Eagles vs. Buccaneers: Birds lose an ugly one in Tampa; Tom Brady brings the drama; injury news, analysis

Quarterback: C+

Jalen Hurts had a rough day, but he was without A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith — his top two wide receivers — and Pro Bowl right tackle Lane Johnson. He now has a turnover in nine straight games, including last year’s playoff loss to the Bucs, dating back to last season. Hurts’ third-quarter fumble wasn’t all on him, though. Saquon Barkley’s initial pickup on a Lavonte David rush up the middle was lacking. But Hurts held onto the ball a tick too long after he eluded the linebacker and was strip-sacked.

All told, Hurts was sacked six times. He had some good throws, some bad ones, but he didn’t have many open receivers. The final nail essentially came when Hurts held the ball on third-and-19 in the fourth and was sacked. The press box announcer at Raymond James Stadium had a little fun with the Eagles’ fourth-down distance labeling it “quite a ways to go.”

Sunday’s game was the first Eagles’ game called by Tom Brady, the $375 million half of Fox’s top broadcast team, with Kevin Burkhardt. Last week, the Birds had Greg Olson, who was demoted from the top team for Brady. Sunday’s game was also the first non-Cowboys game called by Brady so far this season. In week 4.

I was prepared for a rough ride, but Brady was fine. His outfit, however, was questionable — we’re not sure what he was thinking matching that shirt and that tie, but sure.

Brady rips Baker

After showing some encouraging signs against the New Orleans Saints the week prior, the Eagles defense had its worst showing of the season in the first half against the Buccaneers.

Tampa Bay rattled off 24 unanswered points to start the game, finishing three of its first four drives with a touchdown. The Eagles lone stop in that sequence was washed away by a muffed punt by Cooper DeJean setting the Bucs up deep in Eagles’ territory and leading to a one-yard touchdown run by Baker Mayfield on a zone read.

Against a Buccaneers team that often uses three-receiver sets, Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio reverted back to the four-man defensive fronts the group had previously struggled to stop the run out of on Sunday with shaky results. Tampa Bay averaged 6.1 yards per rushing attempt in the first half, including a 17-yard rush from Bucs running back Rachaad White on the second play of the team’s opening drive.

The Eagles got off to a disastrous start and couldn’t recover on a hot and humid day in Tampa. They were banged up before they arrived and had multiple starters go down with injuries, illnesses, and cramps. Normally, this is an up/down drill, but it’s a down day for the Eagles, who are 2-2 after losing to the Buccaneers ...

Down: Jalen Hurts

Perhaps this is being too harsh, but Hurts is the quarterback, and his turnover late in the third quarter was the product of a too-often issue with him trying to extend plays too long and not having enough recognition in the pocket.

OK, so the Eagles aren't that bad.

After a disaster start, they showed a little sign of life toward the end of the half. The offense moved the ball — finally allowing a tired defense to get some time out of the scorching sun — and a 5 minute, 24 second drive ended with Parris Campbell's first touchdown as an Eagle on a fourth-and-1 to get the Eagles to within 24-7.

The defense has gotten consecutive stops, even as starting safety Reed Blankenship (illness) is out of the game and questionable to return.

When you talk about the Buccaneers defense, you talk about Todd Bowles. When you talk about Bowles, you talk about the man who has written the book on how to stop Jalen Hurts and the Eagles.

On Sunday, Hurts has a chance to add a chapter of his own. A little under nine months have passed since the Bucs tossed the last shovelful of dirt onto the Eagles’ early 2023 grave.

The intervening period has offered more questions than answers, more hypotheticals than evidence, more opinion than facts. There is a long list of reasons we might expect the Eagles to look like a totally different team on Sunday than they did last postseason. A new offensive coordinator, a new offensive scheme, a new running back, a new lease on life after the doldrums that plagued the 2023 Eagles long before Tampa Bay. How much does any of it mean? How much did it mean?

After finishing off a wild victory, leading his No. 4 Alabama Crimson Tide over No. 2 Georgia, Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe wore a shirt with Jalen Hurts' image on it and explained why.

