Tampa, FL --Nick Foles and the final drive received much of the attention from Sunday's 23-21 win over Tampa Bay, and deservedly so, but there were many other players to consider from the victory.
The Eagles put together a terrific first half to lead 10-0 after two quarters, but they trailed 21-10 midway through the fourth quarter and things looked bleak at Raymond James Stadium.
However, a pair of Foles touchdown passes provided the winning points as the Eagles snapped an eight-game losing streak. We take a look at some players Under The Spotlight ...
Colt Anderson, S:Starting in place of the injured Kurt Coleman, Colt Anderson had a fine game. He had a total of 6 tackles, including 5 solos, and was effective as a run blitzer. Twice Coleman dived into the action for stops at or behind the line of scrimmage against the run. He wasn't a problem in deep coverage, either. Anderson did a nice job in his first start.
Ryan Rau, LB:Promoted to the active roster on Saturday, Ryan Rau played on kickoff coverage and stepped right in and made a stop on his first play. It was a nice introduction to the NFL and a needed one as Anderson devoted his energies to the defensive side of the ball. The Eagles allowed 23.5 yards per kickoff return.
Offensive line: Tampa Bay dominated the Eagles in the run game -- Philadelphia ran 16 times for 29 yards -- and Foles was sacked 6 times. Tackles Dennis Kelly and King Dunlap had their ups and downs on the edge and the interior blockers had trouble containing tackle Gerald McCoy, who registered 5 tackles, a pair of sacks, three tackles for loss and three quarterback hits.
Jason Avant, WR:What a terrific game for Jason Avant. He was targeted 12 times and had 7 catches for 133 yards and the big 22-yard catch and run on fourth-and-10 on the final drive to take the ball to the 1-yard line. Avant also made one of the greatest catches you will ever see -- a leaping, one-handed grab on the sidelines that gained 20 yards on a third-and-17 play. Super game for Avant.
Mychal Kendricks, LB:The coaches moved Mychal Kendricks from the SAM position to WILL -- "his natural position," said head coach Andy Reid after the game -- and Kendricks responded with a fantastic performance. He tied DeMeco Ryans for a team-best seven total tackles, including one behind the line of scrimmage. Kendricks also had 3 passes defensed and nearly picked off two of them. Jamar Chaney deserves kudos for a nice job in the base as the starting SAM linebacker.
Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, CB:This was one of Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie's best games in a while. He had 3 tackles and 3 passes defensed and showed great catch-up speed. Nnamdi Asomugha showed a lot of toughness coming back from a nasty fall and a neck injury, and was targeted a few times when he had coverage against Vincent Jackson, a difficult assignment.
Bryce Brown, RB:Tampa Bay is great against the run and the Bucs shut Bryce Brown down to 6 yards on 12 carries. It wasn't really on Brown. There was no edge to get to and no room between the tackles. Brown was pretty much a non-factor for the first time as a starter.
Alex Henery, PK:A weird game for Alex Henery, who kicked a 28-yard field goal and then nailed a 53-yarder just before halftime, only to have that second make nullified because of a false-start penalty. He then boomed his 58-yard attempt, which went wide left. Henery missed a crucial 31-yarder in the third quarter. The laces were pointed at Henery, so maybe holder Mat McBriar and longsnapper Jon Dorenbos deserve some of the blame for that miss. McBriar, by the way, averaged 49 yards on 7 punts, with a net average of 40 yards. That helped the Eagles.
