Playoff familiars reunite in Tampa Bay as the Eagles commence their gauntlet through the NFC as the No. 5 seed against the NFC South champion Buccaneers.
Once upon a time, these teams met in three consecutive postseasons. From 2000 through 2002, the Bucs lost twice to the Eagles in successive Wild Card rounds (2000, 2001) and downed Andy Reid’s squad in the 2002 NFC Championship (the second of three NFC runner-up finishes the Eagles would record during this time) to eventually win Super Bowl 37. These teams were brought together again in the postseason after the 2021 season in what became Tom Brady’s final playoff victory.
In fact, it is quite the feeling of deja vu for these teams to compete on Monday Night Football, as they shared the Monday night spotlight back in Week 3 of this season. On that evening, the Bucs had quite the pedestrian outing on both sides of the ball as the Eagles ultimately claimed the victory, 25-11. What we have seen in the three months since from both clubs makes this game a potential upset alert, as the Eagles completed their collapse from a 10-1 start in the finale against the Giants, while the Bucs turned a 4-7 start into their third consecutive NFC South title.
Refresh your memory on what happened during the Eagles’ last win over Tampa Bay:
Game Info
Date: Monday, Jan. 15, 2024
Start time: 8:20 p.m. ET
Location: Tampa, Fla.
Stadium: Raymond James Stadium
TV Info: ESPN, ABC, NFL+
Click here for more Wild Card game previews.
Betting Odds
Odds courtesy of DraftKings.
Point Spread: TB +3 (-118), PHI -3 (-102)
Moneyline: TB (+130), PHI (-155)
Over/Under: O/U 44 (-110)
Tampa Bay enters as a narrow underdog at home but has momentum after a 5-1 finish to their season.
What To Watch For
Eagles fans wish their team didn’t fall apart through December and into January. What would have appeared to be the inside track to NFC home-field advantage — or, at worst, the No. 2 seed — fell to ashes as the Eagles’ 1-5 finish to the season will force them to play no less than two road playoff games to make it back to the Super Bowl.
Nick Sirianni’s squad has to focus on the task at hand and could even take a page from Tampa Bay’s 2020 Super Bowl run in which Tom Brady led the Buccaneers to three consecutive road wins and an eventual world title.
Todd Bowles’s unit might have the advantage considering the amount of momentum they carry going into this game. If Tampa can capitalize on early mistakes, of which Philadelphia had many in the final six weeks, they may just be able to give their fans a home playoff victory.
Main Image Credit:
