Welcome to week three of the NFL season. After starting the season off on two rocky wins, Jalen Hurts and the Eagles took on Baker Mayfield and the Buccaneers on one of two Monday Night Football matchups this past Monday. The game started with a Tampa Bay drive that was ended by the Eagles defense after one first down. The Eagles started at their own 25 yard line, and it only took them a few plays of a strong passing attack to move to the Tampa Bay 14 yard line. On a 4th and 1, Jalen Hurts gave the ball to running back Kenneth Gainwell, who was stopped by the Tampa Bay defense short of the 1st down. Philadelphia turned the ball over on downs. Tampa Bay then gained another first down on their next drive, but was forced to punt before gaining another one. This led to Eagles punt returner Britain Covey, making an explosive 52-yard return, setting the Eagles up with 1st and 10 at the Tampa Bay 44. Hurts and the offense were able to push down to the Tampa bay 10, before a penalty pushed them back to the 15. Hurts threw two incomplete passes and was unable to gain a first, so Jake Elliot was sent out to kick a 36-yard field goal, putting the Eagles up 3-0. Tampa Bay then went three and out, and the Eagles gained two first downs before the end of the quarter. 

Philly started the second quarter with a punt after their drive stalled out, and Tampa Bay was able to drive down the field on a 14 play drive, resulting in a33-yard field goal. The game was now tied 3-3. Philadelphia then finally capitalized on their next drive, as Jalen Hurts threw a 34-yard pass over the head of a Tampa Bay defender to Olamide Zaccheus for the 26 year old receiver’s first touchdown as an Eagle. The Eagles were now again in the lead, 10-3. On the next drive, Baker Mayfield threw an interception to Eagles safety Reed Blankenship, and Philadelphia took over at the Tampa Bay 37. Then Hurts threw an interception, and Tampa Bay took back over at their own 32. On the first play of the drive, Eagles rookie D-lineman Jalen Carter stripped the ball from Buccaneers running back Rachaad White, and the Eagles recovered the ball at the Tampa Bay 36. This led to another Jake Elliot field goal, good from 38-yards, and the Eagles were up 13-3 going into half time. 

The Eagles started the second half with the ball at their own 25 yard line, and Jalen Hurts marched down the field on a combination air and ground attack, leading to a 4th and goal at the Tampa Bay one. The Eagles ran no huddle, and pushed Hurts into the end zone on a QB sneak, or “Brotherly Shove,” for their second touchdown of the day. The Eagles increased their lead to  20-3. Tampa Bay then punted, and the Eagles moved up to the Tampa Bay 41. Hurts then fired down the field to a seemingly open Devonta Smith, but Tampa Bay DB Dee Delaney made a huge play, and got in front of Smith for an interception at the Tampa Bay one. This ended up working out well for the Eagles, however, as LB Nick Morrow tackled Tampa Bay running back Rachaad White in the end zone for a safety. The score was now 22-3. The Eagles got the ball off of the safety, and went down to the Tampa Bay 8 yard line, where Jake Elliot kicked a 26 yard field goal for the Eagles final points of the game, making the score 25-3. 

The 3rd quarter ended during the Eagles last drive, and the Buccaneers now needed a 4th quarter miracle. Mayfield threw a touchdown to Mike Evans on a 3rd and goal, and the Bucs went for 2. Chris Godwin caught the ball in the endzone, shortening the Eagles lead to 14. However, it was too late, as the Eagles were able to end the game on the very next drive, after a successful 4th and 2 pass to A.J. Brown. Eagles win 25-11! 

Personally I think this was a good game for the Eagles. The offense is quickly finding its legs, as new offensive coordinator Brian Johnson seems to have a much better grasp of how to run this offense after last week’s win over Minnesota. He implemented a much better use of running the ball against a historically tough Buccaneers defense. The Eagles’ defense continued to look really good, and Jalen Carter is quickly establishing a strong resume for Defensive Rookie of the Year, with several QB pressures, 1.5 sacks, and 2 forced fumbles already in his short career. Thedefensive backfield definitely looked better with notable starters, such as Reed Blankenship, returning after being injured last week, although Mike Evans and Chris Godwin both had some very good plays against them. Most importantly for the Eagles’ defense, the players were able to keep the Buccaneers mostly off the scoreboard for three quarters, only allowing an early field goal and very late touchdown.

It’s also important to mention the special teams unit, as Britain Covey had a great day. His 52 yard return was easily the highlight, but almost every time he touched the ball, he had a sizable gain. Circling back to the offense, I wanted to specifically highlight Jalen Hurts, who had a bit of a rocky game. Hurts had 277 passing yards on the day, a decent number for a decent win, however, he only had one passing touchdown, and two interceptions. I don’t think this should be much cause for concern. Hurts threw two interceptions, but neither were necessarily concerning for the future. The first came on what looked like a miscommunication with D’Andre Swift, where Jalen seemed to expect Swift to stop and catch the ball, but Swift continued forward. This is to be expected though with an offensive coordinator that’s new to both players, and I see no reason this should continue to affect Jalen’s play. The second interception was seemingly open for a touchdown, but the defensive back covering Devonta Smith was able to jump up and intercept the ball instead. Sometimes, a defensive player just makes a good play, even if the offense is just as good. In closing, this game gave me a lot more confidence as to the Eagles current position. They won 25-11 (the first time a game has ended that way for those of you who follow Scorigami) but the final touchdown didn’t mean much, and came in the 4th quarter. When asked, Archmere Principal Madame Thiel said about the game, “I still think that they’re not at 100% speed and that the offense hasn’t gelled completely yet, but I was glad to see that AJ Brown was more involved this week.” The Eagles are now one of three undefeated teams, and will face the Washington Commanders this Sunday, October 1st at 1:00 P.M. EST. I will have another game recap and afterthoughts afterward. Go Birds!!! Week 3, 3-0.