Eagles Had Negative Yardage In Second Half
September 28th, 2025
The world champion Eagles punted six times in the second half against the Bucs today.
Joe was in glorious disbelief. The Bucs defense was a swarming, body-moving beast.
Where was that in the first half?
In fact, the Eagles officially had negative yardage in the second half (-1 yard to be exact). Yeah, the Bucs defense was that good.
That’s what made the brutal Bucky Irving fumble in the third quarter so painful. It gave the Eagles the ball at the Bucs’ 25 yard line. They scored the winning touchdown six plays later.
Eagles QB Jalen Hurts was unfazed by the Bucs’ blitz in the first half, but the Bucs adjusted and stymied the Eagles. And overall, the Bucs shut down Saquon Barkley and beat him up, as well.
If the Bucs defense can play all season like it did in the second half, Tampa Bay will be a very successful playoff team.
September 28th, 2025 at 4:43 pm
Bowles needs to get his defense ready to play all 4 quarters. They only show up in the 2nd half of games. SVD is terrible, yaya isn’t as good as it seems, vita is still our best dline player. LVD’s age is showing.
September 28th, 2025 at 4:43 pm
That pick was bad in the red zone Baker should have just threw it away. But that block punt was the killer. It’s time to start firing the special team coach and cut the punter.
September 28th, 2025 at 4:43 pm
Come on dude every season its the same Bowles will find a way to blow it. Not about being negative its about seeing the same dumb play calling every season and trying to win with field goals
September 28th, 2025 at 4:44 pm
Special teams was the difference in this game. Take away that blocked punt and we probably win given how amazing the D was in the 2nd half. If we’re not down by 18 at half some different offensive strategies would be used. I’m not even mad about the Baker pick. He saw Godwin wide open and the pass was tipped.
Sky is definitely not falling.
September 28th, 2025 at 4:44 pm
Need special teams help asap defense did a solid job offense needs a lil work
September 28th, 2025 at 4:44 pm
This was a day we needed Evans. Would’ve kept the defense a little more honest. Godwin looked good, and got held quite a few times. Buckys fumble, and the special teams blunder were the difference obviously. Can’t spot the world champs 7 points!
September 28th, 2025 at 4:44 pm
Fat chance the defense plays like the second half of this game any other game this year. The Eagles knew the Bucs scored on two fluke long passes, broken plays, one was a clear out and the other was Baker finding Bucky when the rush was about to dump him.
September 28th, 2025 at 4:45 pm
Coaches Bowles is doing a great job. We just need to get some guys off the injury list
September 28th, 2025 at 4:46 pm
But where was the bucs fans that live in Tampa and the can afford to go to the games . Y’all should have never sold y’all tickets to eagles fans because they had the home field advantage in our own stadium that’s a shame on our fan base in Tampa.
September 28th, 2025 at 4:46 pm
SMH IT WAS A GOOD GAME, THEY ARE THE SB CHAMPS, REFS GAVE THEM ALMOST EVERYTHING! GAVE UP A PUNT FOR TD, AS DB SAID “WE’LL BE BACK” DO NOT BE A LITTLE FEMALE DOG FAN!!! FFS!!! GO BUCS!
September 28th, 2025 at 4:46 pm
The big difference was closer coverage from the corners…. Go figure….
September 28th, 2025 at 4:47 pm
Defense played lights out in the 2nd half. Bucs beat the Bucs today, too many mistakes to overcome the champs. I’ll take 3-1 to start the season. Gotta bounce back next week and avoid our annual losing streak.
September 28th, 2025 at 4:47 pm
Eagles went to prevent offense know the Wrizzard would suck it up
September 28th, 2025 at 4:48 pm
Cool, then I’ll give Todd half credit for having his defense half ready to play half the game. How about an article questioning why this coach can’t have his team prepared in the first half of games?
September 28th, 2025 at 4:48 pm
In the press conference Todd will talk about the defensive resilience with all the injuries, how you can’t have three turnovers against good teams. How close the Bucs were to winning. Now they lose additional players to injuries and will travel to Seattle with the JV players next week.
September 28th, 2025 at 4:48 pm
It’s nice to be positive Joe but the Bucs played half a game and in the first half the Eagles totally blew away the Bucs offense. Very one sided. Bucs offense is way behind last year’s scoring only 21 points per game when last year it was close to 30.
