ClutchPoints
For the fourth week in a row, the Philadelphia Eagles will put their undefeated streak on the line against an opponent fully committed to besting the reigning Super Bowl champions: the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Going toe-to-toe once more in what has seemingly become a yearly showdown, the Eagles and Buccaneers find themselves in very similar spots heading into Week 4, with a chance to test their respective mettle against another team they will almost certainly be playing in January.
Both teams are sitting atop their divisions, having already added a Week 1 win against one of their rivals. They are also led by a former Oklahoma quarterback with Pro Bowl pedigree, with Jalen Hurts learning under Lincoln Riley shortly after Baker Mayfield was drafted by the Cleveland Browns.
And most importantly of all, both teams are looking to silence the doubters around the NFL and prove why they should be favorites to return to the Super Bowl in the hopes of adding another banner to their respective stadiums.
Which team will maintain its winning streak and ride into October with a perfect record? Well, that will depend on who comes up with a better scheme to slow down the opposing offense, Vic Fangio or Todd Bowles, in what should shape up to be one of the most consequential games of the season.
After averaging 125.3 yards per game in 2024 on the way to his first-ever 2,000-yard rushing season, Saquon Barkley has seen his production take a dip in his second season in midnight green.
Now granted, part of this could be because every team the Eagles have faced so far this season has made slowing down Barkley their top priority. The Dallas Cowboys, Kansas City Chiefs, and Los Angeles Rams all loaded up bodies around the line of scrimmage to discourage runs and provided support over the top to guarantee that even if No. 26 broke into the second level, he wouldn’t be landing on SportsCenter at their expense.
And yet, part of it is on Barkley too, as he’s simply not making those magical plays that have come to be expected from the Penn State product, with his 64.7 yards per game average his lowest mark since 2021.
In 2024, Barkley had a good but not great game against the Buccaneers, recording 84 yards on ten carries in a game without AJ Brown or DeVonta Smith, but will he finally break into triple digits and look like his signature self?
Considering Bowles will be running the show as Tampa Bay’s de facto defensive coordinator, it’s hard to imagine that will happen in Week 4.
Through three weeks, the Buccaneers have allowed just the sixth-most rushing yards of the year at 252, with their 3.6 yards per rush allowed the fifth-best mark in the NFL. While the team did just lose Calijah Kancey to a torn pectoral muscle, which could keep him out of action for the majority of...
