Eagles Insider Dave Spadaro's Takeaways
Here's a sample from his 15 total:
3. Here is an example of roster depth and some emerging young players on the roster: Eagles led, 3-0 late in first quarter. Tampa Bay has the football at its 24-yard line. Blankenship supports the run and makes a terrific tackle on first down to deck Sean Tucker for a 1-yard loss. Defensive tackle Marlon Tuipulotu penetrates and sacks Mayfield for a 2-yard loss on second down (Carter was right there, as well) and then on third-and-13, cornerback Josh Jobe has tight coverage on a Mayfield pass intended for wide receiver Deven Thompkins. Really good show of roster strength there.
7. The offense took the opening kickoff of the second half and put together a fantastic drive: 13 plays, 75 yards, ate nearly 6 minutes off the clock and a great mix of the run and pass. Hurts finished things with a 1-yard plunge on fourth down to give the Eagles a 20-3 lead. The running game gained 45 yards on eight attempts on the drive, with Swift busting one for 26 yards. Such balance and faith in the offensive line against a team that, remember, allowed just 54 yards rushing per game (second only to the Eagles) in the first two weeks of the season.
10. What an outstanding play from linebacker Nicholas Morrow, slicing through a gap created when defensive tackles Jordan Davis and Jalen Carter occupied blockers and Morrow made a sure tackle on White in the end zone for a safety one play after Tampa Bay picked off Hurts at the 1-yard line. That defensive gem pushed the Eagles to a 22-3 lead in the third quarter. Great push up front and perfect timing and execution from Morrow.
Numbers From the Win
3: The Eagles are 3-0 and one of just – you guessed it – three undefeated teams in the NFL, along with two future opponents – the Dolphins (Week 7) and the 49ers (Week 13).
1993: This was the last time the Eagles started consecutive seasons with 3-0 records. 2023 marks the 11th such instance in franchise history.
20-1: Jalen Hurts' record in his last 21 regular-season starts. During that span, Hurts has won his last 10 road contests, the longest streak in Eagles history.
52: Britain Covey's longest-career punt return came Monday night. It was the longest punt return by an Eagle since 2020. Covey is second in the league in both punt return average (18.8) and total return yards (113).
1: The Eagles are the only team with multiple takeaways (Reed Blankenship INT, Jalen Carter FF/James Bradberry FR) in each game this season. Tampa Bay entered the game with zero giveaways.
29: More Jalen Hurts goodies. Hurts set the NFL's all-time record for most rushing touchdowns in a quarterback's first 50 games.
308: D'Andre Swift is second in the NFL in rushing yards after his back-to-back 100-plus-yard rushing performances. It's the second time he has accomplished the feat in his career.
2: Nicholas Morrow's safety in the third quarter was the first by the Eagles since 2020.
120: A.J. Brown's 131-yard performance was his fourth such with 120-plus yards since joining the Eagles last season.
200: With 201 yards on the ground (against the No. 2 run defense, no less), the Eagles surpassed the 200-yard rushing mark in consecutive weeks for the first time since 2021. The Eagles rank second in the league in rushing (185.7 ypg) behind the Miami Dolphins.
45: Meanwhile, the run defense allowed fewer than 45 yards (41 vs. Buccaneers) in consecutive games for the first time since 1994. The Eagles rank first in the league in run defense (48.3 ypg).
181: Brandon Graham played in his 181 regular-season game as an Eagle, moving him into third place all time behind David Akers (188) and Brian Dawkins (183).
142: Jason Kelce started his 142nd straight regular-season game, the second-longest active streak in the league and the longest by an NFL center since 2011.
What They Said About the Win
"We want to be tough and together and part of toughness is being physical and that's what I felt like really stood out to this game." – Head Coach Nick Sirianni
"This isn't the first game where I've dealt with this (or) I had to play with something like this. It always happens on Monday night for whatever reason." – QB Jalen Hurts on battling flu-like symptoms in the win
"It's a feeling I haven't forgot. Things have gone very well ever since." – Hurts on returning to Tampa Bay for the first time since the 2021 Wild Card loss
"Super elusive. We know how good he can be catching the football, too. It's just the way the flow of the game has been where we haven't needed that yet, but he's a weapon to catch the football as well and make plays. We got a little screen to him today that I thought was a good play and good play by our offensive line. But he's elusive, he's explosive, he's tough – he's really had a nice start to the season." – Sirianni on RB D'Andre Swift
"He has been a big-time player for us. To see him jumping over guys – I don't know if I've seen that in a long time. But, he's kind of marking his territory, I feel like, with that and he is pushing everyone else around him. We just need him to keep playing great ball." – Hurts on Swift
"This defense is awesome. I love the defense. Everybody trusts one another. Everybody plays their role and do what they got to do. And if somebody is going down, it's that next man up and we are not worried about who the next man is. We trust him just as much as we trust the guy that's starting the game. I love this defense." – DT Jalen Carter
"It's amazing. Playing with a guy I played with in high school, a guy I looked up to in high school (and) seeing him get his first touchdown (as an Eagle), I wanted to be the first one over there to celebrate with him." – Swift on his St. Joseph's Prep teammate Olamide Zaccheaus
"We're not a final product yet. Everybody wants us to be a final product now, but it's a growth. You want to grow every day, so we're not going to be playing our best football until we get going into the season. We still (have) things to work on, and we still (have) growth to do. If you're truly in the mindset of getting better every day – if you're truly in that mindset of getting better every day, which I know that we are on this team, you're going to continue to rise. You're going to keep getting better. So, are we playing our best offensive football right now? No and we shouldn't be yet." – Sirianni on the offense
Toyota Player Of The Week
After every game, we want to know who stood out as the Toyota Player of the Week. Each week that you vote, you will have the chance to win the jersey of your favorite Philadelphia Eagles player. Everyone who participates, will be entered to win the grand prize, a brand-new Toyota!
