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The duality of man, or in this case, Florida football.
With the Jacksonville Jaguars (0-4) and Miami Dolphins (1-2) both struggling to start the NFL season, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a breath of fresh air for Floridians. Starting the season 3-1, the Bucs look to be the most impressive of Florida’s professional football teams.
The Buccaneers dropped the Philadelphia Eagles (2-2) Sunday in Tampa in a 2024 NFC Wild Card rematch. Once again, the Buccaneers emerged victorious, defeating the Eagles 33-16 by dominating the crucial matchup from the start.
Dominant Tampa Half
Coming off of an uninspiring 26-7 home loss to the Denver Broncos, the Bucs wasted no time against the Eagles, getting off to an impressive start.
The Buccaneers’ first two drives concluded with touchdowns. Driving down the field against an Eagles’ defense that has allowed the fourth-most yards per game this season, Mike Evans capped a 10-play Bucs first drive with a 2-yard touchdown reception. Only three plays later, the Bucs had the ball again. Their second drive concluded with a 15-yard Trey Palmer touchdown catch from quarterback Baker Mayfield. The Bucs finished the first quarter with 191 yards of offense, while the Eagles produced a demoralizing -5.
VITA IS BAAACK 😤
📺: #PHIvsTB on FOX pic.twitter.com/XIpGbZPAg7
— Tampa Bay Buccaneers (@Buccaneers) September 29, 2024
The second quarter was no kinder to the injury-riddled Eagles, with the Bucs expanding the lead to 24-7 before the break. The Eagles offense, excluding the singular touchdown drive, finished the first half having lost one yard. Missing receivers Devonta Smith and A.J. Brown, along with offensive tackle Lane Johnson, Philadelphia looked disoriented. It didn’t help the Eagles defense allowed 303 yards before the half, one of the largest totals in the NFL this season.
A Repeat
After a start to the second half that saw both teams score a touchdown on their opening drives, the subsequent 22 minutes featured three total points between the two teams. The Buccaneers sealed the game with a field goal. The matchup was essentially a rerun of last season’s NFC Wild Card contest.
The Buccaneers dominated the Eagles in both games, using a similar formula in both. The Eagles struggled to contain Tampa’s offense in the first half of both games, allowing 252 yards in their 2023 playoff contest.
The Eagles defense struggled all day. Baker Mayfield found open receivers against zone coverage, got the ball out quick, and the Buccaneers forced a bunch of missed tackles pic.twitter.com/UHN1Xa1YtT
— Shawn Syed (@SyedSchemes) September 29, 2024
NFC Contenders
While the late-September meeting was another lopsided watch, both teams expect to compete in the NFC this season.
The Eagles are facing a variety of injuries and now fall to .500 on the season, but are only a year removed from a Super Bowl berth. Their roster still features a variety of the contributors that made their 2022 run so successful, providing hope for the Philadelphia faithful.
The Buccaneers are a different story. Following the retirement of Tom Brady, Tampa was expected to take a step back. Mayfield’s resurgence has allowed the Bucs to remain in NFC playoff conversations and contend for divisional titles. After their second win over Philadelphia in months, the Buccaneers look their best since the days of Brady.
Looking Forward
After their impressive Week 4 win, the Buccaneers will head into a short week, facing the Atlanta Falcons (2-2) on Thursday Night Football at 8:15 p.m. (Prime, ESPN 98.1-FM/850-AM). The Eagles will look to regroup heading into a much-needed bye week.
