TAMPA, Fla. — The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are off to one of the most surprising 2-0 starts in the NFL. But the Bucs will see its biggest test on Monday Night Football when the Philadelphia Eagles come to town.
The Eagles are the class of the NFC, and Tampa Bay will be measured by how well they play Monday night's game against Philly.
Quarterback Jalen Hurts leads the Eagles two-headed offensive attack and is coming off a season where he finished second in the NFL MVP balloting. This season, Hurts has picked up where he left off last season, completing 71.4% of his passes while also adding 36 rushing yards per game.
When Hurts throws it, he has two of the NFL's best wide receivers in the field, A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith. The latter already has two receiving touchdowns on the season, while the former is averaging nearly 10 yards per reception this season.
And while the offense can put up points, it's the defense that is giving opposing quarterbacks and offensive coordinators nightmares.
The Eagles' pair of defensive tackles, Jordan Davis and Jalen Carter, have been wreaking havoc in 2023. They've combined for 2.5 sacks in two games and are the catalysts of the NFL's top-ranked rush defense.
All of that is what faces a Bucs offense that has been surprising even the most die-hard Bucs fans.
Led by journeyman quarterback and former first overall pick Baker Mayfield, the Bucs have run off two victories over NFC North teams, including a 3-point win in Minnesota to start the season.
Mayfield has completed nearly 70% of his passes this season while throwing for 490 yards, 3 touchdowns, and zero interceptions. The last number is key for a team that does not have the overall talent the Eagles do this year.
When Mayfield puts the ball in the air, just like Philadelphia, he has two of the league's best receivers. Veterans Mike Evans and Chris Godwin have combined to make 22 catches for 346 yards and two touchdowns in just two games.
Evans has been especially dangerous and is averaging 118.5 receiving yards per game.
If the Dolphins run the ball, which is going to be incredibly tough against Philly, Rachaad White and Mayfield have carried the lion's share of the runs. White is averaging 56 rushing yards per game on 17 attempts per. He's also added 7 catches for 40 yards in the first two games.
Defensively, Tampa Bay has the 4th ranked run defense in yards and is also ranked fourth in interceptions on the young season.
Complicating matters for the Bucs is the injury bug that has already hit the defense. Rookie first-round pick Calijah Kancey has already been ruled out for Monday night's game, along with linebacker SirVocea Dennis.
Cornerback Carlton Davis, defensive tackle Vita Vea, and linebacker Devin White were also listed as questionable for the Eagles game. Losing any or all of those three could leave the Bucs with gaping holes at all three levels of the defense.
The Eagles are five-point favorites over the Bucs, according to the latest odds from Las Vegas. With a game time of 7:15 p.m., the teams may also be dealing with the elements, as rain and possible thunderstorms are possible in the hours leading up to kickoff.
In the team's last five games, Tampa has won four times, with the last victory by the Eagles coming in 2013, nearly ten years ago. The Bucs also hold the all-time lead in the series with 11 victories to Philly's 10.
The game can ONLY be seen on ABC Action News Monday night, with coverage starting at 7 p.m. After the game, stay with ABC Action News for a post-game special and then for ABC Action News at 11 p.m.
