NFL playoffs 2022: How do Eagles stack up vs. Buccaneers? Breaking down both sides of wild-card matchup

[time2rock]

NFL playoffs 2022: How do Eagles stack up vs. Buccaneers? Breaking down both sides of wild-card matchup

Updated: Jan. 10, 2022, 10:32 p.m.

By Mike Kaye | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

The Eagles will look to avenge a regular-season loss when they travel to Tampa Bay to face the Buccaneers on Sunday in a wild-card round playoff matchup at Raymond James Stadium.

The Eagles hosted the Buccaneers at Lincoln Financial Field in Week 6 and lost the matchup, 28-22, as quarterback Tom Brady diced up the Philadelphia defense. Now, the Eagles — who fell to 2-4 at the time — will look to upset Brady and company on the road in a playoff rematch.

The Eagles have won seven of their past 10 games and were undefeated in December, which helped them clinch a playoff berth before their meaningless season-finale loss to the Dallas Cowboys. The Buccaneers have won three straight games, despite going through some notable injuries on both sides of the ball.

So how do the Eagles stack up against the Buccaneers in this playoff rematch? Let’s break down each spot to see who has the edge:

 

QUARTERBACK: Tom Brady vs. Jalen Hurts

 

Brady is the greatest quarterback of all time, so he’s always going to have an edge at the position. Hurts has improved immensely over the past two months, but Brady is still — somehow — at the top of his game. Hurts will make this matchup interesting if he can make the most of his opportunities on the ground, but Brady should be able to light up the sky in the passing game against the Eagles’ defense.

 

EDGE: Buccaneers

 

RUNNING BACKS: Leonard Fournette, Le’Veon Bell, Ronald Jones and KeShawn Vaughn vs. Miles Sanders, Boston Scott, Jordan Howard and Kenny Gainwell

 

Fournette (hamstring) could come off injured reserve this week, while Sanders (hand) will probably return to action as well. Both starters are capable of busting out big runs, but it’s their supporting casts that offer the most intrigue. Scott and Howard step up whenever they’re called upon, while Bell, Jones and Vaughn are a talented trio. This is one of the few spots where it’s hard to pick a winner on paper.

 

EDGE: Push

 

WIDE RECEIVERS: Mike Evans, Breshad Perriman, Scotty Miller, Tyler Johnson, Jaelon Darden, Justin Watson, Cyril Grayson vs. DeVonta Smith, Quez Watkins, Jalen Reagor, Greg Ward, J.J. Arcega-Whiteside

 

This comparison comes down to the top receiver of each group. With Chris Godwin done for the year, Evans becomes that much more important to the Bucs. Meanwhile, Smith has established himself as a legitimate No. 1 wideout during his rookie year. Perriman, Miller, Grayson, Darden and Johnson form a much better supporting cast than Watkins, Reagor, Ward and Arcega-Whiteside. This one isn’t close.

 

EDGE: Buccaneers

 

TIGHT ENDS: Rob Gronkowski, Cameron Brate, O.J. Howard vs. Dallas Goedert, Jack Stoll, Richard Rodgers

 

While Goedert is probably the best individual tight end at this point in his career, Gronkowski, Brate and Howard are easily the best trio in the league. Stoll and Rodgers are better special teams players and blockers than receivers. Again, this comparison isn’t close.

 

EDGE: Buccaneers

 

OFFENSIVE LINE: Donovan Smith (LT), Ali Marpet (LG), Ryan Jenson (C), Alex Cappa (RG), Tristan Wirfs (RT) vs. Jordan Mailata (LT), Landon Dickerson (LG), Jason Kelce (C), Nate Herbig (RG), Lane Johnson (RT)

 

It’s hard to find two better lines in the NFL. While Kelce and Johnson put together All-Pro-caliber campaigns, Jenson and Wirfs are both equally talented at center and right tackle, respectively.

 

Mailata and Dickerson form the biggest left side in the league, but Smith and Marpet have been destroying opposing defensive lines as a duo for years. Herbig and Cappa are the "weakest links” of two great groups, and Cappa has had a much better year of the two.

 

It’s important to note that the Eagles have tremendous depth behind their starting offensive line, which sort of evens things out.

 

EDGE: Push

 

INTERIOR DEFENSIVE LINE: Ndamukong Suh, Vita Vea, William Gholston, Rakeem Nunez-Roches, Steve McLendon vs. Fletcher Cox, Javon Hargrave, Hassan Ridgeway, Milton Williams, Marlon Tuipulotu

 

Cox and Hargrave are a better duo than Suh and Vea, though they are asked to do different things. The Eagles have forged a solid rotation upfront with Hargrave, Cox, Ridgeway and Williams this season, and while the sack production isn’t eye-opening, the rotation has performed well. Vea is probably the best player on either side, but the Eagles have the rotation that wins here.

 

EDGE: Eagles

 

PASS RUSHERS: Shaquil Barrett, Jason Pierre-Paul, Anthony Nelson, Joe Tryon-Shoyinka, Cam Gill vs. Josh Sweat, Derek Barnett, Tarron Jackson, Ryan Kerrigan

 

This comparison is no contest. Barrett and Pierre-Paul are significantly more proven and productive than the duo of Sweat and Barnett. While Jackson has flashed this season, he doesn’t match Nelson, Tryon-Shoyinka, or Gill from a production standpoint. Kerrigan is essentially playing nose tackle at defensive end, and no one understands why.

