Philadelphia Eagles: 3 Players to watch vs. Buccaneers in Week 2

PHILADELPHIA, PA - SEPTEMBER 06: Jay Ajayi #26 of the Philadelphia Eagles celebrates with Nick Foles #9 after rushing for a 1-yard touchdown during the third quarter against the Atlanta Falcons at Lincoln Financial Field on September 6, 2018 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) /

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PHILADELPHIA, PA – SEPTEMBER 06: Jay Ajayi #26 of the Philadelphia Eagles reacts during the second half against the Atlanta Falcons at Lincoln Financial Field on September 6, 2018 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) /

3. Jay Ajayi

The Eagles lead running back Jay Ajayi provided the second half spark that the Eagles needed in order to overcome the Falcons. Ajayi was used sparingly in the first half as Head Coach Doug Pederson was being cautious of a foot injury that Ajayi was nursing through the preseason.

He only accounted for three carries for 11 yards in the first half of play. He wasn’t even on the field for most of the first half as Darren Sproles appeared to be the teams number one running back.

Things changed drastically in the second half. Ajayi was able to amass 51 yards rushing on 12 carries while scoring the Eagles only two touchdowns of the game. Even though that statline isn’t jaw-dropping, it was clear to see that Ajayi’s energy and tough running was the biggest factor in getting the struggling offense moving.

This week expect to see much more of Ajayi. The Eagles don’t want to get away from their three-headed monster in Ajayi, Sproles and Corey Clement, but it’s clear that Ajayi is ready to become the every-down back. There’s a good chance that the Eagles feed him the ball early and often, in order to get the ground game going the way it did in the second half against Atlanta.

Ajayi will be facing a Tampa Bay team that has a stout defensive line that includes one of the best defensive tackles in the NFL, Gerald McCoy. So, the job won’t be easy, but behind one of the best offensive lines in the game Ajayi will look to keep his hot hand in Week 2.

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