The Effort-Challenged Eagles
January 8th, 2024
On paper, the Bucs are a hot team, winners of five of their last six games.
Their playoff opponent next Monday at The Licht House has lost five of its last six, with two failures coming in January against the sad Cardinals and Giants.
What a beautiful setup for the Bucs. The Eagles are struggling in so many ways.
Joe just finished watching their loss to the Giants yesterday, what was a must-win game for Philadelphia. They almost looked like the Bucs against the Saints eight days ago.
Joe liked how former Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett summed up the Eagles last night on Football Night In America.
“I believe they have great character guys on their team, but they’re not playing hard down in and down out,” Garrett said. “They’re not fighting and competing like they need to. … Limping into the playoffs is an understatement.”
Joe would counter by saying “great character guys” don’t have inconsistent effort. So maybe the Eagles are highly overrated; there has been chatter out of Philadelphia that players are sour on coaches.
The past two weeks it’s been the Bucs showing questionable effort at times. If Tampa Bay can right their ship and the Eagles continue to be effort-challenged, Joe certainly could see the Bucs emerging victorious and hitting the road for the next round of the playoffs.
January 8th, 2024 at 2:01 pm
Have the gals from Hooters waiting outside the Philthadelphia team hotel with track suits for fat Dom. By the way, did anyone know Jalen Hurts squats over 600lbs?!
January 8th, 2024 at 2:02 pm
This will be a battle of trench warfare…
Bucs O-line & D-line needs to put everything they got into this game….
Kancey didn’t play in the 1st game…
Yaya only had a few snaps….
We’ll have a different D-line this time..
January 8th, 2024 at 2:02 pm
Did it dawn on Joe that maybe they had their eyes on playing TB?? I know that’s unprofessional, but it make’s me wonder!??
January 8th, 2024 at 2:04 pm
The entire Eagles organization is taking a lot flak now, so I expect them to be fired up on Monday night. The Bucs need to be ready and Canales sure as hell better change the offensive game plan.
Even with injuries, their D line and O line are so much better than ours. Bucs will have to bring their A game to win.
January 8th, 2024 at 2:06 pm
Thinking an Antoine Winfield Jr pick 6 or major disruption to seal the deal would be quite poetic for a playoff game against the birds.
January 8th, 2024 at 2:20 pm
Don’t they have about three Derrick Browns? They are due for an upswing.
January 8th, 2024 at 2:22 pm
No hype for me. No to fooled again.
January 8th, 2024 at 2:24 pm
Bucs picked off Hurts TWICE in the early game this year.
Guys just gotta HOUSE these pics for TD’s…
I’m not impressed with Hurts as a passer. Keep him in the pocket, pressure him, and make him go thru reads and he’ll make mistakes…..
January 8th, 2024 at 2:27 pm
Bucs beat a bunch of scrub teams and had a healthy QB. The Eagles can be dominant and Baker is badly injured. The Eagles D line will simply smash the Yucs!
January 8th, 2024 at 2:33 pm
Seee here we go trying to pile on the eagles as if no one has questioned the Bucs effort. Even with half effort they can manhandle the Bucs see the saints game. They are better on the offensive and defensive lines couple that with playoffs and it’s kinds of silly to think they won’t lay it all on the line in a win or go home game. We barely beat the Panthers so I fully expect us to get smacked around Monday because this team doesn’t believe
January 8th, 2024 at 2:57 pm
Bucs energy ain’t much more, it’s about the same. Prove me wrong, Bucs…
January 8th, 2024 at 3:06 pm
Eagles are slow on defense. Bucs can beat that secondary if Mayfield can make good throws and reads. They are not going to be able to run vs the size of the Eagles defensive line but the back 7 of Philadelphia is weak. They will be exposed if Bowles/Canales has the guts to put the ball in the air and get Evans and Godwin involved often and early. Save White for the second half. Running the ball early in Buc games has been a disaster. The Eagles have an older defense so you need
to gas these guys by making them rush the passer and play with uptempo.
The Bucs need to bring the energy instead of lazy Bowles run game. Get the crowd into it early so they get loud. None of the Den of Depression crap we saw vs Saints, Lions and Eagles this year. For once, I’d like to see the Bucs come out and play like they care about the fans in the seats.
January 8th, 2024 at 3:21 pm
When teams like the Eagles, Cowboys, Chiefs, and 49ers get to the playoffs they know how to turn it on. You won’t be seeing the low-effort version of the Eagles. That’s guaranteed.
The only team we need to worry about being low-effort is the Bucs. I suspect they’re going to get their asses whooped next Monday by a vastly more talented and better-coached Eagles team.
January 8th, 2024 at 3:22 pm
If they cared about fans and player stats they wouldn’t script kneel-downs for almost half a quarter.
January 8th, 2024 at 3:26 pm
Looks like we should be going into this game the healthiest we’ve been in a while, though all the coaches will tell you everyone is dealing with some sort of nagging injury at this point in the season. We need everyone in this one.
