This Sunday features another pivotal matchup for the Philadelphia Eagles against an NFC South opponent. Honestly, Philly owes the Tampa Bay Buccaneers one. On January 15th, the Bucs handed the Eagles a 32-9 season-ending loss. Baker Mayfield, Tom Brady's replacement put on a dazzling display in that one.
Mayfield threw for 337 yards and three touchdowns. He shredded the Eagles' defense and led the Buccaneers to a comfortable win. Philadelphia's hopes of returning to the Super Bowl were over. Some sat those hopes ended many weeks earlier.
Tampa was methodical in its approach. Mayfield’s precision made the Eagles try to play catch up, but the difference between that Eagles team and the current version is that Saquon Barkley is a part of the current offense.
He has proven to be a substantial addition with 351 rushing yards and seven total touchdowns in three games. Guess what? He's one of three keys to an Eagles win on Sunday.
1. Feed the hot hand, and keep Saquon Barkley rolling.
The Eagles are fortunate enough to have Saquon Barkley on their team. It's possible he can win a rushing title behind the team's talented offensive line. Jeff Stoutland's unit have excelled under his watch for years, paving the way for one of the best rushing seasons in NFL history (2022).
If Saquon exceeds 100 yards rushing again, Philly's odds of winning dramatically increase. The Eagles simply don't lose when they get that type of production from their running game.
2. Neutralize Baker Mayfield and the Buccaneers passing game.
On paper, it would seem the Eagles' D-line would be one of the team's greatest strengths, but they haven't been consistent through the first few weeks of action. Jalen Carter, Josh Sweat, and Jordan Davis need to push the issue on Sunday and contain Baker Mayfield who has continued to show flashes of brilliance this season.
The Eagles cannot allow Mayfield to get into a rhythm like he did during the playoff loss. He was given far too much time in the pocket.
Generating pressure up front and tight coverage from the secondary will be key in forcing Mayfield into mistakes. If they can keep the former Heisman winner from extending plays outside the pocket and disrupt his timing, you've got to feel good about their chances. We will see what Vic Fangio has in store for the Bucs offense this week.
Reed Blankenship has stepped up and is looking to have a breakout year. Hopefully, he'll keep rolling. He has two interceptions already this year, one of which sealed the game in New Orleans last week. He also boasts 20 combined tackles. He has been huge thus far. The former undrafted safety looks like he will be a key piece for years to come.
We expect another big moment on Sunday.
3. Philly MUST win the turnover battle.
Even though he has an NFL-best 27-8 record as a starting quarterback since the start of last season, Jalen Hurts' Achilles heel has been the rate at which he's turned the ball over. He already has six turnovers on the season.
Let's put that into perspective. He had only eight during the entire 2022 season, and that's a huge reason why that team was successful.
They won the turnover battle more often than not. Plain and simple, Jalen Hurts must be better at protecting the football, especially in the red zone.
He's still a dynamic playmaker, but careless mistakes (fumbles or ill-advised throws) could shift the momentum in Tampa Bay’s favor. If Philly avoids doing so, we could see Philadelphia win by multiple scores and advance to 3-1 as they head into a bye week.