They have a lot of work to do on the offense to jump out and score early, especially at home.
The timing on the offense looks off. Drops are a concern.
September 28th, 2025 at 4:48 pm
Oneilbuc SYBAU, you could have got a plane ticket. And people who live here from Philly (and it is a lot because Philly is a Garbage town) Blow the whole years sports ticket budget to out price normal fans.
September 28th, 2025 at 4:49 pm
I’ve gotten used to the Todd Bowles defense clamping down after a drive and a half when he figures out what’s going on, but he gave them a whole damn half.
September 28th, 2025 at 4:49 pm
Crazy it’s straight to blame the defense the blocked punt fumble by Bucky and interception plus offense stalling a few times Godwin was rusty the defense wasn’t elite but was solid
September 28th, 2025 at 4:49 pm
The Bucky “fumble” was not a fumble. His shin was down. Unbelievably bad officiating. We’ve been on the worst end of the officiating this year.
September 28th, 2025 at 4:49 pm
bucs werent as prepared to start the game was difference in game this loss
is on bowles and his staff which basically is bowles
September 28th, 2025 at 4:49 pm
Welcome to the Todd’s annual losing streak.
September 28th, 2025 at 4:50 pm
Another good excuse. Save some in case we need for the Seahawks. OK it was a glorious loss.
September 28th, 2025 at 4:50 pm
Defense did get in the 2nd half. Bowles always makes the adjustments. Refs need to do better. Fire the ST coach 2 weeks in a row we have kicks blocked. To hold the world champs in the 2nd half like we did shows Bowles defense can play even with the injuries. They fans that want him fired are loco
September 28th, 2025 at 4:51 pm
Missed Evans playing today.
Agree with others about the blocked kicks, our punter, and special teams coaching. Also, the refs in all our games so far have had a lot issues. Bad calls on us or no calls on the opposing teams.
September 28th, 2025 at 4:51 pm
Key players will be returning key players after the bye week. The Super Bowl 🏈 Bucs contenders will have a legit 👌 shot with a revenge victory over the Phillies in January 2026.
September 28th, 2025 at 4:51 pm
We need Gruden back. F Bowles
September 28th, 2025 at 4:52 pm
Prepare for another loss at Seattle next week.
September 28th, 2025 at 4:52 pm
These ” Fire Bowles” idiots are really depressing
They bring this site down to their stupid level
It’s hard to deal with
I’m out
September 28th, 2025 at 4:53 pm
It was the heat, Dean going down, and the Eagles were trying to use the clock.
They were smart.
September 28th, 2025 at 4:56 pm
The whole team was in a heat sleep in the first half. Go Bowles.
September 28th, 2025 at 4:57 pm
The game is a 4 quarter game!
September 28th, 2025 at 4:57 pm
When your defense plays like dog poo for the entire first half, and then comes back out and holds your opponents SB winning offense to negative yardage and 3 and out after 3 and out for the entire second half?
That isn’t “Fire your DC/HC” coaching. That is GOOD coaching. That’s the coach seeing what is happening on the field, and telling his defense how to adjust. Yes they need to get there sooner, of course they do. That doesn’t mean that coaching a team to adjust so well when they dont isn’t still good coaching.
I am so sick of the narrative that Bowles is the problem. Even more so that there IS a problem at all. There isn’t a REAL problem. Just minor things we need to work on as the season goes on.
At the end of the day, the Bucs are a talent stacked 3 – 1 team in a division where no one else knows how to win at all. This team is nearly guaranteed to go deep into the playoffs.
September 28th, 2025 at 4:57 pm
Were going to struggle in games as long as we have all these injuries on defense plus the 2 starting offensive lineman out is not helping along with Evans
September 28th, 2025 at 5:00 pm
eoschwartz Says:
September 28th, 2025 at 4:48 pm
It’s nice to be positive Joe but the Bucs played half a game and in the first half the Eagles totally blew away the Bucs offense. Very one sided. Bucs offense is way behind last year’s scoring only 21 points per game when last year it was close to 30.
