The Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Philadelphia Eagles will clash for the sixth time in the last five seasons, playoffs included, when then the Eagles visit Raymond James Stadium on Sunday, September 28, with kickoff scheduled for 1:00 p.m. ET. Both teams are 3-0 and their meeting will be the only game on the NFL's Week Four schedule pairing two undefeated squads. The Buccaneers defeated the Eagles in Week Four of last season but Philadelphia has since won 19 of its last 20 contests, including Super Bowl LIX.
Both teams have protected the ball well and played strong red zone defense. Neither team is in the top 10 in scoring after the Buccaneers finished fourth and the Eagles seventh in that category last season. The Buccaneers have run the ball well, as have the Eagles, although not yet at the level they did last year, when they averaged 179.3 yards per game. Here's how the Buccaneers and Eagles stack up against each other for their Week Four showdown in Tampa:
When Tampa Bay Has the Ball:
| Buccaneers Offense | Category | Eagles Defense |
|---|---|---|
| 15th (322.3) | Net Yards Per Game | 18th (319.0) |
| 22nd (5.04) | Yards Per Play | 18th (5.35) |
| t-12th (24.0) | Points Per Game | 15th (21.0) |
| 7th (130.7) | Rushing Yards Per Game | 25th (133.3) |
| 22nd (191.7) | Passing Yards Per Game | 11th (185.7) |
| t-13th (41.4%) | Third Down Percentage | t-21st (42.2%) |
| 15th (6.06%) | Sacks Per Pass Play | 30th (3.09%) |
| t-1st (0.00%) | Interception Percentage | 14th (2.06%) |
| 25th (44.4%) | Red Zone Touchdown Pct. | t-7th (44.4%) |
When Philadelphia Has the Ball:
| Eagles Offense | Category | Buccaneers Defense |
|---|---|---|
| 27th (268.7) | Net Yards Per Game | t-11th (297.0) |
| 27th (4.40) | Yards Per Play | 14th (4.95) |
| 8th (25.7) | Points Per Game | 17th (22.0) |
| 13th (122.0) | Rushing Yards Per Game | 6th (84.0) |
| 29th (146.7) | Passing Yards Per Game | 19th (213.0) |
| 7th (43.9%) | Third Down Percentage | 4th (31.4%) |
| 24th (9.09%) | Sacks Per Pass Play | 14th (7.84%) |
| t-1st (0.00%) | Interception Percentage | 24th (0.98%) |
| 1st (100.0%) | Red Zone Touchdown Pct. | t-5th (42.9%) |
Advantage Buccaneers: Rushing Attack
The Buccaneers have surpassed 100 rushing yards as a team in 11 straight games, including all three this season, and they currently rank seventh in the league with 130.7 yards per game. Bucky Irving leads the way with 174 ground yards while Baker Mayfield scrambles have accounted for another 116. Philadelphia's defensive numbers against the run are likely to improve during the season, given the presence of defensive tackles Jalen Carter and Jordan Davis, but the team currently ranks 25th in that category, allowing 133.3 yards per game, as well as 27th in yards per carry allowed (5.06).
Advantage Eagles: Red Zone Touchdown Scoring
The Eagles have an unusual statistical combination of ranking 27th in the NFL in total yards on offense but eighth in total points. The explanation is a red zone offense that has yet to be denied. Philadelphia has made eight trips into the opposing red zone through three games and has scored a touchdown on all of them, making them the only team with a 100% TD rate in such situations. Six of their eight red zone touchdowns have come on running plays, and quarterback Jalen Hurts has four of them. Tampa Bay's red zone defense has been quite good, tying for fifth with a touchdown allowed rate of 42.9%, but the "Tush Push" gives the Eagles a goal-line option that few teams can stop. If that battle is fairly even, the Eagles have a clear advantage when their defense is tested in the red zone. They are tied for seventh in that category at 44.4%, the same rate the Bucs' offense has to rank 25th.
X-Factor: Philadelphia's Pass Rush
The Eagles saw Brandon Graham retire and Josh Sweat depart in free agency but probably still expected to produce a more robust pass rush headlined by 2023 first-round pick Nolan Smith and 2024 third-round pick Jalyx Hunt. Given those two and the aforementioned Carter-Davis duo inside, their certainly seems to be plenty of potential for a fierce pass rush, but through three games the Eagles rank 30th in sacks per pass play on defense, at 3.09%. The Eagles defense has produced three sacks as a whole so far this season. If Philly gets that part of its game on track in Week Four, that could make a big difference in the matchup with Tampa Bay on Sunday.
