With a record of 3-0, the Philadelphia Eagles’ Super Bowl defense is off to a great start. The Eagles first three games haven’t been easy with a win over a hungry divisional rival and two playoff contenders. But Philadelphia’s biggest test could come with a Week 4 trip to visit the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
The Eagles have lost in three of their past four trips to Tampa Bay and will face a Buccaneers team that has also started the season with three straight wins. While beating the Bucs will be a tall task, the Eagles are already showing how serious they’re taking the matchup with NBC Sports Philadelphia’s John Clark reporting that Philadelphia will arrive to Tampa a day early in order to prepare for the game.
Eagles Look to Buck Recent Trend By Arriving to Tampa Bay Early for Week 4 Showdown
Clark noted that the Eagles' change is an effort to acclimate to the heat in central Florida. In addition to arriving early, the Eagles may plan to have a workout in Tampa on Saturday afternoon, getting Nick Sirianni’s team ready for what could be a pivotal NFC showdown.
The Buccaneers have had plenty of recent success against the Eagles, winning six of their past seven matchups. But Tampa Bay has had an advantage at home beginning with a 27-21 win in Sept. of 2018.
The Bucs scored a 31-15 win over Tampa Bay in an NFC Wild Card Game in Sirianni’s first year before Philadelphia returned the favor with a 25-11 win in 2023. But Tampa has won the last two meetings, including a 32-9 win in a 2023 Wild Card Game and a 33-16 matchup during the 2024 season.
It’s also worth noting that temperatures are expected to hover around 90 degrees in Tampa this week with Sunday’s high currently forecasted at 88 degrees. It’s not quite the same as Philadelphia, which has a forecasted high of 79 degrees on Sunday and could have an affect on the game.
In the end, this is Sirianni’s way of having one less thing to deal with. The Eagles’ offense has been a point of contention through the first three games and Philadelphia fell into a 26-7 hole early in the third quarter before storming back for a 33-26 victory over the Los Angeles Rams last week.
If getting used to the heat before going to Tampa helps, it’s best for the Eagles to do it and figure out the other issues that could derail their title defense.