For many of the Eagles’ losses this season, it would have been unfair to blame the defense.
Not Sunday.
The Eagles’ defense was absolutely shredded by the Buccaneers at the Linc.
The Birds gave up 521 yards in a 45-17 loss to the Buccaneers at home in a game the team needed to win.
To be fair, the offense wasn’t any better either. Mark Sanchez got the start in place of Sam Bradford and failed to get the offense going. He threw three interceptions, the last of which was returned for a touchdown.
The Eagles have now lost to the Dolphins and Buccaneers at home in consecutive weeks.
Tampa Bay’s Doug Martin finished with 235 yards on the ground, the second-most ever against the Eagles. He had the biggest rushing day in the NFL of any player since his 251-yard day in 2012.
Rookie Jameis Winston threw five touchdown passes against the Eagles to five different receivers. Winston became the third quarterback since the merger to pass for five touchdowns against the Eagles, joining Eli Manning and Joe Montana.
With the loss, the Eagles fell to 4-6 and lost ground on the division-leading Giants, who are on their bye week. The Eagles are in third place in the division behind the Giants and Redskins.
The Bucs improved to 5-5 with the win.
First half
The Eagles actually got on the board first Sunday with the help of a wacky play. DeMarco Murray fumbled on the third play of the game but the Bucs' defense fumbled the ball back and the Eagles started over.
They went 86 yards on seven plays and capped the drive with a 39-yard touchdown pass from Sanchez to Josh Huff.
Then things went down hill.
The Bucs scored their first touchdown a little later in the first quarter and ended up taking a 28-14 lead at halftime.
Winston threw four first-half touchdowns. He became the second rookie to ever throw four touchdowns against the Eagles in a game. The other was Robert Griffin III in 2012.
Meanwhile, Martin ran for 177 yards in the first half and the Bucs out-gained the Eagles 356-312 in the first half.
Turning point
After a false start from Brandon Graham gave the Buccaneers a manageable third down, Winston pitched the ball to Martin, who ran 58 yards. Winston threw a fade to Mike Evans two plays later to get the Bucs on the board and tied the game at 7-7. They scored three more touchdowns in the first half.
Key stat
The Buccaneers were 10 for 16 on third downs. The Eagles were 7 for 15.
Offensive stud
Tight end Brent Celek had seven catches for 79 yards. He was the team’s leading receiver.
Offensive dud
After Huff’s early touchdown, the wide receivers continued to be non-factors.
Defensive stud
Walter Thurmond forced a fumble in his second straight game.
Defensive dud
We’re going to go ahead and make this a team honor. The Eagles’ defense had a terrible performance going against a 4-5 team with a rookie quarterback.
Injuries
Zach Ertz suffered a concussion in the first half and did not return.
Jason Peters (back) was active and started at left tackle after missing the last two games. Sam Bradford (concussion, left shoulder) and Ryan Mathews (concussion) were ruled out during the week for the Bucs game.
Up next
The Eagles have a very short week before traveling to Detroit to face the Lions in a 12:30 p.m. game on Thanksgiving.
Sunday was a depressing day for Eagles fans as the Birds were blown out by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. But there was at least one fan who walked out of the Linc in a good mood thanks to a field goal kick that earned him $20,000.
Tom Voelker of Sinking Spring, Pennsylvania nailed a kick from the 20-yard line during halftime of Sunday’s game. Voelker won $10,000 along with an additional $10,000 donation to Brandywine Heights Middle School, a regional kindergarten through 12th grade school that Voelker selected.
Voelker is the Director of Curriculum, Instruction and Technology for the Brandywine Heights Area School District, which Brandywine Heights Middle School is part of. The donation was made through Santander Bank, the official bank of the Philadelphia Eagles.
“I’m ecstatic! As a lifelong Eagles fan, just to be able to walk onto the field during a game was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, but to have converted the kick and to know that I’ve won $10,000 for myself and $10,000 for Brandywine Heights Middle School is surreal,” said Voelker. “Santander’s Field Goal Challenge was such a fun experience and I’d like to thank Santander for the opportunity and prizes. I’m excited to bring my family on a wonderful trip to Disney World with my winnings, while the school donation will go a long way toward providing the resources necessary to make the STEM courses we’re trying to implement at the Middle School a great success.”
Just getting to kick the prize-winning field goal was a challenge in itself for Voelker. As part of the contest, he first had to answer online trivia questions about Eagles alumni just to earn a spot. He then outkicked more than 40 contestants during the Santander Field Goal Challenge Try Outs back on Nov. 5 at the Fieldhouse at NovaCare Complex, earning him the chance to win the prize money.
