Eagles Inability to Handle Blitz vs. Bucs Exposed by Next Gen Stats

The Philadelphia Eagles were eliminated by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the Wild Card round.

The Philadelphia Eagles looked like they had never seen a blitz before in a 32-9 road loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Monday night. 

The loss ended what became an excruciatingly painful season for fans of the team, as Philadelphia had dropped five of its last six games to end the regular season before getting blown out in the Wild Card game. 

Jalen Hurts was sacked three times in a playoff loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.  / © Nathan Ray Seebeck, USA TODAY

In the loss, quarterback Jalen Hurts struggled mightily against the blitz and the offense was unable to get anything going. He finished the night 25 of 35 passing for 250 yards and a touchdown and just one rush for five yards.

According to Next Gen Stats, Hurts was under pressure in less than 2.5 seconds 13 times against Tampa Bay in this game, which tied a career-high. On 10 occasions, the Buccaneers generated unblocked pressure which is tied for the most in any game by any defense this season in the NFL.

The Eagles have notoriously performed very poorly against the blitz this year, especially over the final stretch of the season. Hurts rarely had a hot route or an escape on blitzes, which resulted in balls being thrown away and sacks accumulating.

LeSean McCoy Blasts James Bradberry for Poor Tackling vs. Bucs

Tampa Bay sacked Hurts three times in the game for 16 total yards lost in the game, and also forced an intentional grounding in the end zone for a safety. The Buccaneers also picked up six quarterback hits, five passes defended and five tackles for loss as they advance to the next round of the playoffs. Philadelphia finished the game 0-for-9 on third downs and 0-for-2 on fourth down.

For the Eagles, an offseason of big decisions awaits. Another wasted season during a championship window could prove disastrous for the franchise.