Philadelphia (2-1) at Tampa Bay (2-1)
Sunday, 1 p.m. EDT, FOX
BetMGM NFL Odds: Eagles by 2 1/2.
Series record: Buccaneers lead 12-11
Against the spread: Eagles 2-1, Buccaneers 2-1
Last meeting: Buccaneers beat Eagles 32-9 in NFC wild-card game Jan. 15, 2024.
Last week: Eagles beat Saints 15-12; Buccaneers lost to Broncos 26-7.
Eagles offense: overall (2), rush (3), pass (5), scoring (12)
Eagles defense: overall (22), rush (24), pass (18), scoring (17)
Buccaneers offense: overall (26), rush (27), pass (23), scoring (15)
Buccaneers defense: overall (27), rush (25), pass (24), scoring (15t)
Turnover differential: Eagles minus-4; Buccaneers: even.
Eagles player to watch
TE Dallas Goedert should expect to get his number called often again if injured receivers A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith can’t play. Goedert — forgotten in the first two games of the season — set up the winning score against New Orleans when he got free across the middle on third-and-16 for a 61-yard catch-and-run that gave him a career-high 170 yards on 10 receptions. He set single-game career highs in receptions and receiving yards. It was the most receiving yards by an Eagles tight end since Pete Retzlaff on Nov. 14, 1965, vs. Washington (204 receiving yards) and the most by an Eagles receiver since A.J. Brown on Oct. 1, 2023, vs. Washington (175 receiving yards).
Bucs player to watch
WR Mike Evans has barely been involved in the offense the past two weeks, and QB Baker Mayfield and coach Todd Bowles concede that has to change. Evans is the only player in NFL history to begin a career with 10 consecutive seasons with at least 1,000 receiving yards. A year ago, he tied Tyreek Hill for the league lead in touchdown receptions with 13. After being targeted six times and finishing with five catches for 61 yards and two TDs in a season-opening win over Washington, the 11th-year pro has nine targets and just five receptions for 59 yards the past two games, including three targets and two catches for 17 yards in last week’s 19-point home loss to Denver.
Key matchup
Eagles defensive front led by Jalen Carter against the Bucs offensive line, which has allowed 12 sacks in the past two games. Carter was dominant against New Orleans last week, keying a turnaround for a defense that allowed Green Bay and Atlanta to run wild the previous two weeks. The Bucs played the past two weeks without RT Luke Goedeke (concussion), allowing five sacks against Detroit and seven in their loss to the Broncos.
Key injuries
Eagles WR DeVonta Smith (concussion) is out. WR A.J. Brown (hamstring) and T Lane Johnson are questionable. Brown has missed the past two games. Smith left last week’s victory at New Orleans. Goedeke and NT Vita Vea (knee) are questionable for the Bucs. S Antoine Winfield, Jr. and DL Calijah Kancey (calf) are out.
Series notes
The Eagles lead the regular-season series 9-8. Some of the most memorable meetings between the franchises, though, have been in the playoffs, where the Bucs have won four of six matchups. The Eagles dominated a regular-season meeting in 2023, then lost to the Bucs 32-9 in the wild-card round of the playoffs.
Stats and stuff
Eagles QB Jalen Hurts has completed 70.6 of his passes but has thrown more interceptions (four) than touchdown passes (three). …Hurts has 42 regular-season rushing TDs. He needs one to tie Steve Young (43) for the third most by a QB all time. … Coach Nick Sirianni is 1-3 vs. Tampa Bay, including playoffs. … RB Saquon Barkley is coming off rushing for 147 yards and two fourth-quarter touchdowns TDs in Philadelphia’s win over New Orleans. He’s run for 351 yards and four TDs and has 10 receptions for 53 yards and one TD through three games. … S C.J. Gardner-Johnson has an interception in each of the past three times he’s played against Tampa Bay. … The Bucs have not allowed a TD pass in four consecutive games, going back to Week 18 of last season. That’s the longest such streak in the NFL since 2022 and the longest by the Tampa Bay defense since 2005. …WR Chris Godwin has three TDs receiving, one in each game. … Rookie RB Bucky Irving leads Tampa Bay in rushing with 154 yards on 25 attempts, an average of 6.2 yards per carry. Starting RB Rachaad White, on the other hand, is averaging just 2.1 yards per attempt with 66 yards on 31 carries. … QB Baker Mayfield is tied for third in the NFL with six TDs. Sam Darnold leads with eight and Josh Allen has seven. Since the start of the 2023 season, Mayfield has thrown 34 TD passes. That’s tied with Jordan Love for fourth behind Dak Prescott (40) Allen (36) and Brock Purdy (35). … PK Chase McLaughlin has converted 23 consecutive regular-season field goals going back to last year.
Fantasy tip
The Bucs have had difficulty getting Mike Evans involved in the offense lately, but slot receiver Chris Godwin is off to a strong start with a touchdown reception in each of the team’s three games. He’s tied for third in the NFL with 21 catches and seventh in receiving yards with 253.
___
AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl
Copyright © 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, written or redistributed.
