Eagles Today

Eagles vs. Bucs: Live Updates, Highlights: Philly Defensive Line Feasts in Win Over Tampa

Follow along for live updates of the Philadelphia Eagles vs. the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Monday Night Football.

Tim Kelly

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Quite a bit has changed for both the Philadelphia Eagles and Tampa Bay Buccaneers since the last time that they met on a national stage. 

Since losing 31-15 against the Tom Brady-led Buccaneers in the 2021 NFC Wild Card Round, the Eagles have been one of the NFL's most dominant teams, going 18-4 (including the postseason). Quarterback Jalen Hurts has developed into one of the elite players at his position, finishing runner-up in NFL MVP voting in 2022 and earning a new five-year/$255 million extension, a pact that guarantees him nearly $180 million. 

Meanwhile, the victory over the Eagles proved to be the final postseason one of the Brady Era, a fleeting but extremely successful period in the history of a franchise that's otherwise been forgotten for much of their existence. The Buccaneers would be eliminated a week later by the eventual Super Bowl Champion Los Angeles Rams, before crawling into the playoffs and being defeated by the Dallas Cowboys in the 2022 Wild Card Round, which turned out to be the last game of Brady's career. 

D'Andre Swift had his second straight game with more than 100 yards rushing
D'Andre Swift, Jalen Hurts and the Philadelphia Eagles are locked in a battle with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. (USA Today) / © Nathan Ray Seebeck, USA TODAY

But while the Buccaneers were expected to be one of the NFL's worst teams entering 2023, coach Todd Bowles' squad is off to a 2-0 start. Quarterback Baker Mayfield has been a strong successor to Brady in the early going, as he's tossed three touchdowns to zero interceptions in two wins to open the season. Receiver Mike Evans looks rejuvenated, having already posted 12 catches for 237 yards and two touchdowns. 

So this seems like an appropriate time for the Eagles and Buccaneers to meet, as the two undefeated teams will look to move to 3-0 on Monday Night Football from Raymond James Stadium. 

Follow along for live updates and highlights from one of Week 3's most intriguing matchups. 

First Quarter

Defensive Drive 1: After winning the coin toss, the Eagles elected to defer to the second half. Mayfield did connect with receiver Chris Godwin for one first down, but the Eagles were able to force a punt after six-play, 16-yard drive by Tampa Bay. 

Offensive Drive 1: The good news for the Eagles is that Hurts connected with receiver A.J. Brown for two catches and 44 yards on the opening offensive drive. The bad news for the Eagles is that running back Kenneth Gainwell was stopped on fourth and two at the Tampa Bay 14-yard line. 

Defensive Drive 2: Mayfield linked up with tight end Cade Otton for a 16-yard gain to open the drive, but Buccaneers were forced to punt the ball away just three plays later. The often-maligned Britain Covey then set the Eagles up tremendously with a 52-yard punt return. 

Offensive Drive 2: Running back D'Andre Swift rushed for 175 wins in a Week 2 win over the Minnesota Vikings, and behind what's probably the best offensive line in the NFL, helped give the Eagles a first-quarter lead. However, that lead was of the three-point variety, with Jake Elliott hitting a 36-yard field goal after Hurts and the passing offense sputtered out. 

Defensive Drive 3: Tampa Bay went three-and-out on their third offensive drive, with defensive tackle Marlon Tuipulotu sacking Mayfield for a two-yard loss on second down. 

Second Quarter

Offensive Drive 3: This drive began in the first quarter, with Hurts finding receiver DeVonta Smith for the first time on a 15-yard gain. But Hurts was forced to throw the ball away on third-and-five at the Eagles 46 early in the second quarter. New punter Braden Mann booted the ball away 38-yards on fourth down. 

Defensive Drive 4: Chase McLaughlin tied the game with a 33-yard field goal, capping off a 13-play, 69-yard drive for the Buccaneers. Rookie safety Sydney Brown helped keep Tampa Bay from scoring a touchdown by knocking a pass from Mayfield loose from Evans' hands. 

Offensive Drive 4: Receiver Olamide Zaccheaus had a 24-yard catch on this drive on the sideline, and that wasn't even his biggest play on the drive. On third-and-10 at the Tampa Bay 34-yard line, Hurts connected with Zaccheaus on a beautiful 34-yard touchdown. 

Defensive Drive 5: With rain falling, Mayfield was picked off by safety Reed Blankenship at the Tampa Bay 37-yard line, setting the Eagles up with tremendous field position. 

Offensive Drive 5: At first-and-10 on the Tampa Bay 22-yard line, Hurts was intercepted by Buccaneers linebacker Devin White. 

Defensive Drive 6: Rookie defensive tackle Jalen Carter continues to flash his superstar potential, with the latest evidence coming on a successful "peanut punch" that allowed the Eagles to regain possession in Tampa Bay territory. 

Offensive Drive 6: Jake Elliott connected on a 38-yard field goal as time expired in the second quarter, capping off a five-play, 16-yard drive. 

Third Quarter

Offensive Drive 7: There's probably a lot of running backs that could be successful running behind the line of the Eagles, but the electricity that Swift is playing with is hard to replicate. While the Eagles would add a touchdown on the controversial "tush push" play, it was a 26-yard run by Swift that was the highlight of the drive. 

Defensive Drive 8: The Eagles defense appears to be starting to take this game over. Mayfield couldn't connect on back-to-back passes to Evans, forcing a punt after just five plays on the drive for the Buccaneers. 

Offensive Drive 8: This looked to be another drive headed for the end zone, with left guard Landon Dickerson making a devastating block to help set up a 29-yard rush from Swift. However, Hurts made an ill-advised throw to Smith trying for a touchdown, and it was picked off by cornerback Dee Delaney: 

Defensive Drive 9: Nick Morrow and Jordan Davis quickly got the ball back for the Eagles, combining to tackle running back Rachaad White in the end zone for a safety. 

Fourth Quarter

Offensive Drive 9: The bulk of this drive took place int he third quarter, with both Swift and Brown making key contributions to get the Eagles into the redzone. However, after Brown dropped a ball in the end zone and a fake "tush-push" play failed, the Eagles ultimately had to settle for a 26-yard field goal from Elliott, which capped off a 10-play drive. 

Defensive Drive 10: Mayfield found Evans for a one-yard touchdown catch. It was his second-most impressive reception on the drive, with the top one coming in the form of a 22-yard catch that got the Buccaneers into Eagles territory. Mayfield hooked up with Godwin for a successful two-point conversion to cut the Eagles lead to 14. 

Offensive Drive 10: After Tampa Bay cut the lead to two touchdowns, Philadelphia simply kept the ball for the final nine minutes and 22 seconds of the game, a 15-play, 68-yard drive that helped cement a 25-11 victory. 

Published
Tim Kelly
TIM KELLY

Tim Kelly is a contributor to SI's NFL team sites. Additionally, Kelly covers the Philadelphia Phillies as the Editorial Director for PhilliesNation.com. Previously, Kelly has been a producer at SportsRadio 94 WIP and a content producer for Audacy Sports, with written content syndicated to WIP, WFAN, WEEI and some of the biggest sports radio stations in the country. Kelly also has contributed to Bleacher Report, Just Baseball, Sports Talk Philly and Section 215, FanSided's Philadelphia affiliate. Kelly is a 2018 graduate of Bloomsburg University, with a major in Mass Communications and a minor in political science. 

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