3 key matchups to watch during Buccaneers-Eagles

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers, despite a litany of injuries, have grinded their way to a 3-0 start to begin the 2025 NFL season. The task won't get any easier in Week 4, as the Buccaneers will need to overcome a dominant Philadelphia Eagles team that is coming off a Super Bowl victory and is also undefeated so far in 2025 if they hope to maintain their flawless record.

The Eagles roster is absolutely stacked on both sides of the ball, and if the Bucs are going to prevail in this matchup, they'll need several key players and coaches to win their matchups. Let's take a closer look at who those individuals are and what they'll need to do in order to help the Buccaneers secure a victory in a massive clash between two of the NFC's best teams.

Graham Barton vs. Jalen Carter

Graham Barton has been a savior for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers this season. Sliding over to play left tackle in place of Tristan Wirfs is no ordinary task, especially for a second-year player who just transitioned to becoming a center in the NFL as a rookie the year prior.

But Barton’s athleticism, intelligence and grit have allowed him to hold the fort down in Wirfs’ absence, and the Bucs are 3-0 (at least in part) because of it. Now, the assumption is that Barton will return to his natural center position to face the Eagles in Week 4, which will allow him to continue to build off a solid rookie season at the position he was drafted to play for the Bucs.

Unfortunately for Barton, it won’t get much easier with Jalen Carter lining up across from him. Carter is arguably the NFL’s best interior defensive lineman and an absolute game wrecker with the size, length and power that few others possess. Carter seems to get up for big games, and with two undefeated NFC teams looking to stay that way, it’s safe to assume that Carter will be bringing his best vs. Barton and the Bucs on Sunday.

Barton doesn’t need to dominate his matchup with Carter, but he does need to hold his own. If he can do that, it will help give Baker Mayfield the time he needs to facilitate offense for the Buccaneers, especially with so many key injuries on that side of the ball.

Baker Mayfield vs. Jalen Hurts

Baker Mayfield and Jalen Hurt — Jan 15, 2024; Tampa, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield (6) and Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts (1) meet on the field after a 2024 NFC wild card game at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

Since joining the Buccaneers two seasons ago, Baker Mayfield has not only reinvigorated the Buccaneers’ offense, but he’s reinvigorated his career. That being said, Mayfield doesn’t appear to be slowing down. In fact, he’s only getting better.

Through three games in 2025, despite having a depleted OL and WR room, Mayfield has continued to find the endzone with 6 TD passes. More importantly, though, he has yet to turn the ball over. Furthermore, Mayfield’s ability and willingness to pick up first downs with his legs have allowed him to lead game-winning drives in the final moments in each of the team’s first three contests to lead the Bucs to a 3-0 record.

Jalen Hurts is rock solid. He takes care of the football, he can always keep the defense honest with his legs and he has an infrastructure around him that is perfectly suited to his style of play. National pundits like to avoid including Hurts in their top QB rankings because he doesn’t always put up mind-numbing stats, but Hurts’ consistency and steady leadership have led his team all the way to the Super Bowl in two of the last three seasons, winning the big game in dominating fashion over the juggernaut Kansas City Chiefs last year.

Since Mayfield’s ascension, he and Hurts have been compared in similar QB tiers with regularity. Which of these two quarterbacks performs better on Sunday will not only spark some intriguing debate regarding who is the better quarterback, but more importantly, it will have a massive impact on which team comes away from this game still undefeated.

Josh Grizzard vs. Vic Fangio

Josh Grizzard has certainly made an impression in his first 3 games as an NFL playcaller. His scheme, sequencing, and play-calling have continued to build on the positive trend established by Liam Coen before him while also introducing new wrinkles that reflect his own philosophy. The results speak for themselves, and Grizzard has proven he has the ability to modify his game plan as needed, especially when it comes to adjusting protections to compensate for injuries along the OL — something that has been a huge challenge for the Buccaneers so far in 2025.

Vic Fangio is one of the NFL’s most respected defensive coaches. He is calculated, experienced and extremely diverse with his approach to calling an NFL defense. The fact that he has a bevy of weapons at his disposal has allowed him to really flourish since taking over the role of defensive coordinator in Philadelphia last season. Fangio helped the Eagles blossom into a top-tier defense in 2024, finishing the year as the number one team in total defense and the second-highest scoring defense in the league.

Fangio will present a huge challenge for Grizzard, who will need to get creative to facilitate opportunities for his offense that is without his best wide receiver and both his starting right guard and tackle. You better believe Fangio is going to attack these weaknesses on Sunday.

Grizzard doesn’t necessarily need to dominate the chess match that he will have with Fangio. If he can hold his own and put up some points against one of the league’s best defenses, it will not only show that he has what it takes to be a successful OC in the NFL but also help his team’s chances of securing what would be a massive victory early in the 2025 season.

Final Thoughts

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will have their hands full in Week 4, there's no doubt about it. But the Buccaneers have already shown great resilience this year, overcoming a ton of injuries to get to 3-0 early in the year. In order for Tampa Bay to upset the Super Bowl champs in this captivating matchup between two undefeated teams, they'll need to put together their gutsiest performance yet.

Stick with BucsGameday for more coverage of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers throughout the 2025 season.

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