We’re going a special route this week and choosing a coach as a substitute of an opposing participant to cease. Bucs’ head coach Todd Bowles has had some nice success in opposition to the Eagles and Jalen Hurts, who’s 1-3 in his profession in opposition to Tampa Bay’s defensive guru, with two of these three losses coming within the Wild Card spherical of the playoffs by a mixed 63-24 rating. Bowles’ protection held Hurts and the Eagles’ offense to 3 touchdowns in these playoff losses—with two of the three coming when Tampa Bay was main 31-0 within the Bucs’ 31-15 Wild Card spherical victory that ended the Eagles’ 2021 season.
Bowles will assault Hurts, who has been higher in opposition to the blitz this season. With Eagles’ All-Professional proper sort out Lane Johnson presumably out, it makes Bowles’ defensive schemes stronger.
Eagles’ offensive coordinator Kellen Moore received an opportunity to pour over the leaks in final 12 months’s gameplan when the Bucs demolished the Eagles, 32-9, within the playoffs and had Hurts working for his life your complete night time.
“Clearly, they’d a stress plan related to stopping the run and placing loads of stress on the safety sport,” Moore mentioned. “So, Todd is all the time going to have his totally different flavors. He’s going to play us, there could also be some stuff that falls again on that and there could also be some new parts that he’ll pull out and attempt to stress you in several methods as a result of he is aware of you’ll be anticipating these.
“He does a wonderful job. After I was at different locations, we’ve performed him a number of occasions and each sport appears to be a special taste. It’s not essentially whether or not he gained or misplaced, it’s going to be a special taste and totally different problem every week. We have now to do a very good job of getting our solutions and understanding our instruments and the changes that we might or might not have to make.”
Hurts has had issues defending the ball. He enters the sport with 26 turnovers since 2023, which, regrettably, leads all NFL quarterbacks in that span. Over the past two seasons, Hurts has thrown an NFL-high 19 interceptions and misplaced seven fumbles. As a group, the Eagles are minus-4 this season and ranked tied for No. 31 in turnover ratio. Of Hurts’ 4 interceptions this season, two have come ultimately zone.
The final time the Eagles gained the turnover battle (2-1) in a sport was of their 21-17 victory at Kansas Metropolis on Nov. 20, 2023, when Patrick Mahomes threw an interception and Travis Kelce misplaced a fumble in Week 11. Since then, the Eagles have both tied (in opposition to San Francisco and within the Tampa Bay playoff loss neither group turned the ball over) or misplaced the turnover battle in every sport, turning the ball over 20 occasions and inflicting seven turnovers for a minus-13 over their final 11 video games.
With the robust chance of A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith out, together with Johnson, Hurts can have his points counting on Parris Campbell, Jahan Dotson and Johnny Wilson of their place. Tight finish Dallas Goedert is coming off a profession sport during which he caught 10 passes for 170 yards—and made the play of the sport together with his 61-yard reception with 1:05 to play on a third-and-16 on the Eagles’ 35.
And in keeping with Professional Soccer Focus, Hurts is seeing the sector higher and recognizing blitzes. In 2023, of his 268 dropbacks in opposition to the blitz, he accomplished 63.1%, with 9 touchdowns, in opposition to 8 interceptions and was sacked 17 occasions (6.3%). This season, below Moore, his 38 dropbacks in opposition to the blitz have produced 72.7% completions, with 1 TD, 1 interception and he was sacked twice (5.3%).
Bowles will little question attempt to drive Hurts into uncomfortable conditions, like pushing him left and making him throw throughout his physique. Moore says he’s ready for that.
“Clearly any quarterback that’s right-handed, you’re naturally going to roll out at occasions if you get off-schedule to your proper,” Moore mentioned. “Jalen has completed an outstanding job of continuous to construct confidence and luxury degree in that. I assumed he had a couple of good examples. Once more, it is a couple weeks in a row the place not getting out-of-the-pocket, hanging within the pocket inside time and when he has to scramble, he scrambles, and he discovered [RB Kenneth Gainwell] Kenny on one down the left sideline. He discovered [WR DeVonta Smith] Smitty on the left aspect. Each good examples of when he received right into a scramble drill to his left, discovered a completion and nonetheless remained a passer. These had been big-time performs.”
