How'd they do in 2017?
Do you really have to ask? They won Super Bowl LII as the Patriots threatened overtime with a backup quarterback who caught a touchdown pass from a tight end, while QB Tom Brady put up the most passing yards in a Super Bowl ever with 505 and still lost. It was a roller coaster season for the Eagles, who lost their starting quarterback Carson Wentz to an ACL injury in Week 14. Up until that point, Philadelphia had won 10 of their previous 11 games and seemed a surefire contender. The Eagles would lose their last game of the season to the Cowboys with Nick Foles, the career backup quarterback, under center, but it would be the last loss they would suffer for the 2017 season.
Anything interesting between the two teams?
- The 2002 Super Bowl season. You'll recall the Bucs beat the Raiders in the Super Bowl itself – but to get there, Tampa Bay had to go through Philadelphia first. Literally. The NFC Championship was held in Philly and resulted in a 27-10 victory for the Bucs and their ticket to Super Bowl XXXVII. It was a game that included perhaps the most well-known play in Buccaneers' history when cornerback Ronde Barber interception Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb and returned it 92 yards for a touchdown to seal the victory.
- The most recent meeting between the two teams came in 2015 when the Bucs trounced the birds 45-17, again in Philadelphia. It was quarterback Jameis Winston's first season at the helm of the Bucs' offense and the rookie at the time had a passer rating of 131.6 after passing for 246 yards and a whopping five touchdowns to five different receivers.
What about off the field?
The 2002 NFC Championship game wasn't the only time a Tampa Bay team had to go through a Philadelphia team to get to the title game. During the Tampa Bay Lightning's 2004 championship season, the Bolts beat out the Flyers in a best-of-seven series, 4-3, to advance to the Stanley Cup Finals.
So… what if I want to go?
September 16 will mark the home opener for the Buccaneers against the defending Super Bowl champions. It will be just the eighth time the Eagles will make the 1,041-mile trek and fifth time to Raymond James Stadium. For individual game tickets, visit Buccaneers.com/tickets.
