After roaring out to a 2-0 start for the fourth straight season, the Bucs quickly came back down to earth in Week 3. With a chance to earn their first 3-0 start since 2005, they lost to a previously winless Broncos team on their home field.

They didn’t just lose. They were dominated from start to finish.

And now, Tampa Bay has no choice but to muster up a quick response as it begins a tough stretch of seven straight games against contenders between Week 4 and Week 10. That stretch will see them face the Eagles (home), Falcons (away), Saints (away), Ravens (home), Falcons (home), Chiefs (away) and 49ers (home).

It all starts Sunday at Raymond James Stadium as Todd Bowles and the Bucs host the 2-1 Philadelphia Eagles in a Wild Card rematch. Can Tampa Bay get to 3-1 ahead of a short week leading into its trip to Atlanta for Thursday Night Football in Week 5? Or will that embarrassing Week 3 loss spiral into another and start this tough stretch on the wrong foot?

The Last Time…

Bucs QB Baker Mayfield – Photo by: USA Today

After the Eagles soundly beat the Bucs on Monday Night Football in Week 3 last September, the rematch in the playoffs went the other way.

The two teams had finished the regular season on opposite trajectories, with Tampa Bay getting hot enough to three-peat as NFC South champions while Philadelphia fell apart down the stretch. The Wild Card matchup at Raymond James Stadium reflected that, as Baker Mayfield threw for 337 yards and three touchdowns as the Bucs beat the Eagles, 32-9.

Mayfield was excellent on the night for the Buccaneer offense, throwing touchdowns to David Moore, Trey Palmer and Chris Godwin. But the biggest story was Todd Bowles’ defense, as the head coach put together a masterful game plan that resulted in his side of the ball holding Philadelphia to just nine points and an 0-for-9 mark on third downs (as well as an 0-2 mark on fourth).

The Eagles lead the all-time series 9-8, though the Bucs have won three of the last four — including two playoff victories.

How The Bucs And Eagles Are Trending

The Bucs were riding high to start the season, dominating the Commanders at home in Week 1 before gutting out a narrow road win over the Lions in Week 2. But just when everything seemed to setting up for them to have their best start in almost 20 years, it all came crashing down in Week 3.

Bucs QB Baker Mayfield- Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Tampa Bay got nothing going offensively against a tough Denver defense, which was a disappointment. Baker Mayfield had a bad game, and Mike Evans was taken out of the game completely through a combination of good defense and an inability by Mayfield and offensive coordinator Liam Coen to get him involved. But perhaps even more disappointing was the defense’s inability to handle rookie quarterback Bo Nix, a run game that had been stagnant through two weeks and a banged-up offensive line.

Just about everything was a mess for the Bucs in Week 3, and they can’t afford to play like that two weeks in a row. Getting any of their injured players back would be helpful, especially if it’s right tackle Luke Goedeke (concussion) or one of their star interior defensive lineman — whether that’s Vita Vea (knee) or Calijah Kancey (calf).

Tampa Bay looked like a serious contender after two weeks, but a lot of that shine came off in Week 3. It’s up to Todd Bowles, his coaching staff and the players to come back ready to go in Week 4 and prove what they are by beating a good Eagles team. Otherwise, it may start to feel like the same old Bucs from 2022 and 2023.

The Eagles are a bit complicated these days. They very easily could be 3-0, but they could also very easily be 0-3 or 1-2. Instead, they’re 2-1 and looking to rediscover some of the magic that they had two years ago when they went to the Super Bowl while shrugging off the collapse that they went through at the end of the 2023 season.

Eagles QB Jalen Hurts – Photo by: USA Today

Philadelphia is a talented team, but its three games so far have come with uneven performances. In their Week 1 win over the Packers in Brazil, the offense exploded for 34 points. But in a Week 2 game against the Falcons, a bad Saquon Barkley drop late in the game, a disastrous drive from the defense and a game-sealing interception thrown by Jalen Hurts dropped them to 0-1.

Last week, though, the Eagles came up with an impressive win over the Saints in New Orleans. The Saints had started the season with 47 and 44 points in their first two games, respectively, yet Philly held them to 12. The defense did give up another late lead, but this time the offense came back and earned them a 15-12 road win that has them at 2-1 coming into this Week 4 matchup in Tampa.

