The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will start 3-1, putting them in position to win a fourth consecutive NFC South crown. “We had a good quarter, and that’s all it is,” coach Todd Bowles said Sunday after Baker Mayfield scored three touchdowns and the Bucs sacked Jalen Hurts six times in a 33-16 win over the Philadelphia Eagles.
“The season is four quarters,” Bowles remarked. “We’ve got three more quarters to go, and we’ve got to show up and play like that every quarter.” Mayfield threw for 347 yards and two touchdowns, and Mike Evans became the Buccaneers’ career scoring leader in a dominant rematch of a blowout NFC wild-card game they won 32-9 over the injured Eagles (2-2) in January.
Mayfield rebounded from a terrible performance in a loss to Denver the week before, completing 30 of 47 passes without an interception, and the offense scored a touchdown on its first possession for the first time in 21 games. Evans’ 2-yard touchdown reception capped a 10-play, 79-yard drive that set the tone for the Bucs, who outgained the Eagles 254 yards to zero while taking a 24-0 lead. The Bucs led 287-67 in yardage at halftime, with most of Philadelphia’s output coming on a 14-play drive that Hurts completed with a 1-yard touchdown pass to Parris Campbell.
Tampa Bay ran 22 plays in Eagles territory before the Philadelphia offense reached the 50-yard line in the second quarter. Despite the massive statistical discrepancy, the Eagles came back into the game after Saquon Barkley opened the second half with a 59-yard run to the Bucs 11. That set up Hurts’ 1-yard touchdown run, which trimmed the score to 24-7 at halftime.
Hurts took the kickoff and drove the Eagles to the Bucs’ 19 before being sacked by linebacker Lavonte David, resulting in a fumble that effectively destroyed the Eagles’ chances of a victorious comeback. “I think overall I just have to play better,” said Hurts, who was without injured starters A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith and correct tackle Lane Johnson. “It all starts with me, getting into the end zone and leading drives. I can only say, “I need to improve.”
Tampa Bay finished with six sacks after having only two in the previous three games. Hurts is 1-4 in five career starts versus the Buccaneers, including two postseason losses. Barkley ran for 94 yards on ten carries. Hurts went 18 of 30 for 150 yards with no interceptions. “We didn’t play well enough, and it will always start with me. “If we go out there and lay an egg and we’re down 24-0, that will start with me,” Eagles coach Nick Sirianni said.
