Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. Philadelphia Eagles: 3 Keys to the Game
In what will be a rematch of Week 6 between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. Philadelphia Eagles, the two teams meet once again on Sunday. but this time with much higher stakes.
Welcome to Super Wild Card Weekend.
The Bucs escaped Philadelphia with a 28-22 win during the first meeting between these two teams, however, these teams have changed in a number of ways. For example, two key offensive players who caught touchdowns in that game -- Antonio Brown and Zach Ertz -- are no longer part of their respective teams.
With all of this in mind, here are three keys to the game for the Bucs to extend their season as they work towards repeating as Super Bowl champions:
1. Contain Jalen Hurts
Sure there are some differences between these two teams since they last met, as I mentioned above, but there is one playmaker who will determine the success of the Eagles. And that's quarterback Jalen Hurts.
While he's thrown for over 3,000 yards this season, the second-year pro out of Alabama is Philadelphia's leading rusher -- totaling 784 yards this season.
He also has found the endzone on his feet 10 times this year, which is tied for 6th in the entire NFL for rushing touchdowns.
Hurts is just 1 of 4 quarterbacks with at least 3,000 passing yards, 700 rushing yards, and 10 or more passing and rushing touchdowns in one season since 2000, joining Kyler Murray (2020), Cam Newton (2011), and Daunte Culpepper (2002).
Simply put, the Bucs will have to focus on containing Hurts or it's going to be a long afternoon for Tampa Bay's defense.
2. Try to Make DeVonta Smith a Non-Factor
When you check out who leads Philadelphia in receptions, receiving yards, and receiving touchdowns, there's only one name on top: rookie DeVonta Smith.
Smith broke the Eagles rookie franchise record by totaling 916 receiving yards, which is the 4th-most among rookies in 2021. He is ranked 4th among rookie wide receivers with 64 receptions.
Although the Eagles don't pass the ball nearly as much as the Bucs -- checking in at No. 25 in passing offense at 200 yards a game -- Smith is Hurts' top target when he does decide to throw the football.
In the regular-season finale vs. the Atlanta Falcons, Smith caught 6 passes for 71 yards and a touchdown so keeping him a non-factor on Sunday will be difficult but important for Tampa Bay.
3. Score More than 30 Points
This last key sounds about as obvious as "score more points than the other team," but hear me out.
Last year, the Bucs became the first team in NFL history to score at least 30 points in four consecutive playoff games within a single postseason in route to a Super Bowl LV championship.
If Tampa Bay scores at least 30 points against Philadelphia on Sunday, it will become the third team ever to score at least 30 points in five-or-more consecutive postseason games.
Scoring at least 30 points will likely be just enough to advance past the Eagles on Sunday too. Philadelphia has averaged 26 points a game this season.
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