The Philadelphia Eagles are 3-0 and the path to getting there hasn’t been easy.
The Birds needed to beat the Dallas Cowboys (who might be not be great but, hey, division rival game), the Kansas City Chiefs (in Arrowhead), and the Los Angeles Rams (thanks to a major comeback effort).
Things don’t get any less difficult for the Eagles in Week 4. To remain undefeated, they’ll need to beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Florida.
The Bucs are also 3-0 after beating the Atlanta Falcons, Houston Texans, and New York Jets. And with each result coming in dramatic fashion:
Perhaps they won’t be so lucky against the Eagles?
Maybe. But it’s tough to count on the Birds beating this Bucs team that they’ve really struggled with since the Nick Sirianni and Jalen Hurts era began in 2021.
Over the last four seasons, the Eagles are 1-4 in five games (including two playoff meetings) against Tampa. The worst loss of the Eagles’ otherwise mostly stellar Super Bowl LIX season came to the Bucs in a Week 4 game last year where the Birds were absolutely dominated. They lost by “only” 17 points but they were outgained by 218 yards and never were a serious threat to win the game.
Of course, the Eagles were short-handed in that loss. A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith, and Lane Johnson were all inactive for that game. That won’t be the case this time around.
Instead, it’s the Bucs who appear to be banged up. Mike Evans suffered a hamstring injury in Week 3 that bears monitoring. Tampa placed starting right tackle Luke Goedeke, starting interior lineman Cody Mauch, and starting defensive lineman Calijah Kancey on injured reserve last week.
It looks like the Bucs will be getting some reinforcements. Starting left tackle Tristan Wirfs and starting wide receiver Chris Godwin are reportedly slated to return against the Eagles. So, that’s a big deal if that’s truly the case.
Nevertheless, it’s the Eagles who are favored to win this game. They’re actually three-point road favorites (via FanDuel), which might come as a surprise.
It’s pretty hard to bet against the Birds, though. They’re now 17-0 in the last 17 games that Jalen Hurts has started and finished.
If there’s anyone primed to stop the Eagles’ quarterback, it could be Todd Bowles. (That is, if it’s not already the Eagles’ own coaching staff keeping Hurts’ straitjacket on). The Bucs’ head coach has played a significant role in limiting Hurts in the past.
And so it should be another good, hard-fought game for the Eagles in Week 4. That they’re favored on the road seems like a good sign for them.
What say you?
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