Philadelphia Eagles @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Final Score: Eagles 31, Buccaneers 25
Writer: Pranav Babarjung
A blocked punt picked up by Sydney Brown for a touchdown on the opening drive set the tone for a defensively dominant first half by Philly. Baker Mayfield and the Bucs’ offense, however, continue to be electric with two 70-plus-yard receiving touchdowns by Bucky Irving and Emeka Egbuka. Vita Vea and the defensive line were present the whole game, but really stepped up in the second half, putting immense pressure on Jalen Hurts. It was too little too late, though as strong defensive play from the Eagles sealed the game with an interception on one drive and a sack in the following to push the Super Bowl champions to 4-0.
Three Up
- Emeka Egbuka — Mike Evans’ injury stint allows Egbuka to get absolutely peppered with targets.
- Bucky Irving — The sheer amount of volume Irving gets is ridiculous. A long touchdown adds to a great fantasy day.
- Jalen Hurts — Even with the lack of passing yards, Hurts remains a top fantasy option with 62 yards on the ground.
Three Down
- A.J. Brown — Brown was getting manufactured targets, but was still unable to produce.
- DeVonta Smith — Smith was a blip on the radar in the game, with no looks at all in the second half.
- Cade Otton — Too many mouths to feed in this Bucs passing attack.
Philadelphia Eagles
Quarterback
Jalen Hurts: 15/24, 130 Yards, 2 TD | 9 Carries, 62 Yards
Hurts did not need to do much to win this game, but performed when he needed to. Getting the early lead with two short passing touchdowns to Dallas Goedert in the first half ended up being the highlight of the passing game. He played consistently for the most part, and only really made one glaring error in the second half when targeting A.J. Brown in double coverage. When Vita Vea was breathing down his neck for most of the second half, Hurts didn’t let the pressure force any bad decisions, and the Eagles were able to capitalize on a Bucky Irving fumble in the third quarter to score their final points of the game. While having the lead, killing the clock was the goal, and Hurts did that perfectly.
Running Back
Saquon Barkley: 19 Carries, 43 Yards, TD | 4 Targets, 4 Receptions, 31 Yards
Saquon Barkley has become the epitome of consistency. Consistent volume, consistent targets, consistent fantasy points. He gets there with a touchdown against a strong Bucs run defense, on a drive set up by a fumble recovered deep in Bucs territory.
A.J. Dillon: 3 Carries, 17 Yards
A.J. Dillon is brought in as the change of pace back. He looked strong on his 11-yard rush, but is not fantasy-relevant.
Wide Receiver/Tight End
Dallas Goedert: 4 Targets, 4 Receptions, 37 Yards, 2 TDs
Dallas Goedert finds the end zone twice on very similar short-yardage plays. On a day where Hurts did not need to pass the ball much, Goedert led all Eagles pass catchers with only 37 yards, but the TDs netted him a great fantasy day.
DeVonta Smith, Grant Calcaterra, John Metchie III: 6 Targets, 5 Receptions, 55 Yards Combined
When they have the lead, the Eagles are incredibly content to just pound the rock and let the defense do its job. All three of these guys performed essentially the same role — getting some crucial first downs to keep drive momentum going, but not making a real impact at all from a fantasy perspective.
A.J. Brown: 9 Targets, 2 Receptions, 7 Yards
It’s clear that the Eagles value A.J. Brown and want to keep him happy, as evidenced by the target volume. The Eagles’ first drive in the fourth quarter was a three-and-out consisting of three straight passes to Brown. One was into double coverage that would have been a pick-6 had the defender not dropped the ball. There is simply no need for Philly to target its star receivers, unless it is playing from behind.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Quarterback
Baker Mayfield: 22/40, 289 Yards, 2 TDs, INT | 2 Carries, 13 Yards
This Buccaneers offense looked lost in the first half. Keeping a drive alive looked like a struggle, and the two field goals were both on drives extended by penalties. This wasn’t entirely Mayfield’s fault, though. Sterling Shepherd, Emeka Egbuka, Chris Godwin, and Cade Otton all dropped passes that would have resulted in crucial first downs. If there’s one thing we know about Mayfield, though, it’s that you cannot count him out. He threw a beautiful pass between two defenders for a 77-yard touchdown to Emeka Egbuka in the third quarter, and followed it up with a 72-yard touchdown to Bucky Irving minutes later. However, for the first time this season, Mayfield failed to clutch up. In a one-score game in the fourth quarter, he threw a devastating interception from the Philly 11. The defense held, and the Bucs got the ball back, but were unable to score. There was not much rushing from Mayfield in this game, but he still had a respectable fantasy performance.
Running Back
Bucky Irving: 15 Carries, 63 Yards, Fumble (LOST) | 5 Targets, 5 Receptions, 102 Yards, TD
Bucky Irving is the focal point of this offense. A fumble caused by Kelee Ringo did not stop the Bucs from immediately going back to Irving on the next drive for the long touchdown. Most of his receiving and fantasy production came from that play. Irving looked explosive, with quick cuts to get yardage he had no business getting after contact.
Rachaad White: 6 Carries, 17 Yards | 5 Targets, 4 Receptions, 29 Yards
Whenever the Bucs need a few short, tough yards, Rachaad White answers the call. He added some receiving usage in this game, and remains a premium handcuff back in fantasy.
Wide Receiver/Tight End
Emeka Egbuka: 10 Targets, 4 Receptions, 101 Yards, TD | 1 Carry
A great fantasy performance hides some issues from Emeka Egbuka. He dropped passes that were in his hands on multiple occasions, leading to only four receptions on 10 targets. He and Chris Godwin led the team in targets, and continues to be Mayfield’s favorite deep target.
Chris Godwin: 10 Targets, 3 Receptions, 26 Yards
Chris Godwin made his season debut returning from a gruesome ankle injury and two surgeries, and it looks like he may pick up right where he left off, at least from a volume perspective. Godwin looked a little slower compared to last year, as should be expected, and had several dropped passes. One of his three receptions was also bobbled before being caught. With time, it looks like Godwin has a chance to return to form.
Sterling Shepherd: 4 Targets, 3 Receptions, 14 Yards | 1 Carry, 6 Yards
A running theme with these Bucs receivers is dropped passes. On fourth-and-3 in the third quarter, Sterling Shepherd uncharacteristically dropped a pass that was right in his hands. His target share remained relatively the same with Godwin’s return, but will likely take a hit once Evans is back from injury.
Cade Otton: 4 Targets, 3 Receptions, 9 Yards
Cade Otton tied his season high targets, but only got 9 yards. On the Bucs’ final fourth-down play, he brought down the 2-yard pass, but immediately fumbled it to the sideline, effectively ending the game.