The final game of the wildcard weekend in the National Football League features the Philadelphia Eagles on the road at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. This is the game between the 4 seed and 5 seed in the NFC. Philadelphia comes into the game with an 11-5 record. The Eagles finished second in the NFC East after losing five of their final sox games on the season. Philadelphia lost their season finale on the road at the Giants.
For Tampa Bay, they are the NFC South Champions for the third straight season. The Buccaneers are 9-8 after shutting out Carolina in their Week 18 tilt. The Buccaneers are the home team, as divisional winners.
The Philadelphia Eagles are -3 in this game on the road. The total for this affair is listed at 43.5 points.
Philadelphia Looking for Answers
The Philadelphia Eagles, reigning NFC Champions, are fighting through a 1-5 finish to their season, with concerns about getting back on track. During this losing streak, the Eagles conceded 42, 33, 20, 35, and 27 points in five of their six defeats. The Eagles know their defense must elevate its performance if they want to return to the Super Bowl.
Jalen Hurts becomes an unstoppable force when the “tush push” is called for the Philadelphia offense. The quarterback recorded an impressive 15 rushing touchdowns during the season. Additionally, he threw for 23 touchdowns and 15 interceptions. AJ Brown emerged as Hurts’ primary target in the passing game, with 106 receptions and 1,456 yards.
Despite the late-season struggles, the Eagles still finished in the Top 10 for both rushing yards per game and scoring. Their ground game averaged 128.8 yards per game, contributing to a scoring average of 25.5 points per game. DeAndre Swift led the charge in the running game, accumulating 1,049 yards.
Mayfield Running Tampa Offense
In Tampa Bay, Baker Mayfield had a solid first season as the starting quarterback. Establishing a big time connection with Mike Evans, who tallied 13 touchdown receptions, Mayfield completed the season with 28 passing touchdowns and 10 interceptions. Chris Godwin was another big time target, finishing the season with 83 receptions.
Rachaad White assumed the starting running back role for Tampa Bay, closing in on 1,000 rushing yards and adding 549 yards through the air. The Buccaneers finished out December with a 4-1 record, suffering their lone loss on New Year’s Eve to New Orleans. Notably, Tampa Bay’s defense tightened up, allowing a mere 13 points per game in their final three victories over Green Bay, Jacksonville, and Carolina.
Buccaneers Eliminate Eagles
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have been sneaky all season. Many have dismissed them, but Todd Bowels continues to have his team ready to play. Baker Mayfield has done a nice job for the Buccaneers under center. Nick Siriani and his staff are at a complete loss as to what to do with the Eagles bunch. Look for more lost play. Mayfield and Evans torch the Philadelphia defense, and the Eagles get eliminated. Take the Tampa Bay Buccaneers +3 at home over the Philadelphia Eagles on Monday Night.
