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Philadelphia Eagles may not have to face Jameis Winston in Week 2 due to suspension

By Dan Parzych

TAMPA, FL - DECEMBER 31: Quarterback Jameis Winston #3 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers runs for 17 yards during the first quarter of an NFL football game against the New Orleans Saints on December 31, 2017 at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Brian Blanco/Getty Images)
TAMPA, FL - DECEMBER 31: Quarterback Jameis Winston #3 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers runs for 17 yards during the first quarter of an NFL football game against the New Orleans Saints on December 31, 2017 at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Brian Blanco/Getty Images) /
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With a Week 2 meeting against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Philadelphia Eagles may not have to worry about facing Jameis Winston.

Heading into the 2018 NFL season, the Philadelphia Eagles will be facing a new kind of pressure since they will head into that opening game against the Atlanta Falcons with targets on their backs as one of the top teams to beat in the NFC.

As for the following week, the Eagles will hit the road for their first away game in 2018 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and while this may seem like a difficult matchup on paper, it looks like the defending Super Bowl champions may catch a break in regards to Jameis Winston.

Due to an incident with an Uber driver from March 2016, the NFL is expected to suspend Winston for the first three games of the 2018 season. While no official decision is set in stone at the moment, this doesn’t look good for the Buccaneers quarterback, but also could benefit the Eagles.

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If Winston is forced to miss those first three games, Philadelphia’s defense would most likely end up facing Ryan Fitzpatrick, which is a huge difference.

Despite how good he was a few years ago during a big season with the New York Jets in 2016, Fitzpatrick doesn’t seem like that much of a threat to the Eagles, and it would be a shock to see the veteran come through with a big game against Jim Schwartz‘s defense.

Football fans can say what they want about Winston’s immaturity, but it’s tough to deny the potential he’s shown over the last three years in the NFL.

The former No. 1 pick may have failed to get this offense to live up to the hype last season with a dynamic duo consisting of Mike Evans and DeSean Jackson, but many expected Winston to bounce back in 2018.

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While that may still very well end up happening, Winston and the Buccaneers could be at a major disadvantage if the quarterback is forced to miss those three games as a result of the suspension. At least for the Eagles, it doesn’t matter who the Buccaneers end up going with at quarterback that week since they will be prepared well enough to hopefully win that first road game of the new season.

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