Eagles-Buccaneers report card: Birds solid on the ground, but Jalen Hurts shaky again

TAMPA, Fla. — Grading the Eagles’ performance in their 25-11 win over the Buccaneers:

Jalen Hurts was shaky again, but he had enough prime-time moments to offset the more dubious ones. He had maybe his best pass of the season when he hooked up with Olamide Zaccheaus for a 34-yard touchdown. He completed over 60 percent of his passes and threw for nearly 300 yards. And he also ran for 28 yards, scored a touchdown, and converted several tush-push sneaks. But he also tossed two interceptions — the first looked like a miscommunication with his intended receiver — and had a handful of late throws. Bottom line: the Eagles are 3-0 with Hurts not yet near his best.

D’Andre Swift is finally getting the opportunity to be the lead ballcarrier on a consistent basis and to no surprise for those who have watched the Mt. Airy native since he was a lad, he’s delivering. He rushed for over 100 yards in consecutive weeks for the first time and did so with two of the three highest number of rushes — 28 and 16 — in his career. Kenneth Gainwell, back from a rib injury, got most of his touches in the four-minute offense. He ran well. But there should be little dispute as to who should be RB1 from now on.

Nick Sirianni sent a not-too-subtle message with A.J. Brown being targeted on the first two passes. Hurts and his receiver had a rough patch in the middle of the game, but Brown went over 100 yards for the first time this season. DeVonta Smith wasn’t as active, but seemingly through no fault of his own. But Zaccheaus had his first two catches with his new team filling in for the injured Quez Watkins in the slot. And Dallas Goedert chipped in with five grabs.

Hurts had more than enough time on most of his drops. There even were a few throws when he had as long as five seconds in the pocket. Lane Johnson and Jordan Mailata kept the edges clean — for the most part — but center Jason Kelce and guards Landon Dickerson and Cam Jurgens deserve the most credit for neutralizing nose tackle Vita Vea in the run game. Swift was dynamic after contact, but he had a number of Roosevelt Boulevard-wide lanes to run through. Dickerson left with a knee contusion and was replaced by Sua Opeta.

» READ MORE: Defense carries the Eagles to a third straight win with a safety and two turnovers | Marcus Hayes

The Eagles’ best individual unit continued to get theirs and affect the outcome, especially in the interior. Jordan Davis set the table with multiple stops against the run. Jalen Carter could not be consistently blocked by one man and had a huge forced fumble before the half. Fletcher Cox notched a sack and even deep reserve Marlon Tuipulotu got one, too. There’s still legit reason to be concerned about Haason Reddick being limited by the cast on his thumb. But rookie Nolan Smith had several strong reps off the edge.

For the second straight game, the Eagles didn’t suffer from the loss of Nakobe Dean. Nicholas Morrow has jumped up from the practice squad into the middle linebacker spot with relative ease. He was credited with the third-quarter safety — thanks in part to Davis and Carter eating up blockers — and kept the front seven aligned. Zach Cunnigham had some early key stops against the run. And Christian Elliss spelled Cunningham for a series or two at weak-side.

James Bradberry got the call to move inside into the slot for the first time in his career with Avonte Maddox’s season-ending injury. He had his ups and downs, and understandably so. The Bucs went after Josh Jobe, Bradberry’s replacement on the outside, with mixed results. Darius Slay kept receiver Mike Evans in check early on, but the Pro Bowl receiver got a little hot in the second half.

Reed Blankenship was all over the field upon his return from a rib injury. He led the Eagles with seven tackles and intercepted Bucs quarterback Baker Mayfield in the second quarter. His starting counterpart, Justin Evans, left early with a neck injury. Terrell Edmunds filled in and at the least kept Tampa from throwing over the top. Rookie Sydney Brown flashed during one drive with two athletic plays, but he left with a thigh injury.

Britain Covey zigzagged for a career-best 56-yard punt return. Devon Allen, in his first NFL game, wasn’t as dynamic as the kick returner. New punter Braden Mann had only one punt for 38 yards. The Eagles’ cover units were sound. And Jake Elliott didn’t miss a field goal attempt or extra point.

Sean Desai’s defense gets the game ball for holding the Bucs to 11 points. The unit forced two turnovers and recorded two sacks in the first half. Brian Johnson’s play-calling on offense was suspect early on. The Eagles were running at will on the ground, but he went to the air with four straight passes on an early drive. Johnson settled into a better groove, but he hasn’t been sharp — yet.