Philadelphia Eagles: 3 Big takeaways from loss vs. Buccaneers in Week 2
By Carl Naimoli
2. Eagles Getting Killed By Big Plays
If you are an Eagles fan, you couldn’t ask for a worse start than what happened Sunday afternoon. Former Eagle DeSean Jackson found himself wide open on the first play of the game and Bucs quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick hit him for a 75-yard touchdown and a 7-0 lead.
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Unfortunately for the Eagles, that wasn’t the only 75-yard touchdown of the day for Tampa Bay. In the second quarter, Fitzpatrick hit second-year tight end O.J. Howard in the middle of the field. After running towards the sideline, Howard was able to turn a nice gain into a 75-yard touchdown scamper. That play gave Tampa a 13-7 lead, and they never looked back.
Both plays were deflating for this Eagles team. Every time the Eagles showed some signs of life, it was Fitzpatrick and the talented receiving corps of Tampa that closed the door. The Eagles may have thought they were getting a little break not having to see Julio Jones shred their secondary apart this week, but there was no such thing.
This is two consecutive weeks now that an opposing receiver has had 10 receptions and at least 100 yards against this Eagles secondary. In a pass-heavy league, the Philadelphia defense is going to have to find a way to limit the opposing teams passing game. If they can avoid the 75-yard touchdown pass (or plays of similarly big nature), then they should have a good chance at winning going forward.