The Eagles’ first-round opponent is set. They will be heading to Tampa Bay to take on the Buccaneers. The date and time of the game has yet to be announced.
Here are nine initial thoughts on the Eagles matchup against the Buccaneers:
Tom Brady: There is no sugarcoating it. Getting Tom Brady in the first round is a tough matchup. Brady is the best playoff quarterback of all time, and if you are concerned about the Eagles’ defense against good quarterbacks, Brady is likely the one you see in your head picking apart Jonathan Gannon’s defense one easy pass at a time. Brady has been to the playoffs 18 times in his career. He’s only been one-and-done in three of those years. Tampa Bay has issues, and they are beatable, but Brady alone is reason for the Eagles to be underdogs.
Rematch: The Eagles lost to Tampa Bay, 28-22, all the way back in Week 6. Don’t let the final score fool you — the game was not that competitive. The Eagles were behind 28-7 at one point in the third quarter before scoring 15 straight points late to make things a little interesting. The good news for the Eagles is that both teams are now very different than the ones that played that night. The Eagles that lost to the Buccaneers that night had their running backs carry it only nine times, and had 19 total runs overall including Jalen Hurts. Now, they are arguably the best running team in the NFL. Their defense and passing game have improved as well. The Buccaneers, on the other hand, are without Antonio Brown and Chris Godwin. They are also dealing with injuries to Leonard Fournette, who had 81 yards and two touchdowns in the team’s first matchup. Add in that it is hard to beat a team twice in one season and the rematch seems to favor the Eagles.
Injuries: The Buccaneers are dealing with some injuries to key players at key positions. Running backs Ronald Jones (ankle) and Leonard Fournette (hamstring) are both out on Sunday. Fournette has been on injured reserve since Week 16. Linebacker Shaq Barrett (knee) and pass rusher Jason Pierre-Paul (shoulder) have missed the last two games. Center Ryan Jensen is dealing with a shoulder injury. After dealing with so many injuries the last two seasons, the Eagles enter this game the far healthier team.
Playoff Experience: Experience matters in the playoffs, especially at head coach and quarterback. The Buccaneers have the major advantage in that department, with head coach Bruce Arians coaching seven games in the postseason, including a trip all the way to the Super Bowl. Brady has played 45 games in the postseason, which is over twice as many games as Hurts has started in his career. The Eagles head coach/quarterback duo of Nick Sirianni and Jalen Hurts having zero playoff experience against Arians and Brady is certainly a concern.
Buccaneers Offensive Line: The Rams have the No. 2 pass-blocking offensive line in the NFL according to Pro Football Focus. The Eagles high-priced defensive line is going to struggled to get pressure even if they play their best — if they don’t have their best game it could be a very long game for the Eagles’ secondary.
Jonathan Gannon: There is a strong argument to be made that Gannon has the most pressure on him of anyone on the Eagles. The defensive coordinator got off to a terrible start this season against quality offenses, and then finished up the season by dominating bad offenses. While the defense has helped carry the Eagles to the playoffs, many have brushed aside the accomplishments by waiting to see the defense against a good offense. Well, Gannon gets his chance now against Brady. The Eagles held the Buccaneers to 28 points in first matchup, which was actually the sixth lowest total of the season for Tampa Bay. A realistic number that would give the Eagles a chance to win? 25 points. That should be the goal for Gannon’s defense.
Tampa Bay Defense: The Buccaneers defense is good, not great. They entered Sunday’s game tied for 8th in points allowed on the season, giving up an average of just 21.0 per game. They don’t get lit up often, giving up over 25 points just six times this season. The injuries they are dealing with on defense, especially to Barrett and Pierre-Paul, could be big.
Run Defense: Tampa Bay’s strong rushing defense might be a bit misleading. The Buccaneers are 3rd in the NFL in rushing yards allowed per game, but just 16th in yards-per-carry allowed — the far better indicator of how good a run defense is. They also haven’t played a quarterback all season that is a legit threat in the running game outside of their matchup with Hurts, who had two touchdowns the last time they played. The Eagles should be able to run the ball against Tampa Bay.
Buccaneers trending down?: Ignore the Eagles’ loss on Saturday night. This arrow on the Eagles is pointing up heading into this playoff game, winning six of their previous even games prior to their backups losing to the Cowboys. The Buccaneers are winning as well, but they are not the dominant team they were early on in the season. They lost 9-0 against New Orleans. They almost lost to the New York Jets. They watched Antonio Brown tear off his uniform and run off the sideline. They are extremely banged up. The Buccaneers are good — but this might be the right time to get them.
You can reach Eliot Shorr-Parks on Twitter at @EliotShorrParks or email him at esp@94wip.com!