The best record in the NFC will be on the line when the Philadelphia Eagles come to Raymond James Stadium in Week Four to take on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in a battle of 3-0 teams. Assuming that the Arizona-San Francisco game on Sunday does not end in a tie, that contest will feature two of the three undefeated teams in the conference after three weeks. The showdown is set for Sunday, September 28, with kickoff scheduled for 1:00 p.m. ET.
The Buccaneers and Eagles maintained their undefeated status in somewhat similar ways on Sunday. Philadelphia topped the visiting Los Angeles Rams, 33-26, when defensive lineman Jordan Davis blocked what could have been a 44-yard game-winning field goal for the visitors and returned it 61 yards for a touchdown as time expired. Moments later in Tampa, New York Jets edge rusher Will McDonald blocked a Chase McLaughlin field goal attempt and returned it 50 yards for a go-ahead touchdown with 1:41 left in regulation. However, Baker Mayfield and the Buccaneers were able to rally with a game-winning two-minute drill for the third week in a row, leading to McLaughlin's walk-off 36-yarder.
The Buccaneers and Eagles will be reviving a long-running rally that has steered into dramatic territory multiple times over the past 50 years. Tampa Bay's first-ever playoff game was a 24-17 win over the Eagles in 1979, and the two teams were frequent combatants in the seasons that led up to Tampa Bay's first Super Bowl win at the end of the 2002 season. While the Eagles knocked the Bucs out of the playoffs in both 2000 and 2001 and beat them during the 2002 regular season, the Buccaneers won the NFC Championship Game in Philadelphia en route to victory in Super Bowl XXXVII. More recently, the Buccaneers have eliminated the Eagles from the playoffs following the 2021 and 2023 seasons.
On the other hand, the Eagles are the defending NFL champions after smothering the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LIX. The Philadelphia offensive still features dual-threat quarterback Jalen Hurts, superstar running back Saquon Barkley and pass-catchers A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith. Philly beat the Chiefs again in Week Two of this season and has also banked wins over NFC contenders Dallas and the Rams.