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NFL Playoffs: Three things to watch for Eagles-Buccaneers in Super Wild Card WeekendPosted: January 13, 2024 at 4:19 pm.
Headshot_Author_Kevin-Patra_2020Where: Raymond James Stadium When) (Tampa ET 2:44 PM) | ESPN, AFC, ESPN2, ESPN+, ESPN BanishTwo clubs that finished the 2023 regular season in opposite directions collide Monday night in the final game of Super Wild Card Weekend.11-6 Eagles have lost five of their last six games. The last two losses came against 11-plus opponents (Arizona Cardinals, New York Giants).
Philly became the sixth team in NFL history to make the playoffs after losing five of their last six games, according to NFL Research. The good news: Three of the previous five won the Wild Card round. The bad news: No one made it past the sectional round.On the other hand, the 9-8 Buccaneers have won five of their last six games to claim the NFC South division title after a midseason slump.
Todd Bowelsand#039; the club caused losses early and the offense found a groove for a ticket to the finals. The last two weeks weren’t pretty, with a home loss to New Orleans and a two-game win over the Panthers, but they made it out of the tournament.
Monday marks a Week 3 rematch in which Philly demolished the Bucs, posting a 472-174 rushing yardage advantage in a 25-11 victory that never seemed close. As Tampa players noted this week, both clubs are vastly different than when they faced off in September.
Will the Eagles finally solve the issues that plagued them all season? Can the Bucs keep Philly down and pull the home upset? Letand#039;s dive in at what to look out for in prime time Monday night.
Here are three things to watch for when the Eagles visit the Buccaneers during Super Wild Card Weekend:1) Can Baker Mayfield, Bucs offense take advantage of struggling Eagles D? Mayfield has struggled with injuries the past two weeks, but has been at his best during Tampa’s four-game hitting streak to lead the division.
QB set career records in 2023 with 4,044 passing yards and 28 touchdowns (both top 10 in NFL). He has goals in Chris Godwin and Mike Evans to make life miserable for the struggling Eagles.
The Bucs have opportunities to make big plays if the offensive line gives Mayfield time. Evans had the NFL’s most receiving TDs (7) in 2023 (behind Tyreek Hill: 8).
Mayfield has shown moxie leading the Bucs to the postseason, including some tough, timely runs. Heand#039;ll need to continue his best season to have January success. Meanwhile, the Eagles defense has allowed 300-plus passing yards in seven games (most in the NFL) and three-plus passing TDs in six tilts in 2023 (tied for most).
Moving from Sean Desai to Matt Patricia as defensive play-caller down the stretch did nothing to stem the tide, as Phillyand#039;s pass rush couldnand#039;t cover for a banged-up secondary. Philadelphia ended the season with 43 sacks, tied for 19th in the league. Contrast that with last seasonand#039;s franchise-record 70 sacks.
If the Eagles canand#039;t pressure Mayfield on Monday, it could be another long night for the defense.Please enable Javascript to view this content2) Will Phillyand#039;s up-and-down offense right the ship? Star wide receiver A.J. Brown will not play after suffering a knee injury in Week 18, while Jalen Hurts is off the injury report after dealing with the aftermath of a dislocated middle finger on his throwing hand.
With Brown sidelined, will the Eagles find a level of execution we havenand#039;t seen in the past month and a half? As the Eagles went 10–1 in the season opener, Hurts passed for 245.2 yards per game with 18 TDs and 10 INTs and a 94.9 passer rating.
In Weeks 13-18, when Philly went 1-5, those numbers dropped to 193.5 YPG, 5 TDs and 5 INTs with a 77.6 passer rating. Brown slowed to six straight games of 125+ yards early in the season. He hasn’t passed for more than 100 yards since Week 12 and has three carries of less than 60 yards in that span. The Pro Bowler hasn’t had a TD since Week 11, but his absence is still huge. In Week 3 against Tampa, Brown had 131 yards on nine catches.
Nick Sirianni should turn to the ground game to improve the Eaglesand#039; problems in the playoffs, especially if Brown is unavailable. In Week 3, Dan#039;Andre Swift had 130 rushing yards to Philadelphia’s 201 yards on the ground. It was the last time Swift topped the 100-yard mark this season.
The Bucsand#039; The D was 24th in average rushing allowed by the EPA this season, according to Next Generation Stats, and has given up more than 100 yards in each of the last two games — including big scores (131 yards) against Carolina in Week 18.
The Eagles should come out looking to get Swift and the offense on Monday night, especially with Hurts out.3) Eagles offensive line against Bucs defense. Phillyand’s offense may be based in Strugglesville, but it is still the top offensive line in the NFL, highlighted by Pro Bowlers Jason Kelce, Lane Johnson and Landon Dickerson.
The Eaglesand#039; The race on Monday is the key to the battle. As noted, the Eagles ran over Tampa in Week 3 when the O-line opened up big holes and allowed just three tackles for a loss. How the group combats the Bucsand#039; pass rush will be critical in game.
Bucs rookie YaYa Diaby has surged down the stretch, giving Tampaand#039;s edge much-needed oomph and leading the Buccaneers with 7.5 sacks. In passing situations, Bowles is sure to bring the heat on Hurts. Tampa blitzed at a 41.8 percent rate in 2023, the third highest in the NFL.
In Week 3, the defense blitzed on 61% of Hurtsand#039; dropbacks, the most by the Bucs this season. It worked that night, as Hurts went 13 of 23.
