The Eagles started the season 10-1. They failed to reach 12 wins.
The No. 4-seeded Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Monday won at home 32-9 over No. 5 Philadelphia to move on to the divisional round.
Philadelphia started off sluggishly but were in it at the half trailing 16-9 after a failed tush push on a two-point try. But the second half was even more lifeless, with the Buccaneers capitalizing against a team who appeared to be ready for the season to end.
Tampa Bay will next head to Detroit to meet the No. 3 Lions in the divisional round, while the Eagles will head back to Philadelphia and ponder how it all went wrong.
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Let's analyze the game further with five winners and losers:
WINNER: Jamel Dean, Buccaneers
This game featured a defense who made tackles and a defense who routinely missed theirs. The Buccaneers were the former, with defensive back Jamel Dean making multiple impressive tackles. There are concerns to be had coverage wise, but he logged 10 tackles (nine solo), one tackle for loss and one pass defended. He led his team in both total tackles and solo.
NFL
LOSER: Eagles' run game
Tampa Bay entered the game with a top-10 rush defense. D'Andre Swift and Kenneth Gainwell definitely felt that. Swift rushed for just 34 yards on 10 carries while Gainwell mustered just two on four tries. Philadelphia didn't have A.J. Brown due to an injury while Julio Jones was ruled out mid-game with a concussion.
The Eagles also went 0-for-9 on third downs and 0-for-2 on fourth downs. They really needed a healthy run game to help balance Jalen Hurts' passing offensively, but that never came to fruition.
WINNER: Baker Mayfield, Buccaneers
It wasn't always pretty, but Baker Mayfield outperformed Jalen Hurts. Mayfield completed 22 of 36 passes for 337 yards, three touchdowns and no picks while Hurts completed 25 of 35 passes for 250 yards, one sack, no picks and a safety.
Mayfield was on three different teams in 2022 but has helped Tampa Bay reach the divisional round in his first season with the franchise, as well as succeeding Tom Brady. He also earned a $250K bonus for the win, so it's all smiles for the former 2018 No. 1 overall pick.
LOSER: Tailing off
It's not about how you start, it's about...yeah, you probably know the rest. The Eagles at one point were 10-1 and the best team in the league record-wise, including a 25-11 road win at Tampa Bay. But ever since being crushed 42-19 at home to the current No. 1 seed San Francisco 49ers, Philadelphia completely tailed off.
The Eagles lost five of their last six regular-season games before falling to the Buccaneers. The vibes and energy had just been zapped since Week 13. Sure, some of their wins in the 10-1 run were close one-possession results, but to see them completely capitulate is one of the most mind-boggling turnarounds in recent history.
WINNER: Detroit Lions
The Lions showed they could hang when they beat Matthew Stafford and the Los Angeles Rams 24-23. The Bucs are a little easier on paper, especially considering Detroit already won in Tampa Bay 20-6 earlier this season.
Jared Goff in that game completed 30 of 44 passes for 353 yards, two touchdowns and no picks while Mayfield struggled on 19-for-37 completions for 206 yards, no touchdowns and one pick.
Of course, things can be completely different in the playoffs as Tampa Bay proved over Philly. But it doesn't bode well for the Bucs' poor rushing attack versus the Lions' robust rush defense. Tampa Bay will need Mayfield to sling it against Detroit's shaky secondary, while Goff has already shown he can slice the Bucs, who don't boast a sturdy secondary of their own.