“Giving back to the communities is a core part of our philosophy,” said Michael Cleary, Head of Consumer and Business Banking at Santander. “The Field Goal Challenge is an exciting way to engage with Eagles fans and a unique way to provide funding to a local school as part of our broader commitment to education. We applaud all of the contestants who participated in this challenge and congratulate Tom for successfully kicking the field goal at today’s Eagles game. Tom was an ideal candidate given his role as an educator and we’re thrilled to present him and Brandywine Heights Middle School the $10,000 grand prizes.”
Sunday afternoon ended in spectacular fashion with a fiery, beautiful sunset over Philadelphia. Residents across the city took photos and videos of the sky, which resembled a visually stunning painting at times.
“It’s been cold, dry and quiet,” said NBC10 First Alert Weather meteorologist Brittney Shipp. “Sometimes when a stable air mass is over our area at sunset the skies can look more vibrant and red.”
Take a look at some of the best videos and pictures below:
A local congressman teamed up with the Philadelphia Eagles to help out a heartbroken Pop Warner football team after they were denied a trip to Disney World.
Congressman Bob Brady (D., PA) reached out to the Eagles and secured 50 tickets as well as a bus for the West Philadelphia Tarheels football team to attend Sunday’s game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
“It means a lot,” said Jayzen Flint, a running back on the Tarheels. “It means that more people care about the Tarheels.”
The Tarheels are coming off an incredibly successful year in which they went 11 and 0.
“This was like our first season that we went all the way undefeated,” said Kal-El Durham, quarterback for the Tarheels.
With their undefeated record, the team, made up of 9-year-old boys, expected to play at Disney World. Last year, Pop Warner went with a playoff structure in order to select two teams from the Tarheels’ Mitey-Mites division that would go on to Disney. At the beginning of this season, Pop Warner officials decided to stay with that same selection system which was a huge source of excitement for the Tarheels as they dominated their opponents, going undefeated and completing nine shutouts.
During the middle of the season however, Pop Warner officials decided to change the selection system to the way it was prior to last year, an invitational in which officials decided which teams would go to Disney by picking two at random. After winning what would have been their regional games, the Tarheels learned that they weren’t selected.
A spokesman for Pop Warner told Philly.com their reason for the change was because the division had become too competitive and there were complaints about the playoff selection system. The Tarheels were devastated when they learned the news.
“Oh it definitely hurt pretty deep,” said Stephanie Smith, a parent of one of the players. “It crushed them. Lots of them were crying. My son, he said he wanted to remain strong for his team and he fought it. And he understands that sometimes in life you don’t get what you earned. But as long as you keep working you’ll be alright.”
Congressman Brady was also upset when he found out the team wasn’t invited, which is why he decided to step in and get them tickets for the Eagles game.
“And then all of a sudden they just pull the rug out from under these kids,” Brady said. “Is that how you teach these kids character? You lie to them?”
While the team is still disappointed they were unable to go to Disney, they were still touched and appreciative of the efforts of Brady and the Eagles.
“It helps a lot,” said Duane Jones, VP of the Tarheels. “Because the end result is the boys are being shown that their accomplishments are acknowledged.”
At least 10 people were displaced after a fire spread to two homes in the Tioga section of the city Sunday night.
The 2-alarm blaze started at a home on the 3600 block of North 21st Street and spread to a house next door. Firefighters were eventually able to control the flames.
No injuries were reported during the fire. Officials say 10 people were displaced however. They continue to investigate the cause of the blaze.
UPDATE: Gov. Wolf and Republican lawmakers appeared unable to come to an agreement. NEW DETAILS HERE
Pennsylvania state lawmakers on Monday will vote on a school-funding bill that would virtually eliminate school property taxes.
The bill, which would mean a major change to Pennsylvania residents' taxes, was introduced by state Sen. David Argall, a republican from Schuylkill County.
If passed, the bill will virtually remove school property taxes from millions of households across the state -- except in cases of school debt.
There is a catch to the bill, though: While it would eliminate most school property taxes, it would increase personal income taxes by nearly 1.5 percent, and raise state sales taxes on many items and services, including sporting-event tickets, rent, TV service and even work performed by lawyers, architects and financial institutions.
Lawmakers in Harrisburg are expected to vote on the bill later Monday.
A carbon-monoxide detector is being credited with saving lives overnight at a home in Philadelphia's Manayunk section.
