The Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Philadelphia Eagles will meet this Sunday for the 25th time, and the stakes couldn't be higher as the two sides enter Week 4 with undefeated records.
With that being the case, Todd Bowles and the Bucs are taking no chances when it comes to preserving whatever edge they may have over the defending champions by enforcing strict limits on what the media in attendance is allowed to report on. According to Greg Auman of Fox Sports, the Tampa Bay media relations team is prohibiting reporters in attendance from mentioning anything about where players are practicing along the offensive line.
Bucs Trying to Keep Secrets from Eagles Shows They're Intimidated
Whether that is in an attempt to surprise Philadelphia with a scheme they haven't seen before, or something else altogether, is anyone's guess at this point. It does make one thing abundantly clear, though. Bowles and the Bucs are intimidated by the thought of the Eagles getting an edge on Tampa Bay's reshuffled offensive line.
After placing recent second-round picks Cody Mauch and Luke Goedeke on the injured reserve before Tampa's Week 3 matchup against the New York Jets, this Buccaneers offensive front is going to have Charlie Heck and Elijah Klein starting on the right side for the second straight week. These two made their first starts at right tackle and right guard, respectively, in Week 3. So, limiting information regarding their work during practice this week makes sense for Bowles and company.
There is also the matter of Tristan Wirfs and his availability for Sunday's game. The former first-round pick out of Iowa has yet to play in a game this season due to a knee issue, but was a limited participant in practice on Wednesday. As of this writing, Wirfs is listed as questionable, but there is hope that he could return to the lineup as soon as this weekend.
Going to these lengths to prevent the media from reporting on a specific area of the roster is something Tampa Bay's coaching staff has the right to do. Will it make any difference for their repackaged offensive line this Sunday when they host the Eagles? We'll find out the answer to that question soon enough.
One thing seems certain, though. Bowles and the Bucs are concerned about Philadelphia being tipped off on important information regarding the offensive line. Otherwise, there would be no need for the Bucs to take these steps.