Jeff McLane breaks down how Todd Bowles’ blitz-heavy defense has tested the Eagles — and what Nick Sirianni, Jalen Hurts, and the offense must do to stay unbeaten in Tampa.
Nick Sirianni hasn’t lost much in his four-plus seasons as Eagles head coach, but there’s one team that has his number: Tampa Bay. He’s 1-4 all-time against the Buccaneers. The Eagles’ two most recent defeats to the Bucs, road games in the Wild Card round of the 2023-24 playoffs and Week 4 of the 2024 regular season, were so embarrassing they threatened Sirianni’s job security. But there’s far more to the Eagles’ struggles in Tampa than heat. Sirianni’s counterpart, Bucs head coach Todd Bowles, has proven a pesky, painful thorn in the Eagles’ side. As the Eagles travel to Raymond James Stadium for the third time in two years, The Philadelphia Inquirer’s Jeff McLane examines how Bowles’ blitzes have posed problems for the Eagles, and what Sirianni, quarterback Jalen Hurts, and the rest of the offense can do to counter them in Sunday’s battle of unbeatens.
00:00 Welcome to Tampa: nightmare city
02:35 Why Todd Bowles has been so good vs. the Eagles
12:19 How Nick Sirianni, Kevin Patullo, and Jalen Hurts can hack Bowles’ blitzes
unCovering the Birds is a production of The Philadelphia Inquirer and KYW Newsradio Original Podcasts. Look for new episodes dropping each week throughout the season.