Hope for the Eagles Headed Into The Playoffs
Last week we casually mentioned how there was plenty of room on the Eagles bandwagon due to their end of the season swoon. Well, there is even more room now as the Eagles limp into the playoffs, having lost five of their final six games after a 10-1 start that seemed years ago.
There are plenty of good news, bad news scenarios with the Eagles first playoff opponent, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Eagles will visit Tampa Bay on Monday night.
Even though the Eagles are 11-6 and Tampa Bay is 9-8, the Bucs get to host the first round because they won the NFC South, the weakest division in the NFL.
Anyway, facing Tampa Bay is a good news, bad news scenario for the Eagles.
The good news: The Eagles traveled to Tampa Bay on Sept. 25 and beat the Bucs, 25-11.
The bad news: That was when the Eagles were a formidable team.
The good news: Tampa Bay might be the worst team in the NFL playoffs.
The bad news: Tampa Bay has won five of its last six games while the Eagles have lost five of their last six.
The good news: Tampa Bay’s Baker Mayfield isn’t considered an elite NFL QB.
The bad news: Mayfield has 28 TD passes and 10 INTs, compared to 23 and 15 for the Eagles’ Jalen Hurts.Article continues below
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You get the message.
With all the negative vibes surrounding the Eagles after their 27-10 season-ending debacle against the New York Giants, they are still expected to win this game.
If you don’t believe me, just look at the early line, courtesy of BetMGM. The Eagles are a 2.5 point favorite as the road playoff team. (NOTE: this is the early line and can change during the week based on betting patterns and news of injuries).
Tampa Bay is just 3-7 against teams that ended with a winning record. The Eagles are 6-3, but even that needs an asterisk because the Eagles were 6-0 before losing three in a row to San Francisco, Dallas and Seattle.
One of the keys is how the Eagles handle the Bucs’ blitz. Tampa Bay coach Todd Bowles loves to blitz. As one could see in the season finale against the Giants, the Eagles have plenty of work to do in handling the blitz.
Still, this is a Tampa Bay team that didn’t look like world beaters in a season-ending 9-0 win at Carolina, which at 2-15 had the worst record in the NFL.
The shutout was even deceiving because Carolina might have trouble moving the ball on a Pop Warner team.
That said, Tampa Bay has a good receiving corps, led by future Hall of Famer Mike Evans (75 receptions, 1,255 yards and 13 TDS) and Chris Godwin (83 receptions, 1,024 yards, 2 TDs).
In the Eagles earlier win, Evans had five receptions for 60 yards and one TD and Godwin was limited to three receptions for 32 yards.
If the Eagles limit the duo to eight receptions for 92 yards and a TD, they will win.
That’s a big if. The secondary has fallen apart during the last six games.
There are so many ifs entering this game, but the Eagles should win. If they don’t, this might be the biggest area collapse since the 1964 Phillies.
There are plenty of good news, bad news scenarios with the Eagles first playoff opponent, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Eagles will visit Tampa Bay on Monday night.
Even though the Eagles are 11-6 and Tampa Bay is 9-8, the Bucs get to host the first round because they won the NFC South, the weakest division in the NFL.
Anyway, facing Tampa Bay is a good news, bad news scenario for the Eagles.
The good news: The Eagles traveled to Tampa Bay on Sept. 25 and beat the Bucs, 25-11.
The bad news: That was when the Eagles were a formidable team.
The good news: Tampa Bay might be the worst team in the NFL playoffs.
The bad news: Tampa Bay has won five of its last six games while the Eagles have lost five of their last six.
The good news: Tampa Bay’s Baker Mayfield isn’t considered an elite NFL QB.
The bad news: Mayfield has 28 TD passes and 10 INTs, compared to 23 and 15 for the Eagles’ Jalen Hurts.
advertisement
You get the message.
With all the negative vibes surrounding the Eagles after their 27-10 season-ending debacle against the New York Giants, they are still expected to win this game.
If you don’t believe me, just look at the early line, courtesy of BetMGM. The Eagles are a 2.5 point favorite as the road playoff team. (NOTE: this is the early line and can change during the week based on betting patterns and news of injuries).
Tampa Bay is just 3-7 against teams that ended with a winning record. The Eagles are 6-3, but even that needs an asterisk because the Eagles were 6-0 before losing three in a row to San Francisco, Dallas and Seattle.
One of the keys is how the Eagles handle the Bucs’ blitz. Tampa Bay coach Todd Bowles loves to blitz. As one could see in the season finale against the Giants, the Eagles have plenty of work to do in handling the blitz.
Still, this is a Tampa Bay team that didn’t look like world beaters in a season-ending 9-0 win at Carolina, which at 2-15 had the worst record in the NFL.
The shutout was even deceiving because Carolina might have trouble moving the ball on a Pop Warner team.
That said, Tampa Bay has a good receiving corps, led by future Hall of Famer Mike Evans (75 receptions, 1,255 yards and 13 TDS) and Chris Godwin (83 receptions, 1,024 yards, 2 TDs).
In the Eagles earlier win, Evans had five receptions for 60 yards and one TD and Godwin was limited to three receptions for 32 yards.
If the Eagles limit the duo to eight receptions for 92 yards and a TD, they will win.
That’s a big if. The secondary has fallen apart during the last six games.
There are so many ifs entering this game, but the Eagles should win. If they don’t, this might be the biggest area collapse since the 1964 Phillies.
Photo Courtesy of Philadelphia Eagles
Author: Marc Narducci
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