When the Eagles oppose the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Monday (8 p.m., ESPN, Channel 6, WIP 94.1-FM) in the final game of the Super Wild Card round, it may be the last stand for one of the coaching staffs.
Buried in this matchup of underperforming teams is a clear picture of what the 2024 season will look like. Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni could be pressed into staff changes after a late-season swoon. Bucs counterpart Todd Bowles has a .500 record in two seasons in a league where average just isn’t good enough.
Both coaches are accountable along with their players, particularly veterans with plenty of mileage, like Brandon Graham. No Eagle has suited up in more seasons than the 35-year-old defensive end, whose 14th campaign has been difficult, ending with losses in five of six games after a 10-1 start.
This game could be the last dance for Graham, veteran teammates Fletcher Cox and Jason Kelce and others.
“I ain’t really been thinking about that part,” Graham said. “I’m just more about trying to finish out this year the right way and giving ourselves the best chance to go out and finish the right way by executing, being together, knowing what’s at stake right now, that it’s all or nothing. We know next year the team is going to be different. The coaches are going to be different. Everything’s going to be different. So, it’s more about trying to take advantage and help some people with what’s going to happen next year.”
The Eagles (11-6) are 2.5-point favorites after opening at 3.5 points. Rain is forecast, just as it was in their Week 3 meeting at Raymond James, won by the Eagles 25-11.
The Bucs (9-8) couldn’t stop the run that day, D’Andre Swift running for 130 yards. Except for a one-yard scoring pass to Mike Evans, the Eagles kept the opponent’s top playmaker under control.
With Swift well rested, Pro Bowl wide receiver A.J. Brown out with a knee injury and quarterback Jalen Hurts nursing a dislocated finger, offensive tackle Jordan Mailata let slip that the Eagles were going to downshift to ground and pound. After all, the offensive line is the strength of the team.
“It’s in our identity to go out there and play physical, fast, and execute in the run game,” Mailata said. “I’m sure everybody’s going to show up. “We have to win a game, and running the ball is going to win the game. It’s going to help set up everything. If we can’t execute in the run game, we’ll be forced to pass the ball, so we have to be on our A game. It starts with us. We always say that, but if we don’t get that run game going and don’t focus on executing our technique, especially with the multiple fronts Todd Bowles has, then we’re going to be in for a long night.”
Except for Vita Vea, the 6-4, 347-pound defensive tackle, the Bucs are smaller up front but have a mobile, athletic front 7. Linebacker Devin White and safety Antoine Winfield are the best players on a defense that has impact veterans in linebackers Shaq Barrett and Lavonte David.
The Bucs have been sputtering on offense, quarterback Baker Mayfield nursing rib and ankle injuries. But Evans (13 TDs) and Chris Godwin are 1,000-yard receivers who shouldn’t have major issues getting open against an Eagles secondary that while welcoming back veteran Darius Slay has been unable to cover anybody the last six weeks. The Eagles have given up 35 TDs through the air this season, second most in the league.
The Eagles have allowed 30.3 points over the last six games. They’ve been beaten by backup quarterbacks Drew Lock and Tyrod Taylor. They could be without two starting safeties, as Reed Blankenship (groin) is questionable and rookie Sydney Brown is out with a torn ACL.
Then there are the mistakes, including turnovers. The Bucs have forced seven the last four weeks, eighth-most in the league in that stretch. The Eagles have committed eight, fourth-most.
And of course, there are the whispers. Make no mistake, when a team loses five of its last six games, there are doubts about what’s next. That’s where the Eagles are.
The first sign of trouble was demoting defensive coordinator Sean Desai after back-to-back shellings by San Francisco and Dallas. The Eagles have lost three of four games with Matt Patricia calling plays and, wait for it, turned pass rusher Haason Reddick, with his 16 sacks last year, into a cover linebacker.
Exactly who thought that would be a good idea is open to debate. Sirianni said he changed the coordinators, after discussing with management. But A.J. Brown blew Sirianni’s cover when he defended his coach for stretching the truth at times to have the players’ backs.
Anybody who has watched the Eagles suffer their worst collapse since 2020, when they lost seven of their last eight, knows that almost nobody is safe. Super Bowl-winning head coach Doug Pederson was canned after that flame-out. He’d been in the playoffs three straight years.
“The building is cool and all but whenever I’m done whenever that’ll be, I’m going to miss the locker room other than just playing,” Slay said. “I have some good conversations with guys in here.”
Source: Berkshire mont