Bucs vs. Eagles: Pewter Predictions For Week 3

BUCS vs. EAGLES

WHEN: Monday, September 15, 2023 | WHERE: Raymond James Stadium | KICKOFF: 7:15 p.m. ET | TV: ESPN

PLAY-BY-PLAY: Joe Buck | ANALYST: Troy Aikman | SIDELINE: Lisa Salters | OFFICIATING ANALYST: John Parry

RADIO: 98 ROCK 97.9 FM | PLAY-BY-PLAY: Gene Deckerhoff | ANALYST: Dave Moore | SIDELINE: T.J. Rives

Game day is approaching, and it’s time for the Pewter Report staff to make its weekly game predictions and offer up our game preview of this week’s matchup. Let us know what you think in the article comments section and add your prediction, too.

Scott Reynolds: Bucs Aren’t Ready To Topple An NFC Power Just Yet

I want to pick the Buccaneers because I believe in this team. I picked Tampa Bay to have a winning record this season. In years past I’ve let the excitement and build up about prime time games in Tampa Bay cloud my judgement. The 30-27 loss to Pittsburgh on Monday Night Football in 2018 comes to mind. I picked the Bucs to win, but that was the night the FitzMagic ended. In 2020 I picked the Bucs to finally beat the Saints, but they kicked Tampa Bay’s ass, 38-3, on Sunday Night Football instead and continued their dominance over this team.

I think the Bucs can beat the Eagles, but everything has to go right for the men in red, white and pewter. Tampa Bay has to continue to play turnover-free football on offense and continue to take the ball away on defense. That’s a lot to ask for a team that has talent, but not as much as much talent as the defending NFC champions do. Baker Mayfield needs to be protected at all costs and will need big games from both Mike Evans and Chris Godwin, as it will be a real challenge for the Bucs to run the ball against the league’s top-rated run defense.

This game will be decided in the trenches. The Bucs defensive line stacks up better against the Eagles offensive line than Tampa Bay’s offensive line stacks up against Philadelphia’s defensive line. The Eagles have seven first-round picks in defensive tackles Fletcher Cox, Jordan Davis and Jalen Carter, and edge rushers Brandon Graham, Derek Barnett, Haason Reddick and Nolan Smith. That’s an awfully impressive two-deep, and that will give the edge to the Eagles in the end. I hope I’m wrong, but I just don’t think this Bucs team is ready to beat such a formidable opponent just yet.

REYNOLDS’ GAME PREDICTION: Eagles 24, Bucs 17
REYNOLDS’ SEASON RECORD: 2-0

Matt Matera: Defense Helps Bucs Stay In It, But Fall Late In The Game

There isn’t a better stage for the Bucs to prove so many wrong than the bright lights of Monday night football. Funny enough, this is the only matchup out of the entire slate of games this week that features two 2-0 teams against each other. The Bucs have been good, but not great, although have exceeded many (not our’s) expectations. The Eagles on the other hand haven’t found their groove just yet and have managed to win in the first two weeks.

It all comes down to the trenches in this game. The Bucs’ offensive line got warmups against the Vikings and Bears, but this is a completely different test. Tampa Bay will be matched by Philadelphia’s speed and physicality. While I trust Tristan Wirfs, I don’t know how the young guys in Robert Hainsey, Cody Mauch and Luke Goedeke will manage. The Eagles bring their lineman in waves. Even their backups would be starters in other places. Running the ball is important for the Bucs, but I don’t see much room for Rachaad White. Offensive Coordinator Dave Canales will have to get more creative than usual.

Last week they had a successful end-around run with Deven Thompkins, I expect those types of different rushing plays to keep the Eagles off guard and throw caution to the wind. It wouldn’t help Tampa Bay to throw it all game, but if they have to, they can exploit the middle of the field as the Eagles are injured in the secondary. Chris Godwin has been great outside, although for this game plan I’d like to see him in the slot a bit more.

In order for the Bucs to stay in this game, it’s going to keep from the defense. This is the toughest offense they’ll face yet, with talent everywhere. The first order of business is stopping the run. Vita Vea, who’s dominated early in the season, needs to continue his run. He can be a game wrecker and mess up any plans that the Eagles had. Quarterback Jalen Hurts has great mobility and is a fine passer, but you rather have him doing the latter.

That still means it’s important for the secondary to keep it together against A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith. We’ll see if Carlton Davis is available, but his presence would go a long way. The Eagles have had their struggles and the Bucs hope that continues. It’s just a matter of what they do upfront if they can get pressure on the edge. I think the Bucs’ defense keeps them in the game well into the fourth quarter, but the Eagles come up with the big play late in the game to win it.

MATERA’S GAME PREDICTION: Eagles 20, Bucs 14
MATERA’S SEASON RECORD: 1-1

Bailey Adams: The Bucs Just Aren’t Up To The Eagles’ Level (Yet?)