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we are averaging exactly the same points per game this season as we did in the first four games last season. 24.25 points. last season we only scored 20 pts in game 2, and 7 points against the *checks notes* broncos in game 3.
grizzard is a first time play caller, and is working with practice squad players on the oline. mcmillan and godwin out first three games, now evans out. godwin hasn’t played in a year, and had what? two? full practices before this game? it’s going to take a couple of weeks to shake the rust off.
i seriously cant with some of you.
September 28th, 2025 at 5:02 pm
Excuse me, is a Bucs site? Seems like most of the posters are fans of another team. The game I watched was exciting as hell. And like Joe, I’m buoyed by the play of the defense in the second half. A blocked punt returned for a TD. A Bucky Irving fumble at our end of the field that led to a Philly TD. A bone-head pass by Mayfield that was intercepted as we were driving for a chance to tie the game. Despite those gaffs, we still made it a game. With all the injuries, I didn’t expect us to win this game, but we still managed to go toe to toe with the best team in the league. So, I’m no going to blast Bowles or the play calling on either offense or defense. The Bucs are only going to get better as the season goes on!
September 28th, 2025 at 5:03 pm
Impressive second half from the defense.
Brutal non calls that favored Philly.
Great play from the rookie Morrison.
Sorry that’s not a fumble on Bucky.
How about Chase!
Baker looked like he was favoring his right arm….such a Warrior.
Heartbreaking loss but proud of the effort and the heart the Bucs brought.
They fight till the end and almost pulled it off.
September 28th, 2025 at 5:03 pm
TDS Says:
September 28th, 2025 at 4:57 pm
When your defense plays like dog poo for the entire first half, and then comes back out and holds your opponents SB winning offense to negative yardage and 3 and out after 3 and out for the entire second half?
That isn’t “Fire your DC/HC” coaching. That is GOOD coaching. That’s the coach seeing what is happening on the field, and telling his defense how to adjust. Yes they need to get there sooner, of course they do. That doesn’t mean that coaching a team to adjust so well when they dont isn’t still good coaching.
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to be fair, should it really take him until after halftime to make adjustments? especially when he does this pretty much every game-starts off with his defense 6 yards off the receivers. other good coaches make adjustments IN GAME, on the fly. they don’t wait until the game is pretty much out of hand before they figure out that what they are doing isn’t working.
September 28th, 2025 at 5:03 pm
The defense did fine. the blocked field goal and the int cost the game. Big Baker fan boy here but that was a horrible int. Think brady has a point . Wanting to play hero can work against you. Maybe my boy was feeling himself a bit much and its good to get the lesson now before the playoffs.
September 28th, 2025 at 5:04 pm
Mike C . I don’t know the ticket prices so that’s why I said for the people that can afford it . But I can’t miss church to fly to a game!!
September 28th, 2025 at 5:06 pm
The giz is not Coen. We all saw that in the first half ! Looked more like Brian leftwitch . 😁
September 28th, 2025 at 5:07 pm
But at the same time it’s just one game we wasn’t going to win them all and we’re going to lose another one. But we will win our division I’m getting ready for the playoffs and I just want us to be healthy those games.
September 28th, 2025 at 5:07 pm
So how many players we lose today? Great are end rusher of course .
September 28th, 2025 at 5:10 pm
I’d still like to know why a hand on the ground isn’t considered down. I thought the ground can’t cause a fumble, yet, there it was. It also looked like his knee might have hit the ground before the ball got free from his hand, but it was tough to see. In any case, if this team can get healthy and stay there, we can beat Philly, and any other team in the league. It’s not like Philly outclassed us. They got away with lots of PI’s, got a couple of gifts, and still got shutdown in the second half and almost had our team come back on them and tie it up late.
We’re good. Stop freaking out people.
September 28th, 2025 at 5:14 pm
again on the interception. godwin was WIDE ASS OPEN. it wasn’t a bad decision to pass to your wide open receiver in the end zone. the ball was tipped, it was a great play by the eagles defense. yeah there would have been other downs, but you take the shot when you see your receiver open for what would have been a td.
and yes, i know that there was also a penalty on the play, but baker wouldn’t have known that before he threw the ball. he was scrambling and running for his life.
