The "Brotherly Shove" in Philadelphia is about as sure as it gets in football. In 2022, the Eagles scored 93.5% of the time and in 2023, they were still above 90% when they faced the Buccaneers in Monday's playoff game.
However, it was unsuccessful at that crucial point. It was a precursor to the Bucs' eventual 32-9 victory.
After getting off to a sluggish start, the Eagles' offense finally got going in the latter half of the first quarter, setting up their first score of the game on a 55-yard throw from Jalen Hurts to DeVonta Smith. One of the simplest postseason decisions was set in motion when Tampa Bay was penalized for the extra point, which put Philadelphia on the 1-yard line.
Nick Sirianni, the head coach, decided to try a two-point convert with his offense. The football world was bracing for Philadelphia as the Eagles lined up in their trademark closely packed position. After receiving the snap from Jason Kelce, Hurts would use his muscular legs to propel himself and the ten other Eagles players on the field toward the end zone.
Even if they anticipate it each week, opponents still aren't able to halt it. The Buccaneers, however, had the solution this time. Hurts failed to cross the goal line, resulting in six points for Philadelphia instead of eight. At the break, the Buccaneers led by nine points.
Greg Gaines, a defensive lineman for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, gained leverage by getting below Eagles center Kelce and beating him off the line. Next, a slew of Bucs defenders, including Vita Vea, who weighed 347 pounds, piled on. Finally, K.J. Britt, a linebacker, managed to get away with it.
Hurts was pushed away from the end zone as Britt seized his facemask. It seemed like the Buccaneers had Hurts stopped regardless of the facemask violation, but the officials failed to see a clear penalty, which would have given the Eagles a second opportunity.
The Eagles lost some much-needed momentum, but the play's outcome stood.