PHILADELPHIA — After winning their third game in 11 days Thursday night, the Bucs looked like a team on bruise control.
Tom Brady, or Tom Thumb as he may be known for the most scrutinized injured digit in the NFL, passed for 297 yards and two touchdowns in a 28-22 win over the Eagles.
The Bucs lost another defensive back, veteran Richard Sherman, whose right hamstring blew out in the first quarter. Receiver Antonio Brown gutted out another solid performance despite struggling with a foot injury in the first half. That didn’t include the three starters the Bucs left at home — Rob Gronkowski (ribs), Lavonte David (knee) and Antoine Winfield Jr. (concussion).
But after bone-crunching wins over the Patriots, Dolphins and Eagles since Oct. 3, the Bucs are 5-1 and in desperate need of the upcoming mini-break to heal up.
Fortunately, Tampa Bay has one of the most physical runners in the NFL in Leonard Fournette, who exacted his own measure of punishment against the Eagles on Thursday.
The Bucs’ do-it-all back gained 127 yards from scrimmage — 81 rushing and 46 receiving as well as a pair of rushing touchdowns.
Playing with tape on his injured right thumb, Brady came out firing as if it were a continuation of Sunday’s electrifying performance against the Dolphins.
He started 11-of-12 for 121 yards, throwing touchdowns to tight end O.J. Howard (2 yards) and Brown (23 yards).
Sandwiched in between was 55 yards of penalties accumulated by the Bucs defense, including a 45-yard pass interference flag on Jamel Dean. That set up a 5-yard touchdown pass from Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts to tight end Zach Ertz on play action.
At 14-7, the Bucs were still in control. But they lost yet another cornerback to injury on the Eagles’ first drive. Sherman, playing his third game in 11 days after spending the first three weeks of the regular season on the couch, pulled his hamstring and was out for the game.
Fortunately, the Bucs had a piece or two remaining from their battered secondary. For the second time in as many games, defensive back Jamel Dean recorded an interception.
The turnover helped get the Bucs and Brady rolling again. He fired 13 yards to Cameron Brate; connected on a screen to Brown for 14 yards; Fournette gathered a pass in the right flat, made two defenders miss and gained 18 more. Fournette had 80 total yards in the first half.. His 2-yard touchdown run gave the Bucs a 21-7 halftime lead.
The Bucs forced a three-and-out to start the second half and nearly put the game away with their first drive.
Howard had a couple of big receptions for first downs of 15 and 9 yards to set up the second rushing touchdown for Fournette, who walked in from 1 yard out for a score.
If not for the pass interference penalties of 45 yards on Dean and 50 yards on safety Mike Edwards, the Eagles may not have scored at all.
Both times those penalties were forced by Eagles receiver Jalen Reagor. On fourth and 3 at the Tampa Bay 6-yard line, Hurts scrambled for a touchdown to cut the Bucs’ lead to a pair of scores.
The Eagles drove to the Tampa Bay 28, but a 46-yard field goal attempt by Jake Elliott was wide right with 12:38 remaining in the game.
Bucs coach Bruce Arians took a big chance and it didn’t pay off, gambling on fourth and 3 near midfield.
Brady’s pass to Howard was long and the Eagles cut the Bucs lead to 28-20 when Hurts’ scored on a 1-yard run. Quez Watkins caught the two-point conversion from Hurts and the Bucs suddenly were reeling.
That made it a six-point game with 5:54 remaining.
But Brown’s 27-yard reception from Brady on third and 7 from the Eagles’ 45-yard line helped salt the game away.