For all those that hate Bowles, let’s see how he schemes this game on def. I would agree with many that believe that he gets outcoached often, though I’d argue that he’s still short some players on def. This was a patch work year waiting to get some of that dead CAP back in 2024. This is his chance to impress many of us if he can figure out a way to stifle Jalen and keep the game close. Like @Bucfan1988 said, Kancey and Diaby are now starters, so it’s a bit more intriguing.
I worry more about this offense given their performance the last 2 weeks of football. If we can’t sustain a drive we will wear out our defense. I still say this team can’t beat the better teams in the league until we can pressure the QB with (4) upfront. But if Hurts can’t find the right outlet when the blitz comes, then we have a chance.
January 8th, 2024 at 3:33 pm
just gonna be a get-right game for the eagles
January 8th, 2024 at 3:35 pm
Somebody above mentioned it but it went unnoticed. Baker is badly injured.
That’s the biggest issue facing the team right now. The Bucs won’t disclose it till the last minute per usual but regardless there’s a very real chance you Trask groupies will get your shot. I don’t care who QB’s but it’s a hell of a time to have to start your backup who’s played in exactly 0 games this season.
Not a great situation.
January 8th, 2024 at 3:35 pm
I’m sorry. I Have ZERO faith in Bowles. Not 1 single spec of faith in Bowles.
His play scheme never changes and it won’t.
January 8th, 2024 at 3:48 pm
What would be great is for Winfield to get a pick 6 and when getting near the end zone point to his name on the back of his jersey 🙂
January 8th, 2024 at 4:46 pm
Cash on the field will create effort. it always does.
January 8th, 2024 at 4:47 pm
Only way we win this game is if our ground game is going. If we are one dimensional, we are cooked. And yes, I have no faith in expressionless Bowles. We are getting the Eagles in a bad time as they are coming in Heated. We honestly don’t deserve to be here as last year. Not with Bowles as our coach. Am I happy to be in the playoffs sure, another week of Bucs football. Am I a realist, yes.
January 8th, 2024 at 5:16 pm
Bucs are fools gold. Any other division and they would be watching the playoffs at a bar in the Caribbean. They will get embarrassed by the Eagles since all teams cure their ills against the Bucs. Bowles and Canales are not the right coaches to lead this team going forward. Winning the NFC South is nothing to brag about.
January 8th, 2024 at 6:03 pm
Let’s face facts guys, the last 2 games showed how inept our offense is with a broken Baker, and poor coaching at every position. As for the D, aside from Winfield, not good at all.
January 8th, 2024 at 7:06 pm
Pelsbuc61 Says “Any other division and they would be watching the playoffs…” Um, not exactly. If they were in any other division they would still be in as a Wildcard instead of Green Bay since we have the same record and beat them head-to-head.
So yeah, we won a crappy division (one that nearly sent 2 teams to the playoffs, had GB lost the Saints would be in) but by virtue of our record we still earned at least the 7th seed.
As for the Eagles, Hurts has been gawd-awful against the blitz lately (a QBR of 5, yes FIVE) and we have YaYa and Kancey and Vita and Shaq toss in a blitz by White or a safety and we should be ok on D.
We need the offense to play some inspired ball and that starts with Canales.
January 8th, 2024 at 8:08 pm
Glass Half Full Guy…. I agree. I think Canales has tried to set up the Pass with the Run, which he should be sitting up the Run with the Pass. How many times this season has the Bucs played behind the chains, running on first down for 1 to 2 yards, this gives the Defense the advantage on 2nd and 3rd downs. It has been painful to watch.
I am not seeing the Offensive genius that some says he has. Willing to give him a chance. You can only play with what you think your players can do. I personally would like to see them open it up more, then slide in a run when they should be passing.
January 8th, 2024 at 11:08 pm
The 2023 Eagles are missing DT N Suh and his attitude, just like the 2022 Bucs.
January 8th, 2024 at 11:20 pm
Two poorly performing football teams. Loser goes home. Winner goes home a week later.
January 8th, 2024 at 11:34 pm
A clash of inept meeting uninspired.
Oh, boy, barn- burner coming up.
Both teams can stink up a stadium ” on any given Monday.”
So which will smell less odoriferious?
January 9th, 2024 at 2:07 pm
We are due for a big home win we have been better on the road so it’s time for home field whoopin
January 9th, 2024 at 2:12 pm
Pelabuc61 I wud like to cure u r negative comments that only helps the opposing team u fool,unless u r the opposing team mascot fool
January 9th, 2024 at 2:16 pm
Buccobruce really we don’t deserve to b in playoffs didn’t we just win a div title what kind of fan says stupid stuff like this I say u r not a bucs fan creepo
January 9th, 2024 at 4:52 pm
Eagles 27 Bucs 10. Time to clean house.
January 9th, 2024 at 8:14 pm
I don’t like the prime-time slot on Monday. Buccaneers do not do well in prime-time games, leaning towards outright embarrassing play.
With the playoff history they have against the iggles, and Mayfield’s injury, it’s not the best opponent we could have. At least they’re the lowest seed.