5 gems from Philadelphia Eagles' dominating win vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Monday night
Monday night's 25-11 Eagles win at Tampa Bay was not a revelation.
The Eagles were superior from the start in improving to 3-0 and handing the Buccaneers their first defeat.
Last year's NFC champs continued to demonstrate why they got to the Super Bowl last year and how they remain formidable enough to get there again.
"Something that we can definitely keep building off of," defensive end Brandon Graham said.
The win was, however, revealing in these five ways:
Swift is a stud
D'Andre Swift rushed for 130 yards on 16 rushing attempts. That's 8.1 yards per carry.
This came a week after running for 175 yards on 28 carries, a 6.2-yard average, against Minnesota.
No Eagles back had back-to-back 130-yard games since LeSean McCoy in 2014.
"He's dynamic," Eagles center Jason Kelce said. "He makes a lot of guys miss. He creates a lot of yards after the first contact or the first unblocked player. And that's the biggest thing you want in a running back."
On his third-quarter 26-yard run, the explosive Swift sped up the middle through a nice gap and hurdled Bucs safety Antoine Winfield, which accounted for the last 9 yards on the play. It put the Eagles in position to take command 20-3 as Jalen Hurts scored from the 1.
"The O-line did a great job again," Swift said. "They make my job easy."
It's been quite a homecoming for Swift, a Philadelphian who starred at Saint Joseph's Prep and then went off to Georgia and, after being picked 35th in the 2020 NFL draft, the Detroit Lions. He had plenty of big games there, including 144 yards rushing versus the Eagles last year, while also being a valuable pass catcher.
After the Lions drafted Alabama running back Jahmyr Gibbs in the first round and signed David Montgomery, he was expendable and the Eagles got Swift in exchange for a fourth-round pick. It presently looks like a brilliant move by GM Howie Roseman.
"He's been a big-time player for us," Hurts said. "You see him jumping over guys, I don't know if I've seen that in a long time. He's kind of marking his territory with that."
Carter is a nuisance
First-round draft pick Jalen Carter out of Georgia continues to live up to his billing.
Carter forced two fumbles, including one late in the second quarter that James Bradberry recovered leading to Jake Elliott's 38-yard field goal making it 13-3.
He also pressured quarterback Baker Mayfield five times and now has 15 pressures on the year, which is No. 2 among interior linemen.
Don't fret
Jalen Hurts threw two interceptions. So what?
Passes will be picked off, and Hurts' two Monday night were forgivable though certainly avoidable.
In the second quarter, Hurts and intended receiver Devonta Smith were not in synch, as Smith cut inside as Hurts' pass flew into the arms of the Bucs' Dee Delaney behind Smith.
"Miscommunication," Hurts said. "We were not on the same page there."
Hurts was throwing to Smith again on a third-quarter heave into the end zone on first down from the Tampa Bay 41. Bucs cornerback Dee Delaney, one of two defenders there, leaped to pick it off and keep his feet in bounds as he tumbled to the turf.
It may not have been the ideal place to throw the football, but the Eagles were well in control at the time.
"I just tried to give him a chance on the second one and the DB made a great play," Hurts said.
Hurts, who played despite flu symptoms, has now won 20 of the 21 games he's started the last two seasons and finished the night 23-for-37 for 277 yards and a TD. He was sacked just once.
He'll have better games, but even when not 100 percent he is still much better than most.
That's better
Much was made of the sideline discussion between Hurts and A.J. Brown during the previous week's win over Minnesota in which Brown vented about not being targeted enough.
He was in the bull's eye Monday, as the football was thrown his way 14 times with Brown making nine catches for 131 yards.
Well-grounded
The Eagles are allowing an NFL-low 48.3 yards per game on the ground and just 3.02 yards per carry, which ranks third. Opposing teams have gotten just six first downs running the football.
On offense, their 185.7 rushing yards per game ranks second and their 4.93 yards per carry is fifth. That has led to a NFL-best 36:24 average time of possession, which is a fine foundation for success.
The Eagles gained 201 rushing yards against a Bucs defense that ranked fourth against the run entering the game.
NFL games are won upfront, and this is evidence the Eagles are doing that.
Have an idea for a compelling local sports story or is there an issue that needs public scrutiny? Contact Kevin Tresolini at ktresolini@delawareonline.com and follow on Twitter @kevintresolini. Support local journalism by subscribing to delawareonline.com and our DE Game Day newsletter.
This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: 5 highlights as Philadelphia Eagles beat Tampa Bay Buccaneers on MNF
