2024-01-16 05:01:45
On Sunday, the Cowboys had a very embarrassing outing to end their brief playoff run. Monday night, the Eagles managed to do even worse, which is saying something.
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The Eagles, who started the season with a bang with a record of 10 wins and one loss, looked like little guys in short pants in front of the Buccaneers, losing by a score of 32-9.
There will therefore be new representatives for the national conference on February 11 at the Super Bowl. The Eagles, finalists last year and returning this year with a still very interesting lineup, experienced an implosion rarely seen before, with six defeats in seven games.
We suspected something was wrong. After all, they had the distinct honor of becoming the first team this season since the 1986 Jets to start a season with 10 wins, without ending it with 12 wins. This shows how violently the train derailed along the way.
Against the Buccaneers, the Eagles played without the slightest confidence. Quarterback Jalen Hurts often looked completely lost. He was injured in a finger and in the coming days, we will undoubtedly learn that the knee injury from which he said he had recovered bothered him more than he was willing to say publicly.
He was also without his top target, AJ Brown. So much for the excuses department, but let’s not forget that some teams have had much worse this season in terms of injuries without collapsing like this.
On offense, the Eagles did not convert a single third down in this meeting (0 for 9). They never found a solution to counter the Eagles’ blitz, too often attempting short passes at the line of scrimmage. With the exception of DeVonta Smith, no receiver posed a threat. The ground game only generated 42 yards.
The offense constantly found itself with its back against the wall, starting a single sequence outside its 25 line. In short, you see the picture, it was pathetic at all levels offensively.
On the sidelines, the frustration among the Eagles seemed extreme, especially towards Jalen Hurts. There may even be reason to believe that the implosion is only just beginning.
Getty Images via AFP
A broken defense
Only one thing was more painful to watch than the Eagles offense and that was their defense.
The analytical site Pro Football Focus gave them eight missed tackles. We will rely on their expertise, but the evaluation appears conservative as the Eagles’ defensive players looked like poor kids bullied in the schoolyard.
The Buccaneers gained 307 yards through the air and 119 on the ground. It wasn’t even prolific receiver Mike Evans who caused the damage, but youngsters like Cade Otton (8 receptions, 89 yards) and Trey Palmer (1 reception, 56 yards, 1 touchdown).
For quarterback Baker Mayfield, it was a great moment of redemption. At the end of last season, after unconvincing stints in Carolina and Los Angeles, he seemed on his way to becoming a career reserve.
During the winter, he accepted a modest contract to try to relaunch himself in Tampa. He won his bet and his performance means that he has every chance of returning next year with a much better contract in his pocket.
And by the way, he also played despite an injury (knee)…
The end of Sirianni?
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The Buccaneers will continue their road in Detroit against the Lions and the Eagles sheepishly return home with a million questions to answer. The first will be related to the job security of head coach Nick Sirianni.
Yes, it seems unthinkable knowing that in his three seasons, he led his team to the playoffs, including once to the Super Bowl, as recently as last year. The catastrophic collapse of his team, however, represents a huge stain on his record and in the last few days, rumors have emerged to the effect that an early exit in the playoffs could cost him his job.
He certainly didn’t help himself by removing control of the defense from his coordinator Sean Desai to hand over operations to Matt Patricia. Under his leadership, the defense gave up 375.9 yards and 27.8 points per game.
The Eagles look like a team that has given up, but how do you explain their 10-1 start to the season? There are very difficult questions, in a very difficult market, which will be asked in the days to come.
Suddenly, what looked like a solid lineup could become riddled with holes. Veterans who are the heart and soul of the team like center Jason Kelce, tackle Fletcher Cox, defensive end Brandon Graham are out of contract and not getting any younger. It’s sad for these veterans who gave so much to this organization. In the case of a charismatic warrior like Kelce, you’d want it to last forever.
Without talking about reconstruction in Philadelphia, the fact remains that the face of the team risks changing. After losing face to this extent, maybe that’s not a bad thing.
THE 3 STARS OF THE MATCH
Baker Mayfield
Getty Images via AFP
Twenty-two passes completed in 36 attempts, 337 yards and three touchdowns. If we told you at the end of last season with none other than Tom Brady at the helm, that Baker Mayfield would do better, would you have believed it?
Lavonte David
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The Bucs linebacker clearly doesn’t look his 33 years old. We saw him all over the field with five tackles, including two for losses. He continues to be a valuable asset to the Bucs defense.
DeVonta Smith
Getty Images via AFP
The smaller receiver is one of the few Eagles players who will need to put his jersey in the wash. Smith was the lone spark plug on offense with eight receptions for 148 yards.
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