For the third straight season and the fourth time in six seasons, the Bucs are 2-0. In the three previous 2-0 starts over that six-year stretch (2018, 2021 and 2022), Tampa Bay failed to notch a third straight win, taking a loss in Week 3 each time.

In 2018, it was a 30-27 loss to the Steelers on Monday Night Football. Three years later, it was a 34-24 loss to the Rams out west. And just last year, it was a 14-12 home loss to the Packers.

This time around, the 2-0 Bucs will once again have a tough task in front of them as they try to get to 3-0 for the first time since 2005. The 2-0 Philadelphia Eagles — the defending NFC champions and current NFC favorites — are coming to Raymond James Stadium for a big Monday Night Football contest.

The Last Time…

Bucs ILB Devin White and Eagles QB Jalen Hurts – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Tampa Bay and Philly last met on Super Wild Card Weekend two seasons ago. On Jan. 16, 2022, the Bucs hosted the Eagles to open their Super Bowl LV defense and beat them soundly, running away with a 31-15 victory. The home team got out to a 31-0 lead by the end of the third quarter before the Eagles made the score look more respectable with a 15-0 run in the fourth.

Tom Brady threw for 271 yards and two touchdowns, plus both Ke’Shawn Vaughn and Giovani Bernard ran for scores. The Buccaneer defense sacked Jalen Hurts twice, while Shaq Barrett and Mike Edwards both intercepted him in the win. Tampa Bay would go on to lose the following week to Los Angeles in heartbreaking fashion, ending its Super Bowl repeat hopes.

All time, the series between these two teams is tied 8-8. Tampa Bay has a 3-2 lead in playoff meetings and has won four of the last five matchups (including playoffs).

How The Bucs And Eagles Are Trending

The Bucs find themselves in a spot where no one — at least nationally — expected them to be through two weeks. They’re 2-0 heading into a big primetime clash with the class of the NFC, and a plus-five turnover margin is a big reason why. The Tampa Bay offense is playing clean football, while the defense is getting after the quarterback and generating takeaways.

This is the first big test for the Bucs, though. They beat the Vikings by three points in Week 1 and despite it being a victory that came in a tough road environment, Minnesota hasn’t looked all that formidable this season. Then, in Week 2, Tampa Bay beat a bad Chicago team. So there will still be some doubters about Todd Bowles’ team and its chances of putting up a fight against the Eagles.

Philadelphia fell just short of the Super Bowl last year in crushing fashion, but this isn’t a team that looks like slowing down in 2023. The Eagles are one of the favorites in the NFC and is perhaps the favorite to represent the conference in the Super Bowl. It’s not hard to see why.

On offense, it starts with Jalen Hurts, but with A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith, the newly acquired D’Andre Swift and an elite offensive line also featuring heavily, the Eagles can score points. Defensively, the front seven is absolutely incredible, even if its 70 sacks from a year ago will be hard to replicate. Philly comes into this game at 2-0 after a five-point road win at New England in Week 1 and a six-point home win over Minnesota on Thursday Night Football. Because they played on Thursday night in Week 2, the Eagles come into this Monday night game against the Bucs well rested.

What Might Decide This Bucs-Eagles Matchup?

Bucs OT Tristan Wirfs – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

The trenches are going to be the decider in this game. As important as it will be for Tampa Bay to continue winning the turnover battle (building on its plus-five margin would be a big help), it’s the play of the Bucs’ offensive and defensive lines that will go a long way in determining the outcome of this game.

Part of the reason the Bucs have yet to turn the ball over on offense this season is the fact that Baker Mayfield has been kept relatively clean. The reshuffled offensive line has come along fairly well and that’s been part of it, but Mayfield’s ability to escape and shake off sacks has been a major help as well. Ducking out of Philadelphia’s pass rush won’t be as easy, though, so the big boys on Tampa Bay’s offensive line need to be up to the task.

Philadelphia totaled 70 sacks last season, with Javon Hargrave (11), Haason Reddick (16), Josh Sweat (16) and Brandon Graham (11) all reaching double-digits. Fletcher Cox added seven of his own from the inside.

