Bucs find solutions to all of their problems in easy win over Eagles A week ago, the Bucs could not find Mike Evans. Problem solved. A week ago, they could not rush the opposing quarterback. Problem solved. A week ago, they fell behind early, played poorly and walked away frustrated. Not this time. Tampa Bay throttled the Eagles 33-16 after a near-perfect first quarter on a wickedly hot Sunday afternoon at Raymond James Stadium. Evans caught eight passes for 94 yards and a touchdown, while the defense sacked Philadelphia quarterback Jalen Hurts six times. The Bucs jumped out to a 24-0 lead, wobbled in the third quarter, but put the Eagles away when Lavonte David forced a Hurts fumble in Tampa Bay territory with the score 30-16. Play of the day Using the same formation that led to an Evans touchdown reception in the first quarter, the Bucs completely befuddled the Eagles on fourth and goal from the 1 early in the second. Baker Mayfield faked a handoff to Bucky Irving and ran the ball up the middle for a score. Game ball With Tom What's-His-Name watching from the Fox Sports booth, Mayfield looked like an old-school quarterback for the Bucs. He ran, he passed, he scrambled, he gestured to the crowd. And when it was all over, he had 347 yards in the air, two touchdown passes and one touchdown run. Tom Brady seemed dutifully impressed. Keep an eye on The Bucky Irving/Rachaad White evolution continues. Through the first two weeks of the season, White had 25 carries compared to 16 for Irving. In the past two games, the rookie from Oregon has had 19 carries while White has dropped to 16. The difference in production is obvious. Irving is averaging 5.8 yards per carry, while White is at 2.8. White, however, continues to be a strong presence in the passing game. He has 14 receptions for 133 yards. Also, Trenton Gill was signed from the practice squad and handled punting and placeholder duties on Sunday. Gill punted four times for 37.5 yards, but an extra-point attempt was blocked and led to a two-point return for the Eagles. It will be interesting to see if the Bucs keep Gill and Jake Camarda on the roster this week. NFC South update Four weeks in, and the Bucs are sitting atop the division. While the Bucs ran over the Eagles, the Saints wasted a fourth-quarter comeback in a 26-24 loss in Atlanta. After the Saints stunned the league by winning their first two games by a combined score of 91-29, they've dropped two in a row. The Falcons and Saints are now tied at 2-2. Carolina is looking better with Andy Dalton at QB but the Panthers are still in the cellar at 1-3. John Romano, Tampa Bay Times, published 30 September 2024