Eagles grades by position after win over Buccaneers in Tampa

Here are our Eagles grades by position after the win over the Buccaneers in Tampa.

By Dave Zangaro • Published September 28, 2025

TAMPA — Things got a little too close for comfort in the second half on Sunday but the Eagles were able to hold on to beat the Buccaneers 31-25 at Raymond James Stadium.

The Eagles are 4-0 after they were 2-2 last year leaving Tampa in Week 4.

Let’s get to the position grades:

Quarterback

Jalen Hurts: 15/24, 130 yards, 2 TDs; 9 rushes, 62 yards

After being 15/16 in the first half, Hurts didn’t complete a single pass in the second half. He was 0-for-8 in the third and fourth quarter. This was another tale of two halves for the Eagles so it’s hard to figure out what the heck some of these grades should be. But the Eagles were able to build a lead in the first half and the offense played great in the first and second quarter. Hurts was efficient and made plays with his arms and his legs. It’s tough to know how much he’s actually to blame for the second half offensive meltdown. The Eagles did a great job against the blitz in the first half but not so great in the second half.

Grade: B-

Running back

Saquon Barkley: 19 carries, 43 yards, 1 TD

Another game of tough sledding for Barkley, who averaged just 2.3 yards per carry with a long of 10. The big holes that Barkley saw last season just aren’t there right now. His touchdown in this game came off a Tush Push look in the third quarter. Barkley did catch 4 passes for 31 yards. The biggest run of the game for the Eagles was an 11-yarder from A.J. Dillon, who had 3 for 17. Dillon is ahead of Will Shipley, who made his return from injury on Sunday.

Grade: C

Receiver

A.J. Brown: 2 catches on 9 targets, 7 yards

Brown had just 2 catches for 7 yards and DeVonta Smith had just 2 for 29. The Eagles have too much talent at this position for their stat lines to look like this at the end of games. Brown did have one key first down play but there wasn’t much outside of that and he and Hurts just didn’t seem to be on the same page. Smith’s 20-yard catch in the second quarter was a big play and he popped up after taking a huge hit.

Grade: C

Tight end

Dallas Goedert: 4 catches on 4 targets, 37 yards, 2 TDs

Goedert caught a 22-yard pass up the seam in the second quarter and caught two touchdown passes on shovels. Grant Calcaterra had just one catch but it was a 16-yarder a play after Goedert picked up that 22-yarder. The Eagles scored on that drive to go up 21-3. Cameron Latu had some good blocks.

Grade: B+

Offensive line

The offensive didn’t give up a ton of pressure in pass protection but it’s also not clearing the way for Saquon Barkley like it did last season. Lane Johnson had to leave the game with a shoulder injury and was replaced by Fred Johnson. At least the Eagles got to Fred Johnson earlier in this game than last week when Lane Johnson had to exit. Tyler Steen injured his knee and missed a few snaps — Matt Pryor replaced him — but Steen returned with a knee brace to gut it out. If the offensive line starts dominating again, it would go a long way.

Grade: C

Defensive line

Moro Ojomo: 2 tackles, 1 sack, 1 PD

Baker Mayfield was sacked just two times in this game but Ojomo’s sack in the fourth quarter was a huge one. Without Nolan Smith, the Eagles started Jalyx Hunt and Za’Darius Smith and then played Josh Uche, Patrick Johnson and Ogbo Okornokwo, although Okoronkwo left with a triceps injury. Jalyx Hunt got credited with a forced fumble and Jordan Davis and Jalen Carter provided some pressure too. Carter played through his shoulder injury and toughed it out. There were still some moments in this game where Mayfield was just too comfortable in the pocket. The Eagles gave up just 4.0 yards per carry.

Grade: B

Linebacker

Zack Baun: 8 tackles, 1 sack, 1 TFL, 1 FF

Baun was all over the field on Sunday. He filled up the stat sheet and ended up with five pressures too. Jihaad Campbell did give up that long touchdown pass to Bucky Irving but made up for it with a huge interception in the end zone in the fourth quarter. He was also in the play where Hunt was credited for the forced fumble. These two linebackers are playing really well together. 

Grade: A-

Secondary

Quinyon Mitchell: 5 tackles, 5 PBUs

The Eagles gave up that one deep pass to Emeka Egbuka for 77 yards and it was a great throw from Mayfield into a tight window as Drew Mukuba just couldn’t make the play. Kelee Ringo got the start for the injured Adoree’ Jackson and had an OK game. Surprisingly, the Bucs didn’t really target him that much. They actually went after Quinyon Mitchell, who was traveling with Egbuka and Mitchell clamped him up. On 22 matchups with Egbuka, Mitchell gave up just 2 catches for 6 yards on 6 targets, per NextGen Stats. Mitchell had five pass breakups in this game. Cooper DeJean finished with a team-high nine tackles and also added a couple pass breakups. 

Grade: B+

Special teams

Braden Mann: 7 punts, 363 yards (51.9) long of 63, 2 inside 20

The Eagles started off with a huge special teams play early when Cameron Latu blocked a punt and Sydney Brown scooped and scored from 35 yards out. Mann had some major punts in this game. The Eagles did get a little leaky in punt coverage, giving up a 46-yard return. They likely missed Kelee Ringo as a gunner; since Ringo was starting at corner, the rookie Mac McWilliams replaced him. McWilliams did make a tackle that might have saved a touchdown. The Eagles didn’t get any huge kick returns but did get one 39-yarder from Will Shipley. At least this week wasn’t a disaster fielding kickoffs.

Grade: A-

Coaching

Record: 4-0

The Eagles just keep winning. They are now 20-1 in their last 21 games and have won 10 in a row, dating back to last season, to tie a franchise record they set during last season. There’s something to be said for that. And Vic Fangio, despite two long plays, coached a heck of a game on an afternoon where the offense kept putting his unit back on the field in the second half. Offensively, the Eagles need to figure out how to be more consistent. This was another tale of two halves, but after a strong start this week, the offense dried up in the second half. The Eagles also have some penalty issues they need to clean up.

Grade: C+

https://www.nbcsportsphiladelphia.com/nfl/philadelphia-eagles/eagles-grades-by-position-after-win-over-buccaneers-in-tampa/686772/

Edge rushers have to start producing

17 hours ago, weko said:

Edge rushers have to start producing

I completely agree but at this point I’m not sure we are going to get that. Well we might when Smith returns from IR but I don’t think we can expect too much more with what we currently have? They took a punt on Hunt developing further and whilst he hasn’t been bad I’d say right now that doesn’t look like a great decision either.

Barkley and the run game are worrying me. I heard a stat (I know there’s a stat for everything these days and it’s all a bit crazy) that Barkley is 0.25 seconds slower to the LoS than last year. Now that could be for a multitude of reasons but it isn’t a great sight and certainly factors in to the struggles so far.

Hunt has 2 solo tackles 4 assisted tackles no sacks and 3 QB hits in 4 games as per ESPN game box scores. Vs Tampa he played 53 snaps with 1 solo tackle no sacks, no QB hits.

Hard to produce less. Ojulari will dress this week. Might as well throw him into the rotation.