The good news is that Hargrave is now in San Francisco. However, the league went and let Georgia’s Jalen Carter fall to the Eagles in this year’s draft and fellow Bulldog Jordan Davis already has 1.5 sacks in the first two games of his second NFL season. Rookie Nolan Smith, another Georgia Bulldog, is a factor as well.

The Eagles only have four sacks through two weeks, but this is a formidable pass rush, and Tampa Bay’s protections will be tested. If the Bucs can keep Mayfield upright and prevent him from having to run for his life, they may just have a shot at the upset in primetime.

Bucs NT Vita Vea – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

On the other side, the Eagles have one of the best offensive lines in the league. Getting through that group to shut down the run and pressure Jalen Hurts will be a challenge.

Jason Kelce is the anchor, with Cam Jurgens and Landon Dickerson shoring up the interior. Left tackle Jordan Mailata and right tackle Lane Johnson are two of the game’s best as well. So the Bucs are up against their toughest test yet.

Tampa Bay has a deep rotation of pass rushers on the outside, with Shaq Barrett, Joe Tryon-Shoyinka, Anthony Nelson, YaYa Diaby and Cam Gill all flashing at different points already this season. Vita Vea is off to a great start on the interior of the line as well. Where the Bucs will really need more in this matchup with the Eagles is with Logan Hall and Calijah Kancey, if he can play. Todd Bowles‘ defense can’t let Hurts and D’Andre Swift run wild, nor can it let Hurts have all day to throw.

Key Players to Watch

Bucs WR Chris Godwin – Photo by: USA Today

The Bucs would love to really get Chris Godwin going this week. The Eagles placed nickel cornerback Avante Maddox on injured reserve this week after he suffered a torn pectoral against the Vikings last week. That could open up the chance for Godwin to threaten the Philadelphia defense from the slot and really put together his first big game of the season.

It’s not that he’s been invisible in the first two weeks (five catches for 51 yards in Week 1, five catches for 58 yards in Week 2), but he can do more for this Tampa Bay offense, and Monday night would be a great time for him and Baker Mayfield to connect in a big way.

Christian Izien has been one of the biggest stories of the Tampa Bay defense so far this season. The trenches will be key in this one (as discussed above), but the undrafted rookie out of Rutgers continuing to have a nose for the football has the potential to make a difference in the game as well.

In Week 2, Izien became the fourth-ever undrafted free agent(and first since 2013) to record an interception in his first two career games. He also recovered a forced fumble that was forced by Devin White, though the play was overturned. Another 70-grade-worthy performance from Izien would be big in this game as well.

Bucs S Antoine Winfield, Jr. – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

While A.J. Brown might be the Philly receiver who gets the most attention, it’s DeVonta Smith who leads the way right now. In fact, the 2020 Heisman Trophy winner is the only Eagle with a receiving touchdown this year. He has two in two games, with 11 catches for 178 yards on 15 targets to go with them.

Brown is averaging a healthy 16.2 yards per catch and had a big game in Week 2, hauling in four of is five targets for 131 yards (32.8 avg.) and a score. There was some frustration on Brown’s part during the Thursday Night Football win over the Vikings, so that may be something worth keeping an eye on come Monday.

The interior of the Philly defensive line is bound to be a major test for Bucs center Robert Hainsey and rookie right guard Cody Mauch. Fletcher Cox has been doing it a long time and can still win on the inside. Jordan Davis and Jalen Carter have the potential to wreak havoc up the middle too, and the trio as a whole can really give the Bucs problems in a variety of ways. Whether it’s plugging up running lanes, getting to the quarterback or forcing Tampa Bay interior offensive linemen to hold, they can do some damage on Monday.

Bucs vs. Eagles Game Information

When: Monday, Sept. 25
Where: Raymond James Stadium (Tampa, FL)
Kickoff: 7:15 p.m. ET
TV: ESPN– Joe Buck (Play by Play), Troy Aikman (Analyst), Lisa Salters (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)