But even still, it’s hard to know what to make of the Eagles. They’re clearly talented, as they have been in the last few years. They added Barkley this offseason, too, plus they brought in two new coordinators — Kellen Moore on the offense and Vic Fangio on the defense. But Hurts has developed a turnover problem over the last 20 or so games, Nick Sirianni continues to make head-scratching decisions and injuries to AJ Brown, Devonta Smith and Lane Johnson, among others, have them just about as banged-up as the Bucs.

Here’s how the Bucs and Eagles stack up heading into Week 4:

Bucs Offense: 15th in scoring offense (21.3 PPG), 26th in total offense (277.0 yards per game), 23rd in passing offense (186.0 yards per game), 27th in rushing offense (91.0 yards per game)

Eagles Offense: 12th in scoring offense (23.3 PPG), second in total offense (411.7 yards per game), fifth in passing offense (244.3 yards per game), 3rd in rushing offense (167.3 yards per game)

Bucs Defense: T-15th in scoring defense (20.7 points allowed per game), 27th in total defense (371.3 yards allowed per game), 24th in passing defense (233.7 yards allowed per game), 25th in rushing defense (137.7 yards allowed per game)

Eagles Defense: 17th in scoring defense (21.0 points allowed per game), 22nd in total defense (339.3 yards allowed per game), 18th in passing defense (204.7 yards allowed per game), 24th in rushing defense (134.7 yards allowed per game)

As of Wednesday night, the Eagles were 1-point favorites, with an Over/Under set at 44 (per BetUS).

What Might Decide This Bucs-Eagles Matchup?

Bucs RT Luke Goedeke – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Before even getting into the matchups in this game, one of the key deciders could be health. Which team can get some of its key players back and ready to go by Sunday? The Bucs have been without right tackle Luke Goedeke (concussion) for the last two games, as well as All-Pro safety Antoine Winfield Jr. (foot). Nose tackle Vita Vea (knee) missed Week 3, while defensive tackle Calijah Kancey (calf) has yet to suit up this season.

Meanwhile, the Eagles have a long injury report of their own. Wide receivers AJ Brown (hamstring) and DeVonta Smith (concussion) could both be missing for Sunday’s game, while fellow wide receiver Britain Covey (shoulder) was just placed on injured reserve. Philadelphia will also be monitoring the statuses of right tackle Lane Johnson (concussion) and right guard Mekhi Becton (finger). The defensive backfield is also missing James Bradberry (leg) and Sydney Brown (knee), too, as both are on injured reserve.

As for on-field factors to keep an eye on for the Bucs, it starts with the offense needing to return to form. Baker Mayfield had one of his worst games in a while in Week 3, as he was holding the ball too long in some cases and bailing on clean pockets to run into sacks in others. Mayfield needs a bounce-back, and he needs to get Mike Evans involved from the jump. Evans had just two catches on three targets last week and, outside of two touchdowns in Week 1, he’s gotten off to a slow start this year. Getting Evans going while keeping Chris Godwin as productive as he’s been would be huge for offensive coordinator Liam Coen. 

Bucs RB Bucky Irving – Photo by: USA Today

What would also help Mayfield and Coen get the offense going is further strides in the run game. Rookie Bucky Irving has been more effective on the ground than Rachaad White and has earned more carries, but keeping White involved – especially in the passing game – would be preferable. The Eagles haven’t been good against the run this year, so perhaps the duo of Irving and White can finally realize its potential and get on the right track. Of course, a huge key in that is the offensive line creating some space, which hasn’t always been easy.

If Tampa Bay’s offense can look more like it did in Week 1 (or like it did against Philadelphia the last time they met), that would take a lot of pressure off of Todd Bowles‘ defense, which remains banged up and just about every level. Defensively, the Eagles’ ability (or inability) to get to Mayfield with their four-man rush is going to be key. Defensive coordinator Vic Fangio won’t blitz much, so the Bucs offensive line holding the Eagles’ front in check is where everything starts.

