also had an eventful day. Isaiah Rodgers blocked Bucs kicker Chase McLaughlin's PAT attempt which Kelee Ringo recovered and returned for two points.

Running back Saquon Barkley remained a standout performer despite the overall team performance issues. He totaled 116 yards from scrimmage on just 12 touches.

"It's tough," Barkley said after the game. "All three sides, all three phases, we've got to do a better job."

Quarterback Jalen Hurts faced significant pressure throughout the game and was sacked six times while producing only 226 total net yards for his team.

"I think overall I just have to play better," Hurts stated after the game.

Looking ahead, Sirianni emphasized improvement during the upcoming bye week: "Everything will be on the table... We're sitting at 2-2 going into our bye week and all we can do is improve."

Safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson echoed this sentiment: "Bye week is good for anybody... Just focus and play as a team."

The Eagles will return from their bye week to face Cleveland at Lincoln Financial Field in two weeks.