The Eagles (2-0) are on the road to face the Buccaneers (2-0) on Monday Night Football.
To the predictions:
Reuben Frank (2-0)
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I think we’ll learn a lot about the Eagles Monday night in Tampa. The Buccaneers aren’t a great team, but they’re a good team and a well-coached team, a better-than-expected team two weeks into the season. In their wins over the Vikings and Bears, they’ve gotten efficient and mistake-free play from Baker Mayfield and big plays all over the field from future Hall of Famer Mike Evans. They’re allowing just 54 rushing yards per game, they haven’t committed a turnover and they’ve forced five, they haven’t allowed a sack and they’re 9th-best in the league converting third downs. That said, the Eagles are a better team and I expect we’ll see that. The Eagles are getting some guys back on defense, and I think we’ll see their defensive front harass Mayfield into the kind of mistakes he hasn't made yet. The Bucs won’t be able to run the ball, and when offenses are in known pass against these pass rushers that’s a problem. Tampa’s defense is very good, but I just feel like the Eagles have too many weapons to continue to sputter in the passing game. This will be another hold-your-breath-in-the-fourth-quarter type of game, but in the end I’ve got the Eagles doing enough to find their way to 3-0 for the second straight year.
Eagles 24, Buccaneers 21
Dave Zangaro (2-0)
This isn’t an easy game. It’s certainly not as easy as it appeared to be when the schedule came out in May. Sure, the Eagles and Buccaneers are both 2-0 but there are different vibes about these teams. The Eagles are undefeated but haven’t played to their standard. The Bucs are 2-0 and have to feel great about it after wins over the Vikings and Bears. This might be a close game. But the Eagles are just the better team.
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We know Todd Bowles is going to try to heat Jalen Hurts up because that’s what a Bowles defense does. The last time these two teams played, Hurts didn’t play well in a 2021 playoff loss and something tells me this one means something extra to him. It’s his chance to prove how much he’s grown in a couple years and a chance to bounce back from an up-and-down start to his season. That won’t necessarily be easy against a good Bucs defense, but the Eagles should have enough weapons to score some points. On the other side, Baker Mayfield has been incredibly efficient but I predict the Bucs’ mistake-free football ends on Monday night. The Eagles force at least one turnover in this game and move to 3-0.
Eagles 28, Buccaneers 23
Barrett Brooks (2-0)
The Eagles have been so close on so many plays the past two weeks on both the defensive and offensive sides of the ball. Offensively, this will be the game where the passing game takes the step in the direction fans have wanted Jalen Hurts to go. Hurts will make strides in the passing game. The reason? The O-line will protect him. The rust from not playing together in preseason will finally be shaken off and the No. 1 group in the NFL will show why they are ranked so high. Bucs head coach Todd Bowles will not allow his defense to be bullied in the run game, which will open passing lanes to Birds receivers. It will make more sense for Brian Johnson to throw outside, instead of running into the teeth of the Bucs’ strength on defense, the interior. Linebacker Lavonte David and Devin White are tops at their position, with DL Vita Vea setting the tone in the middle.
DC Sean Desai will have Reed Blankenship and James Bradberry back in the secondary. Losing slot CB Avonte Maddox is a serious blow to Eagle's defense. Baker Mayfield is playing at a very high level and will look to Chris Godwin to win in the slot against Maddox's replacement. Mayfield is getting the ball out quick and decisively, so this may be an issue for the Birds’ pass rush.
All things being equal, the Eagles are far more talented than the Bucs. The Birds must not play down to the level of their competition and win convincingly.
Eagles 28, Buccaneers 22
Mike Mulhern (2-0)
“When did winning not become the main thing?” That’s the question Jalen Hurts asked this week amidst concerns over how the offense put up over 400 yards of offense and 34 points. While the numbers through the air haven’t been pretty, wanting Hurts to pass into a defense designed to stop it is akin to wanting Bryce Harper to swing at balls outside the strike zone when he’s being pitched around. Take what is given to you — in this case over 250 yards on the ground — and move on. He’ll face another big challenge on Monday Night Football against Todd Bowles and the Bucs. He’s sure to run some complex schemes designed to stop the MVP runner up, but so far the offense has figured out a way to win.
Baker Mayfield, who preceded Hurts by two years at Oklahoma, is leading the league in 3rd down passing and has yet to turn the ball over. Sean Desai’s group has made the most of their opportunities getting the ball away from the offense. Expect a timely takeaway or two as well.
It might not be pretty, but 3-0 is 3-0.
Eagles 27, Buccaneers 20
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