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Bucs-Eagles: O.J. Howard shakes off turnover, bounces back with big play

The 75-yard touchdown pass was the Bucs’ second of the game and broke a 7-7 tie late in the second quarter.
 
Published Sept. 16, 2018|Updated Sept. 17, 2018

TAMPA — Ryan Fitzpatrick took a step backward Sunday. He threw an interception.

Well, technically, it was an interception, but the first-quarter turnover wasn't really his fault. His pass, like most of his 32 others, was on target to tight end O.J. Howard. But as Howard tried to secure the ball, Eagles safety Rodney McLeod popped it loose.

"I should have caught the ball and tried to make a play up the field," Howard said. "When I tried to switch the ball in my arms, it slipped out and (cornerback Ronald Darby) picked it off for an interception."

When he got to the sideline, his teammates told him he had to let it go.

Two possessions later, Howard held on to his next target, making the catch at the end of a crossing route and taking it 62 yards down the left sideline for a go-ahead score. The 75-yard touchdown pass was the Bucs' second of the game and broke a 7-7 tie late in the second quarter.

"The great ones got to do it," he said. "The great teams, the great players, you've got to shake things off and move on to the next play. You can't let one play stop you. You can't let one play define your whole team. That's football. It's all about making the next play."

Interceptions like that happen, Fitzpatrick said, and players have to be able to put it away and be ready to make a play.

"For O.J. to come back, I think he felt bad about it because of what he did on that touchdown run," he said. "I was like, 'Oh, my gosh. Maybe we should do that more often.' He's a special player. I saw a lot of improvement this offseason in him, and it's nice that we're seeing it carry over into the games."

Overall this season, Howard, the Bucs' first-round draft pick in 2017, has caught five passes for 150 yards.

It's the (big) little things

The box score shows that DeSean Jackson and Howard scored 75-yard touchdowns. Those touchdowns might not have happened, however, if it weren't for running back Peyton Barber and receiver Chris Godwin. On Jackson's touchdown, the Eagles called a cornerback blitz, and Barber picked it up, buying Fitzpatrick enough time to hit Jackson downfield. On Howard's touchdown, Eagles safety Malcolm Jenkins was in line to make the tackle, but Godwin shoved him out of the picture.

"I hope everybody got to see, but Chris Godwin, wow," coach Dirk Koetter said. "That downfield block — you talk about hustle. That's what hustle looks like."

Koetter: Alexander 'an emerging blitzer'

The Bucs allowed Eagles quarterback Nick Foles to complete nearly 75 percent of his passes, but they made him earn just about every one of his 35 completions. Tampa Bay hit him 12 times, sacked him three times and forced a fumble.

Linebacker Kwon Alexander was responsible for forcing the fumble as the Eagles neared midfield late in the second quarter. On second-and-2, Alexander blitzed between the left tackle and left guard and wrapped up Foles, who was beginning to throw.

"I was just doing my job," he said. "It came open for me, and I had to go get him. I did and got the ball out. A big play for the defense, just to keep the momentum going."

The play was one of Alexander's best as a blitzer, Koetter said.

"He did everything right on that play," he said. "He wrapped tight. He's had a tendency to go maybe too wide at times. That's one of those plays where, when you have the free shot — there's all kinds of rules right now where you can possibly get a penalty."

The Bucs recorded at least three sacks only twice last season (against Tom Brady and the Patriots in Week 5 and against Josh McCown and the Jets in Week 10). After recording an NFL-low 22 in 2017, they're on pace to record 32 this season.

Scary moment

After falling behind 27-7 in the third quarter, the Eagles rallied and ultimately made it a one-score game. If not for safety Justin Evans, they might have completed the comeback.

On a fourth-and-10 early in the fourth quarter, defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul flushed Foles from the pocket. Foles scrambled left and lofted a pass toward the end zone, trying to lead running back Corey Clement. As Clement pursued the ball, he and Evans collided, and both lay still for several moments afterward.

"I was just trying to make a play," Evans said. "Luckily, we didn't hit head-to-head."

But there's making a play, and there's putting your body and career on the line.

"That's what we do it for," he said. "That's why we're here."

Roster notes

Defensive tackle Beau Allen left the game and did not return because of a foot injury. "My foot's awesome," he said after the game. "It feels good. When you get a win, your body feels really good, I'll tell you that." Allen, by the way, was present at the coin toss before the game, along with former Eagles Vinny Curry and DeSean Jackson. … Ronald Jones II, the running back the Bucs drafted in the second round in April, was a healthy scratch for the second straight game.

Contact Thomas Bassinger at tbassinger@tampabay.com. Follow @tometrics.