This feels like a wakeup call for the 2-0 Bucs. They have beaten two teams with a combined record of 0-4 so far this season, and now they’re facing the class of the NFC. It wouldn’t be a shock to see the Eagles return to the Super Bowl again this year. But I really do believe the Bucs have more of a chance to win this game than many might think.

Tampa Bay’s winning recipe has involved stopping the run, getting after the quarterback and generating takeaways on defense in addition to protecting the ball and playing complementary football on offense. That recipe translates, but it’s harder to execute against a team like Philadelphia.

The Bucs defense has the guys to match up and contain Jalen Hurts and the Eagles offense, though the pass rush will have its hands full with Philly’s elite offensive line. Still, there’s the potential for Todd Bowles’ unit to keep Hurts and Co. in the 21-24 point range.

Where I have more concerns is with the Bucs’ offense matching up against the Eagles’ defense. I don’t think this offensive line is quite to the point where it will be able to deal with this formidable group of Eagles pass rushers. I think that’ll really limit what the likes of Baker Mayfield, Mike Evans, Chris Godwin and Rachaad White can do.

The way I look at it, the Buccaneer defense would have to really bring it and hold the Eagles to 21 points or fewer in order to win this one. It would have to be a 24-21 or 21-17 game. I don’t quite see that coming to fruition for Tampa Bay, which could struggle offensively under the lights.

ADAMS’ GAME PREDICTION: Eagles 28, Bucs 17
ADAMS’ SEASON RECORD: 2-0

Josh Queipo: Bucs Can’t Hang With More Talented Opponent

The national narrative on the Bucs is starting to change. And it should. The team is much better than the lowly outlooks most pundits placed on them. But they are still facing the reigning NFC champs who feature one of the best offensive and defensive lines in all of football. And while the Bucs have shown promise from both of their trench fronts through two games, they also haven’t faced opponents as stacked in the middle yet. There will be a recalibration of just how good Tampa Bay is during this game.

Baker Mayfield has been a “Teflon Don” avoiding would-be sacks through two weeks, but that prowess is unsustainable and likely corrects itself on Monday Night Football. The Eagles match up well with the Bucs in almost every facet of matchups while the Bucs matchup well in really just one (Bucs receivers vs. Eagles secondary). The results are likely to show the Bucs are better than most thought, but still not the class of the NFC.

QUEIPO’S GAME PREDICTION: Bucs 20, Eagles 27
QUEIPO’S SEASON RECORD: 2-0

Adam Slivon: Bucs Fly Just Short Of Catching The Soaring Eagles

After starting the season 2-0, the Bucs face a mighty foe in an Eagles team that is also 2-0 and finished last season with a 14-3 regular season record and fell just short of beating the Chiefs in Super Bowl LVII.

While the Bucs have impressed with their ability to play complementary football, facing one of the top contenders for the Lombardi trophy is where I believe they will enter the loss column for the first time. 

The Eagles have plenty of talent on both sides of the ball, starting on offense with quarterback Jalen Hurts. Tampa Bay kept Justin Fields from running rampant against them last week but Hurts is more of a complete signal caller who can win games with his arm just as much as his legs. He demonstrated his efficiency last year as an emerging MVP candidate and he is aided by having two 1,000-yard receivers in A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith along with Dallas Goedert, who has had a slow start so far but remains one of the better tight ends in football.

The Bucs can “hurt” Hurts’ ability to take over – if they can meet him in the backfield. The Eagles’ offensive line is stout and has three of the best at their positions in Jordan Mailata, Jason Kelce, and Lane Johnson. Todd Bowles’ defense will need a repeat performance of bringing down Fields last week (six sacks, two interceptions) to have any chance at stopping Philadelphia’s potent offense. 

Defensively, the Eagles have one of the best units in the NFL. Baker Mayfield has gotten off to a better start than anyone expected as the Bucs’ quarterback, but he will need every ounce of Mayfield Magic to move the ball. Up front, Tampa Bay’s offensive line has kept Mayfield mostly upright and he has shown the ability to evade pass rushers. 

The only problem is – Mayfield will have to do a lot of evading Monday night against the Eagles’ front seven.

Haason Reddick leads the charge, recording 39.5 sacks and 13 forced fumbles over the past three seasons. He is joined by Jalen Carter, Jordan Davis, Josh Sweat, Fletcher Cox, Brandon Graham, and others. The game will come down to how successful Mayfield is getting the ball to Mike Evans and Chris Godwin and how open they get facing a secondary led by Darius Slay, one of the game’s best shutdown corners. 

While many do not expect the Bucs to come out with a win in their primetime bout, they should be able to land some big blows and keep the fight interesting. To emerge victorious, Tampa Bay will have to absorb plenty of punches and channel a Rocky Balboa-esque level of resilience in the final rounds. Ultimately, it will take more training to bring down this challenger.

SLIVON’S GAME PREDICTION: Eagles 28, Bucs 20
SLIVON’S SEASON RECORD: 2-0