September 28th, 2025 at 5:14 pm
sunny Says:
September 28th, 2025 at 5:03 pm
to be fair, should it really take him until after halftime to make adjustments? especially when he does this pretty much every game-starts off with his defense 6 yards off the receivers. other good coaches make adjustments IN GAME, on the fly. they don’t wait until the game is pretty much out of hand before they figure out that what they are doing isn’t working
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That is an issue that almost every team whose HC is also either the OC or the DC occasionally has. Head coach can’t ignore what’s happening on the field on offense to go sit on the bench with the defensive players and tell them how to figure the other team out. He can do it at the half. As I said, doesn’t mean it can’t get better, but it also doesn’t mean he deserves to have the fans calling for his head.
September 28th, 2025 at 5:15 pm
Yep, the Bucky fumble wasn’t brutal BECAUSE IT WAS NOT A FUMBLE 🤷🏻♂️!!
How come the replay review didnt have the zoomed in closeup showing Bucky’s shin on the ground still with possession????
It’s absolutely pathetic to have review still screwing up calls…..
This plus the insane constant DPI’s/holding by Quinyon Mitchell on WR’s is an abomination and spits in the face of neutral appropriate officiating….
2025 Eagles are now the new KC Chiefs accompanied with their own refs to make sure that they win games..
September 28th, 2025 at 5:19 pm
How is this on Bowles, without Mike the Eagles changed their defense, receivers got no separation in the first half and the whole right side of the line was played by back-ups. When Dean went out we saw Morrison and we still need an edge rush (Yaya continues to give up the edge for QBs to scramble that way).
September 28th, 2025 at 5:26 pm
Would have been nice to see that defense show up in the 1st half…
But LOL at people calling for Gruden. The game has passed that guy by and then some. Stop living in the past. He wasn’t even a great coach for the Bucs after his first year.
September 28th, 2025 at 5:29 pm
TDS says
That is an issue that almost every team whose HC is also either the OC or the DC occasionally has. Head coach can’t ignore what’s happening on the field on offense to go sit on the bench with the defensive players and tell them how to figure the other team out. He can do it at the half. As I said, doesn’t mean it can’t get better, but it also doesn’t mean he deserves to have the fans calling for his head.
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i’m not necessarily calling for his head but i still say he needs to make adjustments during the game and not waiting until halftime when they are down multiple scores.
he can tell his players to do something other than play 6 yds off the receivers. isnt he calling defensive plays? he also has timeouts that he could take a minute to make adjustments in how he’s calling the game. it’s his choice to not have a defensive coordinator calling the games. he needs to do his job for the full game, not just the second half.
September 28th, 2025 at 5:47 pm
IF is a HUGE word in a Bowles led defense. He has slow as molasses LBs and DEs covering receivers TEs and rbs. Then little CBs that can’t get past rbs and DLmen to rush the passer. His system is asinine and he gets out coached even by the worst of teams because most aren’t fooled by his “exotic” blitzes.
September 28th, 2025 at 5:48 pm
Second half defense was a monster need that from now on please.
September 28th, 2025 at 5:49 pm
6 effin’ punts, we did just enough to make the game look like it was close.
Defense for the 2nd week in a row played better football for a longer period of time than the other units on this team
Fact is, the offense couldn’t do anything with it
September 28th, 2025 at 5:51 pm
Get ready for the SeaHwks. Noithin we cn do about Philly. Give’em credit, their Defense really studied Baker And Montgomery ran hog wild in the 1st half. Hurts does not look like a great QB. But thats his cover. He is very smart and get the most out of his offense. They beat us guys. You cannot have 3 very costly tumovers and beat the best. Just be ready for Seattle baby.
September 28th, 2025 at 6:07 pm
Whatever wrinkles Grizz put into Coen’s offense, it is not working.
I can just see if Baker starts throwing it away, it will be those that will complain “Godwin was wide open in the end zone, why didn’t he throw it to him”. There is never satisfying some of you guys.
September 28th, 2025 at 7:24 pm
Seeing an easy dozen names in this thread I’ve never seen before, yet nary a single aqualung
September 28th, 2025 at 9:41 pm
It is simple, they have enough of a pass rush and the athletes in the secondary to play tight coverage. They do that they can dominate. In the first half they were playing that soft ass coverage and giving up easy 8 to 10 yard passes.
Play tighter!!!!
Parrish, Zyon, Morrison, Dean if healthy, and the safeties are all perfectly capable of doing that