But back to Bowles’ defense. The interior of the defensive line was missing Vea and Kancey last week and got absolutely bullied by Denver. Again, getting either guy back (however unlikely) would make a huge difference. Regardless, the Bucs have to find a way to stop the run better. Saquon Barkley is off to a phenomenal start, and the more he can do, the less pressure there will be on Jalen Hurts, whose 26 turnovers since the start of last season are the most in the NFL. 

Bucs OLB Joe Tryon-Shoyinka and Eagles QB Jalen Hurts – Photo by: USA Today

If Tampa Bay can find a way to shut down or even neutralize Barkley, that would force Hurts to find a way to win in a game where he’ll likely be without his top three receivers. If it comes to that, the Bucs need their pass rush to impact the game in a bigger way. Bowles’ defense has just two sacks this season and failed to get any heat on Bo Nix last week. And when there was pressure on Nix, he was able to escape the pocket and make plays with his legs. Hurts has even more escapability and playmaking ability, so getting pressure and shutting down any escape routes is key.

Of course, turnovers certainly wouldn’t hurt either. The Bucs could use some takeaways, whether it’s sack-fumbles, interceptions or however they come. Hurts has thrown at least one interception in his last seven regular games and has thrown four in three games this season. If Tampa Bay can force him into mistakes and shake his confidence by getting him to the ground time and again, it could go a long way in deciding the outcome of this game.

Key Players To Watch

It’s already been said. Baker Mayfield has to be better this week if the Bucs are going to have any chance of winning and getting to 3-1. His last time out against Philly, he surpassed 300 yards and threw for three touchdowns in what turned out to be one of the signature wins of his career. Another performance like that sure would be nice, but simply avoiding turnovers and being able to remain confident in the pocket without running into sacks would be an improvement over Week 3. Some production from receivers not named Mike Evans and Chris Godwin would help, as Jalen McMillan and Trey Palmer have been awfully quiet so far.

Bucs S Jordan Whitehead – Photo by: USA Today

On the Buccaneers defense, safety Jordan Whitehead needs to be better, too. He graded out exceptionally poorly in run defense last week, and with the success Philadelphia is having on the ground, the veteran safety will need to step up. He returned to Tampa Bay to much fanfare this offseason and proved why early on this year, but it’s time for him to bounce back against the Eagles — perhaps by creating a big takeaway.

Saquon Barkley has been the engine of the Eagles offense so far this season. He had 132 total yards and three total touchdowns in their Week 1 win over the Packers, then another 116 yards (though with a key drop) in a Week 2 loss to the Falcons. Last week, he powered Philly to victory, running for 147 yards and two touchdowns on 17 carries. If the Eagles beat the Bucs on Sunday, expect Barkley to be a big reason why.

C.J. Gardner-Johnson has been a thorn in Tampa Bay’s side for a long time now. From his days with New Orleans to his first stint in Philadelphia to his time with Detroit last year, the trash-talking defensive back has seemingly had the Bucs’ number — as frustrating as that’s been to watch. It’s hard to imagine that changing now as he’s back with the Eagles again. He has graded out poorly so far this year, though, with six missed tackles (per PFF) while allowing four catches on six targets for 65 yards and two touchdowns.

Bucs vs. Eagles Game Information

When: Sunday, September 29
Where: Raymond James Stadium (Tampa, FL)
Kickoff: 1:00 p.m. ET
TV: FOX – Kevin Burkhardt (Play by Play), Tom Brady (Analyst), Erin Andrews & Tom Rinaldi (Reporter)
Bucs Radio: 98Rock – Gene Deckerhoff (Play by Play), Dave Moore (Color), T.J. Rives (Reporter)
Spanish Radio: 96.1 Caliente – Carlos Bohorquez (Play by Play), Martín Gramática (Analyst), Santiago Gramática (Reporter)

Bucs vs. Eagles: LIVE Pewter GameDay Show Sunday At 1pm ET

Our LIVE Pewter GameDay show returns this Sunday when the #Bucs face the #Eagles.

It’s a great way to receive news and analysis DURING the game!

Tune in and join the fun!https://t.co/DBfOYK7IQF

— PewterReport 🏴‍☠️ (@PewterReport) September 25, 2024