The Philadelphia Eagles faced a tough game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last Sunday, losing 33-16. If you blinked, you might have missed how quickly things got out of hand. Three touchdowns were scored by the Buccaneers before the first quarter was over. This gave them an early head start, leaving the Eagles in a hole and raising many questions about their defense strategy.
Buccaneers’ Quick Start
The Buccaneers came out swinging. They scored touchdowns on three of their first four drives. This fast-breaking offense caught the Eagles off guard. Defensive Coordinator Vic Fangio acknowledged that the Eagles were not tight enough in their coverage. Bucs Quarterback Baker Mayfield was throwing quickly, sometimes getting the ball out in less than two seconds. It was a challenge for the Eagles’ defense to get settled.
Fangio said the Eagles used man coverage more than they normally do, and again, it didn’t play out that well against the Bucs. Fangio simply said their pass offense outplayed the Eagles’ pass defense. The Buccaneers found open receivers too easily because of this lack of tighter coverage, which led to their scoring spree. Fangio admitted, “We weren’t close enough.” The Eagles needed to do better defensively.
Troubles Tackling
Tackling was another major issue that saddled the Eagles. Whenever Mayfield let go of the ball in the blink of an eye, it became pretty difficult for the Eagles to hang on to their opponents. Fangio emphasized tight coverage, but communications and executions did not seem to cut it. “Credit to them,” Vic Fangio said. It was not only frustrating for the players but also the coaches.
When the game was done, Fangio was bombarded with questions of accountability. It couldn’t be the players who didn’t play it right, or maybe it was coaching? Fangio accepted it as his part, stating “It’s probably me not coaching it well enough.” This also clearly showcases the will and commitment Fangio has toward developing the team. He accepted that some teams could come out differently than expected, and changes are required in those cases.
Moving On
As the Eagles regroup, Fangio wants them to take something positive out of this loss. He wants to learn from it and said they need to do a better job in coaching and preparation during the week. Since the Eagles have a bye this week, this provides them with ample time to revisit and make changes they need to before the next game The world wants to see how the team will adjust and move on to the next game. They host the Cleveland Browns on October 14.
Better news is on the horizon though. Fangio suggested that Defensive Back Sydney Brown is getting close to coming back. He has been recovering from an ACL injury, but Brown provides needed energy and skill to the defense. Fangio thinks he will make a difference when he returns. The Eagles could certainly use that shot in the arm, especially since their pass defense has been poor this season. All in all, the Eagles were tested by the Buccaneers and there’s a lot of work to do; however, with a little more patience and the right changes in their game, they might bounce back stronger.
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