Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports
Clemson Tigers in NFL Playoffs: Bucs Begin Quest to Defend Super Bowl Title Against Eagles
Can Tom Brady win another ring?
Tampa Bay begins its quest to win a second consecutive Super Bowl against the Philadelphia Eagles this weekend in the wildcard round of the NFL Playoffs.
When: Sunday at 1 p.m. (FOX)
Betting Line: Tampa Bay -8.5, with a total of 46, according to FanDuel.
How They Got Here
The second-seeded Buccaneers (9-8) punched their ticket to the playoffs with a 32-6 win over the Panthers in Week 16. The victory clinched the NFC South for Tampa Bay, giving them their first division title since 2007.
Unlike last season, when the Bucs won three playoff games on the road en route to a Super Bowl title, Tampa Bay will have the luxury of playing at home this weekend, where they are 7-1 this season.
The seventh-seeded Eagles (13-4) started the season 2-5, but bounced back to win six of their final eight games, clinching a spot in the playoffs in Week 17 with a 20-16 win over Washington. During the slow start, Philadelphia struggled to find an identity on offense before establishing themselves as one of the NFL's best rushing teams over the second half of the season.
First-year coach Nick Sirianni became just the fourth rookie head coach in league history to produce a winning season after starting 2-5 or worse through the first seven games.
Former Clemson Players
Bradley Pinion: After spending his first four years in the NFL with the 49ers, Pinion has spent the past three with Tampa Bay. The former Clemson punter is averaging 42.5 yards per punt and his touchback rate on kickoffs is currently at 79.8%.
K'Von Wallace: Things have not been easy for Wallace in his second season with the Eagles. He started just three games, registering 15 tackles, with one fumble recovery. His most extensive playing time came in the season-opening 32-6 upset win over the Falcons, in which Wallace logged 64 snaps.
A groin injury suffered in camp was just the beginning for Wallace. He also had a shoulder injury that forced him to spend four weeks on injured reserve and he did not play a single defensive snap from Week 8 until the regular-season finale against Dallas.
Deon Cain: The former Clemson wideout was signed to Philadelphia's practice squad back in October.
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