With the Eagles and Buccaneers set to square off in Week 4, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will have their hands full. The Eagles are undefeated and continue to be one of the league's most physical and competitive offenses.
They will no doubt try to use their signature play, known as the tush-push. Philadelphia's modified QB sneak with Jalen Hurts has been virtually unstoppable this season. According to Yahoo Sports, they used the tush push seven times during their Week 2 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs.
Tampa Bay's defense will need to show tremendous defensive power to prevent the Eagles from tush-pushing their way to victory, but it will take more than that.
If the Buccaneers want to save themselves from death by Tush Push, their best bet might be to not give the Eagles an opportunity to use it at all.
The tush push is worth an automatic two-yards for the Eagles. If they can claw their way within third-and-two, they will almost always succeed in getting the first down.
To combat this, Tampa Bay needs to change it's mindset on Sunday. It's not first-and-ten; it's first-and-seven. It's not second-and-five; it's second-and-two.
Tampa Bay needs to do everything in it's power to not give the Eagles short-yardage attempts on third and fourth down. That means not giving up any extra yards. It means playing 100% on every down. It means not leaving anything on the field.
If the risk is getting beat over the top by Jalen Hurts, the Buccaneers should take that risk. Philedelphia clearly trusts their short-yardage run game more than they trust their quarterback's arm. Tampa Bay should follow suit, and stack the box to make sure they effectively stop the run and don't let the Eagles methodically march down the field.
In other words, force Jalen Hurts to beat them over the top instead of giving the Eagles free yards via the tush push.
It might just be the only way Tampa Bay can stop Philadelphia on Sunday.