TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will take a 3-1 start that has them in a position to chase a fourth consecutive NFC South title.
“We had a good quarter, and that’s all it is,” coach Todd Bowles said Sunday after Baker Mayfield accounted for three touchdowns and the Bucs sacked Jalen Hurts six times in a 33-16 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles.
“The season is four quarters,” Bowles added. “We’ve got three more quarters to go and we’ve got to show up and play like that every quarter.”
Mayfield threw for 347 yards and two touchdowns, while Mike Evans became the Buccaneers’ career scoring leader in dominating the rematch of a lopsided NFC wild-card game they won 32-9 against the injury-riddled Eagles (2-2) last January.
Rebounding from a poor performance in a loss to Denver the previous week, Mayfield completed 30 of 47 passes without an interception and the offense scored a touchdown on its opening possession for the first time in 21 games. Evans’ 2-yard scoring reception finished the 10-play, 79-yard drive that set the tone for the Bucs, who outgained the Eagles 254 yards to zero in building a 24-0 lead.
“Wanted to get (previous week’s) taste out of our mouth, for sure,” Mayfield said. “Started fast because the guys were just locked in. We came out with a hair-on-fire mentality. Everybody was locked in on what the plan was and we executed. That needs to be the case every week. That’s how we need to start.”
Evans, who finished with eight receptions for 94 yards, moved ahead of Martin Gramatica (592) into first place on Tampa Bay’s scoring list with 596. Mayfield also threw a first-quarter TD pass to Trey Palmer and scored on a 1-yard run on fourth-and-goal to make it 21-0 early in the second quarter.
The Bucs held a 287-67 edge in yardage at halftime, with most of Philadelphia’s offense coming on a 14-play drive that Hurts finished with a 1-yard TD throw to Parris Campbell.
Tampa Bay ran 22 plays in Eagles territory before the Philadelphia offense finally crossed the 50-yard line in the second quarter. But despite the huge disparity statistically, the Eagles managed to get back into the game after Saquon Barkley began the second half with a 59-yard run to the Bucs 11.
That set up a 1-yard TD run by Hurts that cut into a 24-7 halftime deficit. The Eagles gave themselves a little more hope when Kelee Ringo scooped up a blocked extra-point kick on Tampa Bay’s next touchdown and raced to the other end of the field for a defensive two-point conversion that trimmed the Bucs’ lead to 30-16.
Hurts took the kickoff and moved the Eagles to the Bucs 19 before linebacker Lavonte David sacked him, forcing a fumble that essentially ended the chance for a successful comeback.
“I think overall I just have to play better,” said Hurts, who played without injured starting receivers A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith, as well as right tackle Lane Johnson. “It starts with me in terms of getting into the end zone and leading drives. The only thing I can say, I’ve got to be better.”
Tampa Bay finished with six sacks after only having two through the first three games. Hurts dropped to 1-4 in five career starts against the Bucs, including a pair of playoff losses.
Barkley rushed for 94 yards on 10 carries. Hurts finished 18 of 30 for 150 yards and no interceptions.
“We didn’t play well enough, and that’s always going to start with me. If we go out there and lay an egg and we’re down 24-0, that’s going to start on me,” Eagles coach Nick Sirianni said.
Back in the house
Seven-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady was back at Raymond James Stadium as part of the FOX television broadcast crew. He played the final three seasons of his career with the Bucs, leading Tampa Bay to one Super Bowl title and a pair of NFC South championships before retiring after the 2022 season. Brady stood in the broadcast booth and acknowledged cheering fans when the Bucs officially welcomed him back during the two-minute warning in the first half.
Injuries
Eagles: Besides Brown (hamstring), Smith (concussion) and Johnson (concussion), LB Devin White (personal matter) also was inactive. S Reed Blankenship (illness) sat out the second half. DT Jalen Carter and C Cam Jurgens (cramps) missed time in the fourth quarter as the temperature on the field exceeded 100 degrees.
Buccaneers: All-Pro S Antoine Winfield Jr. (foot), DL Calijah Kancey (calf) and RT Luke Goedeke (concussion) were inactive. … Palmer left the game late in the first quarter to be evaluated for a concussion. … LB SirVocea Dennis (shoulder) departed in the second quarter and did not return.
Up next
Eagles: Bye week before hosting Cleveland on Oct. 13.
Buccaneers: At NFC South rival Atlanta on Thursday night.
___
AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl
Copyright © 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, written or redistributed.