Milroe completed 27 of his 33 passes for 374 yards to go with two touchdowns (and one interception) in what became the frontrunner for the college football game of the year ... out of nowhere.

Alabama was cruising to what looked like an easy win before Georgia scored 19 straight points to pull ahead, 34-33, with 2:31 to go. But Alabama needed one play to answer, Milroe connecting with Ryan Williams on a 75-yard catch-and-run.

There are a few common threads between each of the inflection points in Fred Johnson’s football career.

Belief has been at the center of them all. The first pivotal moment came when he was a high school student working toward “a bigger purpose,” sleeping on the floor of his South Florida home without the grades to make good on the scholarship offer he had from the University of Florida. That belief has flickered at times the last few years for the offensive tackle but has been restored since he joined the Eagles in 2022.

“At a certain point, I gave up on myself,” Johnson said. “And I stopped caring. I stopped being who I wanted to be as a person, the type of person I want my son to look up to as a father. When I got here is when I had the time to reflect on everything, and that’s something that changed me.”

After a 15-12 win over the New Orleans Saints last week, the Eagles are heading to Tampa to take on Baker Mayfield and the Buccaneers in a wild-card rematch. Despite the team’s shorthanded receiving corps — DeVonta Smith was ruled out of Sunday’s game and A.J. Brown is listed as questionable — key pieces like Dallas Goedert and Saquon Barkley stepped up in Week 3. Now, the injury-riddled Eagles have their sights set on Week 4.

The Birds are currently 1½-point favorites over the Bucs at FanDuel. The Bucs are coming off of blowout 26-7 loss to the Denver Broncos. Will the Eagles keep their momentum going after a win over New Orleans? Will the Bucs bounce back after their first loss of the season?

Inquirer staff predictions

» READ MORE: Eagles vs. Buccaneers predictions: Our writers make their picks for Week 4

Despite returning to practice in a limited capacity Friday, Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown will not play Sunday against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

The Eagles downgraded Brown from questionable to out Saturday afternoon. They also ruled out linebacker Devin White because of a personal matter. Brown missed the last two games after injuring his hamstring before the Eagles’ Week 2 home game against Atlanta.

White, meanwhile, was a healthy scratch the last two games after missing the opener in Brazil with an injury. White, who signed as a free agent this offseason, did not win a starting job out of camp. The Eagles haven’t felt comfortable about making him active on game days, as they have capable backups with more special-teams experience.

The Philadelphia Eagles (2-1) will take on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-1) on Sunday in Tampa Bay, with a former foe calling the action on TV for Fox.

Tom Brady, who went 1-1 against the Eagles in Super Bowls during his decorated 23-year playing career, is in the booth this season as Fox’s top NFL analyst. Today’s game will be just the fourth he’s called in his brief broadcasting career, and the first that doesn’t involve the Dallas Cowboys. Reviews of his first three games have been mixed, but he’s been mostly solid and wasn’t afraid to criticize throws made by Dak Prescott last week.

“Obviously, it’s improve each week and improve each year,” Brady told Fox News. “There’s no hiding. It’s not like there’s really a practice field.”

Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield will take the field for the fourth time in his career against the Eagles, and his track record is mixed.

Mayfield’s best game against the Eagles was also his most recent. He torched the Birds defense for 337 yards and three touchdowns in the wild card round of the playoffs last season, leading the Bucs to a 32-9 rout and booting the Eagles out of the postseason.

Mayfield has posted good numbers this season, going 61-82 (74.4%) for 637 yards and six touchdowns, while tossing just two interceptions. But Mayfield might be under pressure a bit more Sunday with right tackle Luke Goedeke (concussion) ruled out. Last week in their loss against the Denver Broncos, Mayfield was sacked seven times.

Here’s everything you need to know to watch or stream Eagles-Bucs today:

What time and channel is the Eagles game today?

Today’s game between the Eagles and Buccaneers is scheduled to kick off at 1 p.m. Eastern on Fox.