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In Week 3 came an all-important matchup for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, as facing Jalen Hurts and the Philadelphia Eagles would be a great litmus test for just how legitimate their 2-0 start to the 2023 season has been. In the end, however, Baker Mayfield's squad did not have the requisite firepower to keep up with the reigning Super Bowl champion. Over and over again, the Buccaneers' offense faltered en route to a 25-11 loss, stopping their undefeated start to the season in its tracks.
There were plenty of reasons behind the Buccaneers' defeat to the Eagles on Monday night. Mayfield and company all seemed sluggish, like they were moving at half-speed compared to the previous game weeks, and the Eagles pounced over and over again over their languidness. Now, the 28-year old quarterback urges his team to bring more energy, as that kind of performance is simply unacceptable if the team were to claim the division crown as their own come the end of the season.
According to Pewter Report, Baker Mayfield asserted that the Buccaneers “must start faster”, as it was their listless start to the contest that proved to be their undoing. Mayfield then said that “they must be pumped” for their games, especially when they come on Monday night like it did against the Eagles, and that they “need more juice” to avoid yet another terrible beginning to their other games.
Mayfield is right; it wasn't until the game was over that the Buccaneers scored a touchdown, and throughout the game, they were simply unable to gain favorable positioning down the field. This, however, isn't the end of the world. As they showed in the first two weeks of the season, they can have enough juice to come from behind, like they did against the Minnesota Vikings, or remain calm in the face of adversity, like they did against the Chicago Bears. They just didn't have it in Week 3 against the Eagles.
Be that as it may, the Buccaneers will need to bring their A-games next week, what with a crucial in-division clash against the New Orleans Saints on the docket. That game could go a long way towards determining which team hoists the NFC South crown, so they will have to rise to the challenge, starting from kick-off.
