The Eagles are saddled with a slew of unfortunate injuries heading into their Week 4 matchup. Three key starters have missed consecutive practices this week, including A.J. Brown (hamstring), Lane Johnson (concussion), and DeVonta Smith (concussion). Everything is in flux against Tampa Bay.
One thing is certain: Jalen Hurts and Nick Sirianni need to get on the same page for the Eagles. Their combined decision-making, specifically in the passing game, has been suspect despite a 2-1 record. The coach-quarterback duo will look to get it on track as the entire NFL continues to struggle through the air. Passing yards remain the lowest since 2003, with passing touchdowns slipping to their worst rate since 1993.
“But it is something that we looked into because it is noticeable, and it is a really big difference. But we’ll continue to monitor that,” Sirianni said when asked about low passing yards throughout the NFL. “And what we are trying to do, though, is be efficient on offense. Hit your explosive plays. Take care of the football. Those things will never change. Not give up sacks. Those things will never change of what we are trying to do as far as explosives, taking care of the football, and not giving up sacks.”
Eagles vs. Buccaneers: 5 Key Players to Watch
Jalen Hurts
It starts and ends with the franchise quarterback. It always does. Hurts has been much better against the blitz through three games, but he’s holding the ball way too long and not finding open receivers despite getting ample time in the pocket from his offensive line. Hurts ranks third-worst in pocket time (average time in seconds between the snap and throw) at 2.6 seconds. And he appears to be misdiagnosing his progressions, although — to be completely fair — his receiving group has been depleted by injuries. Either way, Hurts needs to start earning that $255 million contract.
Jahan Dotson
Speaking of injured wide receivers, newcomer Jahan Dotson should get a third chance to start and (finally) show he was worth trading for. The former first-rounder led all Eagles receivers with 63 snaps (88%) in Week 3 but only made two catches for eight yards on three targets. No one is expecting the second coming of A.J. Brown or DeVonta Smith. Perish the thought. Still, Dotson was a mostly productive slot option in Washington and his increased snaps for the Eagles — versus the NFL’s third-worst passing defense — should equal opportunity. He needs to step it up for the Eagles. Paging John Ross?
Avonte Maddox
It would be easy to shine the spotlight on outside cornerbacks Darius Slay and Quinyon Mitchell in this one. Those guys will be inevitably tasked with slowing Pro Bowler Mike Evans. That is a key matchup to watch. However, Maddox might be the busiest man on the field as he attempts to slow down Chris Godwin who leads the Buccaneers in receptions (21) and receiving yards (253) while taking 62.5% of his snaps in the slot. He also three touchdowns, one in three straight games. Godwin will be mainly Maddox’s responsibility since the veteran cornerback is ahead of rookie Cooper DeJean on the depth chart.
Brandon Graham
The 36-year-old edge rusher seems to have brokered a lifetime deal with Father Time. He has seven pressures and six hurries, per Pro Football Focus, on 95 total snaps (46 pass rush, 44 run defense, five in coverage). His 80.0 overall grade ranks No. 14 out of 87 edge rushers in the NFL. Graham, yet to register a sack, is primed for a vintage game this week which should fuel more speculation about his future: “I might stay ready another year depending on how everything goes this year,” Graham told reporters earlier this week.
Cody Mauch
Weird to see an unheralded player from the opposition on this list, right? Sure. Then again, Mauch — the starting right guard for Tampa Bay — has been on the wrong side of a lot of sacks in recent years. He has been saddled with two sacks so far this season after allowing seven in 2023. The Eagles have a chance to do some damage by attacking the interior of the Buccaneers’ offensive line, starting by throwing big bodies (see: Jalen Carter, Jordan Davis) at Mauch. Perhaps Bryce Huff can snake his way back into the game-plan after seeing just 18 snaps last week against New Orleans.
Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
