Game ball, three stars and snap count analysis: Week 4, Eagles at Buccaneers

During training camp, it was clear that the Eagles needed to trade for a wide receiver, which they did. They may have targeted the wrong guy, as they gave up a third-round pick for Dotson, who has 5 catches for 25 yards on 9 targets (2.8 yards per target) in the first four games.

Tight end

• 36 snaps: Dallas Goedert

• 27 snapshots: Grant Calcaterra

• 22 snapshots: Jack Stoll

Notes: Goedert had 7 catches for 62 yards on 8 targets and was the only starting-caliber receiver on the field for the Eagles. However, it was the one incomplete goal — a Goedert drop — that hurt the Eagles, as it helped stall an early drive. Via @Eaglesfans9:

He has to make this game.

Offensive line

• 57 snaps: Jordan Mailata, Landon Dickerson, Mekhi Becton and Fred Johnson

• 50 snapshots: Cam Jürgens

• 7 snaps: Tyler Steen

Notes: The Eagles' O-line was in a position where they were forced to face a defense with a lead that would pin its ears back and attack the quarterback, which is never easy. However, they gave up six sacks, which obviously isn't good.

Interestingly, Dickerson – and not substitute Nick Gates – stepped in for Jürgens in the middle when Jürgens was temporarily sidelined with cramps. Steen stepped in at LG.

Edge defender

• 41 snaps: Josh Sweat

• 33 snaps: Bryce Huff

• 32 snaps: Brandon Graham

• 31 snaps: Nolan Smith

• 5 snapshots: Jalyx Hunt

Notes: Baker Mayfield got the ball out very quickly on the Bucs' first four drives of the game, so I would attribute the defensive failure more to the scheme and back seven than the Eagles' defensive line. But the defensive line certainly didn't help much.

The Eagles got their first sacks of the season from edge rushers. Sweat got one, and an unblocked Graham got one.

Nolan Smith had a particularly ugly snap in the red zone when a tight end threw him out of the way after a successful running play by Bucky Irving.

Huff showed at least a little more life as a pass rusher (very low bar compared to his first three games), but still only managed one tackle.

Hunt took a few snaps while on cleanup duty.

Internal defensive line

• 52 snaps: Jalen Carter

• 37 snaps each: Jordan Davis and Moro Ojomo

• 30 snaps: Milton Williams

• 24 snapshots: Thomas Booker

Notes: Carter and Davis combined for a tackle against a poor Buccaneers interior O-line.

Linebackers

• 75 snapshots: Nakobe Dean

• 71 snapshots: Zack Baun

• 3 snapshots: Jeremiah Trotter

Notes: Dean had one rough Tackle the day. Via @ShaneHaffNFL:

You can't see it so well from this angle, but Dean should have received a tripping penalty on this play as well. He kicked Rachaad White as White ran past.

Cornerback and safety

• 77 snaps: Quinyon Mitchell

• 72 snaps: Chauncey Gardner-Johnson

• 69 snaps: Avonte Maddox

• 68 snaps: Darius Slay

• 41 snaps: Tristin McCollum

• 36 snaps: Reed Blankenship

• 9 snaps: Isaiah Rodgers

• 3 snapshots: Kelee Ringo

• 1 snap: Cooper DeJean

Notes: Mitchell made some good coverage calls in this game. Everyone else, especially in the first half… wow.

Maddox is a problem in that slot, but perhaps more concerning is that the team doesn't yet believe DeJean is better than him or he would be playing in the slot instead. DeJean missed roughly the first three weeks of training camp with a hamstring injury, so he had some catching up to do, but the bar for playing time isn't that high.

Blankenship had to leave the game due to illness and did not return.

Rodgers' explanation for why he pushed a defender into DeJean on a punt return is simple… 🤯. Via @NBCSPhilly:

Rodgers didn't know that forcing a player into the returner isn't a kick-catch interference foul. You could certainly blame the coaching staff for Rodgers not knowing this rule, but at the same time I feel like it's a rule that probably 98 percent of high school players know. Should a professional NFL player with extensive special teams experience since 2020 even need to be taught it?

How come Rodgers doesn't know this rule? It's stunning.

Three stars 🤩

I've always liked the hockey tradition of awarding “stars” to each of the top three players in a game, so we're applying that to Eagles games.

⭐⭐⭐: QB Baker Mayfield, Buccaneers: Mayfield was 30 of 47 for 347 yards, 2 TDs and 0 INT. He led TD drives on each of the Bucs' first three possessions, and they would have been the first four had it not been for a drop in the end zone. This game was effectively over in the second quarter after Mayfield dismantled the Eagles' defense in the first 23 minutes of the game.

🌟🌟: LB Lavonte David, Buccaneers: 2 sacks, including the strip sack that killed any last chance of an Eagles rally.

✨: WR Mike Evans, Buccaneers: 8 catches for 94 yards, 1 TD. He's still very good in his 11th NFL season.

Eagles game ball 🏈

🏈: RB Saquon Barkley: As mentioned above, Barkley had 10 carries for 84 yards and 2 catches for 32 yards. He managed 116 yards from scrimmage with just a few touches.

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