Officials said firefighters received a call about 2 a.m. for a carbon-monoxide alarm. When firefighters arrived to the house, on Baker Street near Dupont, they detected heavy CO readings inside, officials said.
The people who were inside the house at the time all made it out safely. Authorities said the CO leak was caused by a malfunctioning heater and credited the house's CO detector and alarm with saving residents' lives.
A house next door was also affected by the fumes, officials said, but no one was home at the time.
Here are the 10 things you need to know to start your day from your friends at NBC10.
TODAY'S TOP STORY
Student's Suicide Prompts Outpouring of Condolences, Bullying Accusations: Jacob Marberger, picked a peaceful place to die. The Washington College student whose disappearance prompted his school to shut down for two weeks, shot himself in the head at Hawk Mountain Sanctuary, a natural area with beautiful vistas and landscape. The famous terrain, which sits aside the Appalachian Trial in Berks County, Pennsylvania, is the world’s first refuge for birds of prey. The serene setting was 15 minutes up the road from the WalMart where Marberger bought bullets Monday morning and a stark contrast perhaps to his school life about 3 hours away in Chestertown, Maryland where his last six weeks became difficult, embarrassing and then unbearable. News of the 19-year-old's death triggered an immediate flurry of condolences as well as questions and accusations about what pushed the Cheltenham Township teen to a point where he felt death was his best option.
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It's a brisk start to the work week with temperatures in the 30s. Monday is expected to be sunny and the coldest day of the week. Temperatures are expected to increase to the 40s through the day. Tuesday is expected to be slightly warmer and Thanksgiving is expected to be warmer too. High Temp: 45 degrees. Get your full NBC10 First Alert forecast here.
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WHAT YOU MISSED YESTERDAY
Fire Spreads to 2 Homes, Displaces 10: At least 10 people were displaced after a fire spread to two homes in the Tioga section of the city Sunday night. The 2-alarm blaze started at a home on the 3600 block of North 21st Street and spread to a house next door. Firefighters were eventually able to control the flames. No injuries were reported during the fire. Officials say 10 people were displaced however. They continue to investigate the cause of the blaze.
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AROUND THE WORLD
Brussels on Lockdown; Raids Fail to Net Paris Suspect: Sweeping overnight raids failed to trap one of Europe's most-wanted men, leaving Belgium's capital essentially on lockdown Monday for a third straight day. Residents of Brussels were ordered to shelter in place late Sunday as police searched nearly 20 properties around the European capital. Belgian federal prosecutor Eric van der Sypt said that fugitive Salah Abdeslam — wanted in connection with the Paris terrorist attacks — was not among the 16 people detained in the large-scale operation. Authorities have said Abdeslam is considered "dangerous" and is considered an accomplice to the attacks across Paris last week which left 130 dead. One of his brothers blew himself up in that terror spree, while another has repeatedly urged him to turn himself in. With Abdeslam still on the run, Brussels woke up to another day of troops and tanks on the streets.
Popular Toys for 2015: Lightsabers, talking plush toys and robots make up this year's lineup of hot toys every kid would love to get for the holidays. Hundreds of products, from puzzles to action figures based on "Star Wars: The Force Awakens”, which is being released Dec. 18, will dominate store shelves and kids' wish lists alike. Remote controlled cars, droids controlled by smartphones and robotic creatures with voice recognition features are also popular.
SPORTS SPOT
Eagles Lose to Buccaneers 17 to 45: Eagles defensive end Fletcher Cox said the game was a "total embarrassement" and that's on the players. The team needs to move past it and get ready for next week, he said. Eagles Defensive Coordinator Bill Davis said the team and himself didn't do anything well during the game. "As a collective unit the score board shows we didn't play well," he said. Get your full sports news at CSNPhilly.
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PHOTO OF THE DAY
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See more Top News Photos here.
THROUGH IGER'S EYES
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@mantramugdha snapped this cool and colorful Fall image of Kelly Drive.
Have an awesome Instagram photo you'd like to share? Tag it with #NBC10Buzz.
TODAY'S VIRAL VIDEO
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Anxious people don't always hear what's really being said. Watch the video here.
One Direction Wins Big at AMA's: One Direction might have debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard charts behind Justin Bieber, but they won the top award at Sunday's American Music Awards. The band won the top award at last year's show — as a quintet with Zayn Malik. They also won favorite duo or group — pop/rock Sunday night. Find out more about the AMA winners here.
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That's what you need to know. We've got more stories worthy of your time in the Breakfast Buzz section. Click here to check them out.
