Eagles eye “payback” game with slumping Buccaneers

Eagles were flying high in a September showdown.

In 2023, the Eagles flew into Tampa on September 25th, riding high and undefeated. After 4 quarters of football, the Birds left, still undefeated, to the tune of a 25–11 final score. Philly would drop some pretty strong opponents in the weeks that followed. Rams, Dolphins, Cowboys, Chiefs, and Bills. Then, the December 3 game against the 49ers came up on the schedule. The Eagles were blown out at home 42–19. Thus began one of the most epic free falls in recent NFL History. The Eagles were 10-1 before the 49ers game. When the dust settled and playoff time arrived, they had dropped games to the Cowboys, Cardinals, Seahawks, and the pitiful Giants to finish off the regular season at 11-6, still a very respectable record. Looking past the record, the Eagles were in trouble. They just were not the same team that they had been since the 49ers beating at home. Jalen Hurts wasn’t the same player he had been at 10-1.

Eagles were never the same in 2023.

So the Eagles rolled back into town thinking it was a new season for them in the playoffs. It wasn’t to be. Baker Mayfield and the Bucs embarrassed the Eagles to the tune of a 32-9 butt-kicking, sending the Birds home missing a bunch of feathers and pride. Fast-forward to game 4 of the 2024 season. The Eagles again return to Ray-Jay, but this time with Saquon Barkley being the lead Bird, landing in Tampa with a 2-1 record. Barkley led the Eagles to a victory over the upstart Saints behind 147 yards rushing and two touchdowns, 15-12.

Bucs STUMBLE into game #4.

The Bucs, on the other hand, in the first two games of the season, were looking strong after handing the Commanders and then the Lions losses to begin 2024. They then proceeded to get embarrassed at home against a 0-2 Denver team, a game that the Bucs were never close to being in. A win at home against the Eagles would be cake, candles, and confetti for all Buccaneers on Sunday. Unfortunately, that’s going to be a tall order to pull off. It can be done, of course. A.J. Brown and Devonta Smith are both out for the Eagles. It will still take a hell of an effort, “team-wide”, to getter done. At this stage of the season, the Eagles are a better team than Detroit. It will take a near-flawless game from the Bucs with at least one turnover that we convert into a touchdown to beat them. I see the Bucs at 2-2 when the smoke clears on Sunday. Just as the Detroit game was revenge from last year’s playoffs for our Bucs, so is this game for the Eagles. Go Bucs!!

Eagles 34-Bucs 24