The Philadelphia Eagles are coming off an improbable victory over the Los Angeles Rams in Week 3. Now entering Week 4, it’s an Eagles vs. Buccaneers showdown for 2025, so let’s dive into the game preview.
Philadelphia Eagles vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers 2025 Game Preview
Last week, the Eagles were down 19 points in the third quarter, and it looked extremely bleak. The passing offense then went on to prove the doubters wrong, with A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith both scoring touchdowns to help with the comeback. While the offense was great in the second half, but most of the credit should go to Jordan Davis and Jalen Carter. Both blocked key field goals to help secure the victory for the Eagles.
Now, the team is 3-0 and heading to Tampa Bay, where they have historically struggled. Philadelphia is 1-4 in its last five games against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Last year’s game against the Buccaneers marked a turning point for the Eagles, following a 33-16 loss. Everything then changed from that point on, as Philly only lost one additional game from then, until the end of the season. Now that both teams are undefeated, this matchup could go a long way toward home-field advantage.
Next Man Up Mentality
Wednesday marked some big injury news for the Philadelphia Eagles. Nolan Smith was the biggest injury surprise, landing on injured reserve. He will be eligible to return in Week 10 when the Eagles face the Green Bay Packers. Other injuries include trade acquisition cornerback Jakorian Bennett, who landed on injured reserve as well; and Lane Johnson, who had to leave early against the Rams. It also doesn’t help that star linebacker Zack Baun was in a leg brace at practice and did not practice.
So, the Eagles may have to dip into the depth chart this Sunday. And depth was going to be important regardless, as the projected temperature for kickoff is 104 degrees.
Kelee Ringo will likely draw the start at outside cornerback across from Quinyon Mitchell. His job looks to be easier as Mike Evans will miss a few weeks with a hamstring injury. However, Chris Godwin will return after an ankle injury in Week 7 of 2024. It will be interesting to see how many snaps he plays in his return to game action. In his first game in nearly a year, he’s likely projected to see a snap-count in this contest. That makes a tough matchup even more challenging, given the Eagles’ struggles at the second outside cornerback position. Kelee Ringo will have the chance to shake off the rough offseason early in the year and stake his claim to be a starter.
Recent free agent signing Za’Darius Smith will have to take on an even bigger role than expected. Smith was highly effective in the win against the Chiefs. He did not have the same impact against the Rams, but still played well. Joshua Uche and Azeez Ojulari will likely see increased roles this week, too.
Keep the Momentum Rolling
Saquon Barkley had a quiet game last week, and it showed as the offense struggled to get anything done in the first half. The Rams keyed in on Barkley to ensure there was no repeat of last year’s performances. And it paid off until Kevin Patullo got the passing game going with Jalen Hurts. Tampa Bay will provide a similar test in Week 4.
The Buccaneers are currently allowing the sixth-fewest rushing yards in the league. However, passing yards is a different story, allowing the 14th-most. A. J. Brown will prove to be a massive factor in this matchup.
It would be encouraging for the offense to carry over their second-half passing performance into a game that fans are already pessimistic about. This Eagles offensive unit has not been able to string much together. That could be attributed to a lightning delay, Steve Spagnuolo, or just not being in rhythm. Either way, it would be nice to maintain that momentum and giving the team something to build on.
The Eagles’ estimated points added per play in the second half of the game against the Rams would be good for fifth in the entire league, putting them up against other teams’ totals. So, it looks like the Eagles might have figured something out. It would go a long way to see it again against the Buccaneers this week.
Final Thoughts
Going to 4-0 would be massive for the Philadelphia Eagles. The schedule does have challenging games remaining, but the first quarter of the year is the most difficult stretch for the team this season.
Tampa Bay has had the Eagles’ number for the past few years. And if they can make it through this one, it will go a long way towards playing at Lincoln Financial Field in January. The Eagles are 3.5-point favorites, and Philadelphia should squeeze out a tough victory in Tampa Bay. It will not be easy, but this Eagles team is still special, as we saw last week against the Rams. And doubting them at any point would be difficult until given reason to.
Discover more from The League Winners
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
