Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Doug Martin (22) rushed 27 times for 235 yards to lead the visitors to a 45-17 win in Philadelphia. Photo by Jesse Simmer / contrastphotography.com

If the Eagles could ever use a break it was Sunday against the 4-5 Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

They didn’t get it. About the only break involving the Birds on Sunday was what was left in the hope of Eagles fans that this was going to be a good season.

Everyone across the Delaware Valley predicted a 4-0 November for the Birds and Philadelphia would be 7-4 heading into Foxboro on December 6 and a date with the New England Patriots.

Yesterday’s 45-17 loss to the guaranteed the Eagles (4-6) won’t have even a winning record going into that game.

“We didn’t play well today in any facet of the game and there’s no excuse for that,” head coach Chip Kelly said at his post-game press conference. “I don’t know exactly what happened, I do we didn’t make plays when we had to.”

The Buccaneers (5-5) converted 10 of their first 13 third-down plays…the Eagles simply could not get off the field all afternoon. Even after what appeared to be a good start.

The Eagles caught a huge break on its first possession when after a DeMarco Murray fumble, recovered by Bucs defensive end Jacquies Smith, tight end Zach Ertz was able to pry the ball loose from Smith and recovered by fellow tight Brant Celek at the 14-yard-line, the original line of scrimmage to start the drive.

Replays looked like Smith may have been down but the ruling stood the challenge.

The Eagles responded with a seven-play 86-yard drive that ended with 39-yard catch-and-run by Josh Huff from Mark Sanchez.

All that positive football karma disappeared as Tampa Bay scored two unanswered touchdowns that started on a five-yard off-sides penalty on Brandon Graham. With 4:19 left in the first quarter that kept a Bucs drive alive.

On the next play Doug Martin raced 58 yards to the Eagles eight-yard line.

Martin gained four more yards before Jameis Winston hit Mike Evans in the side of the end zone for a touchdown and a 7-7 tie.

Graham stood at his locker after the game and took responsibility for the mistake and admitted it had an impact on the game itself.

“For me, we were off the field, and I felt bad because I cost us seven points,” Graham said. “That was kind of like a momentum swing. They just started scoring. ..I can’t do nothing but accept all responsibility for that off-sides penalty.”

Sandwiched between the Eagles three consecutive three-and-outs was the Bucs scoring two more touchdowns, one on a 13-yard pass from Winston to Vincent Jackson, the other was a four-yard pass from Winston to Russell Shepard.

The Eagles came back with a nifty screen pass from Sanchez to Sproles, who weaved 35-yard and into the end zone to make the score 21-14. There was hope, right?

Not really. With 6:04 until halftime, the Bucs reeled off a 13-play, 80-yard drive that ended with a 14-yard pass from Winston to Charles Sims to make the score 28-14 going into halftime.

Doug Martin treated the Eagles defense like his own Christmas tree lighting them up for 177 yards on just 12 carries in the first half alone.

The four-year pro shredded the Eagles defense for 235 yards on 27 carries. He didn’t get into the end zone but his impact on the game was obvious.

Winston finished the game 19 of 29 for 246 yards and five touchdowns. He was only sacked once and did not throw an interception.

“Before you even ask the question,” Winston said after the game. “hats off to the offensive line and Doug Martin. When you establish that running game like that, it’s hard to defend us.”

The Buccaneers took away any chance for an Eagles comeback with a 15-play, 80-yard scoring drive that ate up 9:47 of the clock to start the second half.

Winston’s four-yard touchdown pass to Cameron Brate made the score 35-14 and started fans to head to the parking lot.

The Birds first possession of the third quarter started at the 5:13 mark and lasted just nine plays for 31 yards before punting.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers veteran guard Logan Mankins (70) helped the Bucs produce 529 yards of total offense against the Eagles in their 45-17 win in Philadelphia. “It was a good day,” Mankins said.
Photo by Jesse Simmer / contrastphotography.com

Bucs veteran guard Logan Mankins said it was a great day for the offensive line to be successful against a good defensive front seven like the Eagles.

“They’ve got some really good players on that side,” Mankins said at his locker after the game. “Fletcher Cox is very good. But we just stuck to the game plan, we’ve got a good quarterback and running back to make us look, it was a good day.”

Mankins said the team talked about penalties, how to stop committing them and what to do when your opponent commits them.

“We’ve been stressing to stop making penalties around here,” said Mankins, who signed with Tampa Bay in 2014 after nine seasons in New England. “I think one drive today we had five. Thankfully we were able to overcome that and keep moving the ball … and when someone does make a penalty against you, you need to take advantage of it.”

Sanchez, who started in place of injured Sam Bradford, was 26 of 41 for 261 yards and two touchdowns. He was sacked three times and threw three interceptions, one was returned 20 yards by linebacker Lavonte David for the final score of the game.

Notes: Winston tied a rookie record with five touchdown passes, Doug Martin ran for 235 yards, and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers beat the Philadelphia Eagles 45-17 on Sunday.
Winston completed 19 of 29 passes for 246 yards and had four of his TD passes in the first half to four different receivers. He tied Matthew Stafford’s rookie mark in the third quarter on an 8-yard toss to Cameron Brate, the fifth receiver to catch a TD.
Martin had 177 yards in the first half, including runs of 84 and 58 yards. He finished 2 yards short of tying Barry Sanders’ record for most yards without a TD. Sanders had 237 for the Lions against Tampa in 1994.
The Buccaneers (5-5) have won two straight for the first time in two years. The Eagles (4-6) have lost two in a row.