The Tampa Bay Buccaneers just have the Philadelphia Eagles’ number.
Baker Mayfield threw for two touchdowns and rushed for another as the Buccaneers flat out dominated the Eagles in a 33-16 final where the score wasn’t even that close. Tampa Bay scored on four of its first five possessions and outgained Philadelphia, 255-0, at one point in the first half, with the eventual outcome never being in doubt.
The Eagles tried to make it a game in the second half, cutting the score to 30-16 late in the third quarter and getting into the red zone before Jalen Hurts’ fumble ended a promising 50-yard drive. A touchdown would have made the game a one-score affair, but that’s really the closest the Eagles got to the Buccaneers.
Tampa Bay dominated from start to finish, as the offense took advantage of a depleted Eagles defense that lost safety Reed Blankenship (illness) and defensive tackle Jalen Carter (cramps) during the game. The Eagles already were down three starters on offense (Lane Johnson, A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith) and lost center Cam Jurgens in the second half (cramps).
The Buccaneers defense was as hot as the 108 degree heat index in Tampa, holding the Eagles to under 300 yards of offense and 5.0 yards per play. They also had six sacks and six quarterback hits, two of those sacks coming from Lavante David. Five different Buccaneers finished with a sack in the dominating victory.
Mayfield threw for more than 300 yards while Mike Evans and Trey Palmer caught touchdown passes. Bucky Irving also scored his first career touchdown in the second half.
Takeaways are coming shortly from this blow out, but all the updates are available in our live blog below!