 

EDGE: Buccaneers

 

LINEBACKERS: Devin White, Kevin Minter, K.J. Britt, Grant Stuard vs. T.J. Edwards, Alex Singleton, Shaun Bradley, Genard Avery, Patrick Johnson

 

If Lavonte David (foot) stays on injured reserve, the Eagles might be in better shape at linebacker than the Buccaneers. If you’re not surprised by that sentence, you haven’t watched the Eagles’ defense this year.

 

That said, White hasn’t played up to his reputation this season, and Minter is playing at a below-replacement level in David’s spot. Edwards has been terrific since taking over the middle linebacker job in Week 8, and Singleton has done a solid job as a sub-package player.

 

Again, if David is activated, this swings entirely in the other direction.

 

EDGE: Eagles

 

CORNERBACKS: Sean Murphy-Bunting, Carlton Davis, Richard Sherman, Jamel Dean, Pierre Desir, Ross Cockrell, Dee Delaney, Rashad Robinson vs. Darius Slay, Steven Nelson, Avonte Maddox, Zech McPhearson, Josiah Scott, Kary Vincent, Tay Gowan

 

Murphy-Bunting, Dean and Davis form a strong trio. Slay, Nelson and Maddox have given the Eagles their best cornerback play in over a decade.

 

Slay has shut down nearly every assignment he’s been given, while Maddox has been one of the best nickel corners in the league. Nelson has been a solid No. 2 corner, while McPhearson has filled in well when called upon.

 

Both groups are good, but Slay pushes the Eagles over the edge.

 

EDGE: Eagles

 

SAFETIES: Antoine Winfield, Jordan Whitehead, Andrew Adams, Mike Edwards vs. Rodney McLeod, Anthony Harris, Marcus Epps, K’Von Wallace, Andre Chachere

 

Winfield and Whitehead are among the best safety duos in the league. The Eagles have relied on a rotation of McLeod, Epps and Harris to take advantage of mismatches and mask individual weaknesses. The cohesive tandem out-shines the three-man rotation.

 

EDGE: Buccaneers

 

SPECIALISTS: Ryan Succop (K), Bradley Pinion (P), Zach Triner (LS) vs. Jake Elliott (K), Arryn Siposs (P), Rick Lovato (LS)

 

Elliott has been nearly automatic this season, while Succop has had the occasional miss. Meanwhile, Siposs has a bigger and more consistent leg than Pinion, despite the pair of shanks on Saturday. Lovato is a former Pro Bowler.

 

EDGE: Eagles

 

RETURNERS: Jaelon Darden (PR/KR) vs. Jalen Reagor (PR), Kenny Gainwell (KR)

 

While Reagor and Gainwell have drawn the ire of fans due to their inconsistencies in the return game, their numbers are comparable to Darden’s stats this season. Reagor can break out for a big gain as a returner, but it’s just a matter of how he handles the punt. Gainwell has shown some potential as a kick returner.

 

EDGE: Push

 

COACHING: Bruce Arians (HC), Byron Leftwich (OC), Todd Bowles (DC), Keith Armstrong (ST) vs. Nick Sirianni (HC), Shane Steichen (OC), Jonathan Gannon (DC), Michael Clay (ST)

 

The Buccaneers’ coaching staff has the experience and productivity that the young Eagles staff lacks. Arians, Leftwich, Bowles and Armstrong led their team to a Super Bowl last year, while Sirianni, Gannon and Clay are first-timers in their respective roles. The Eagles’ staff has done some impressive things this year, but Arians and company are clearly on top in this matchup.

 

EDGE: Buccaneers

 

Overall Thoughts: The Buccaneers are clearly the better team on paper and in the standings (13-4). Even with some notable injuries — and the Antonio Brown drama — Tampa Bay seems primed for another big postseason run, while the Eagles are playing with house money.

 

No one expected the Eagles to be here, which makes them dangerous, because they have nothing to lose as the underdogs.

 

The Eagles, historically, have embraced being overlooked, and that should concern Brady, Arians and the Buccaneers.

 

https://www.nj.com/eagles/2022/01/nfl-playoffs-2022-how-do-eagles-stack-up-to-buccaneers-breaking-down-both-sides-of-wild-card-matchup.html

[UK_EaglesFan89]

On 1/12/2022 at 12:04 PM, time2rock said:

RUNNING BACKS: Leonard Fournette, Le’Veon Bell, Ronald Jones and KeShawn Vaughn vs. Miles Sanders, Boston Scott, Jordan Howard and Kenny Gainwell

 

Fournette (hamstring) could come off injured reserve this week, while Sanders (hand) will probably return to action as well. Both starters are capable of busting out big runs, but it’s their supporting casts that offer the most intrigue. Scott and Howard step up whenever they’re called upon, while Bell, Jones and Vaughn are a talented trio. This is one of the few spots where it’s hard to pick a winner on paper.

 

EDGE: Push

Push? Sorry but that's the Eagles there. We have the better OL and that factors in to the run game and the RBs.