Eagles Will Have Something They Didn't Have In Last Year's Loss To Tampa

PHILADELPHIA – The Buccaneers Cove inside Raymond James Stadium has a 103-foot replica pirate ship that fires a cannon after each touchdown. So, it should help the Eagles to fight back with its weaponry available on Sunday in Week 4’s matchup of unbeaten teams.

Receivers A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith are healthy. Right tackle Lane Johnson was limited in Thursday’s practice with a stinger form the Rams game but is trending toward playing. All three missed last year’s game, leaving Fred Johnson to play right tackle and players such as Parris Campbell, John Ross, and Jack Stoll to catch passes from Jalen Hurts.

It didn’t work. The Eagles to grilled under a baking sun, 33-16, unable to come back from a 24-0 hole they had dug themselves in the first half.

“It definitely helps (to have those three back),” said center Cam Jurgens. “You wanna bring weapons to a fight. They got that big ship down there and that cannon goes off all the damn time. Let’s hope we have our weapons with us.”

The Eagles are trying to beat a third straight division winner from last year – already taking out the Chiefs and Rams in back-to-back weeks.

The Bucs have lived on the edge this season, becoming the first team in the Super Bowl era (since 1966) to record a game-winning sore in the final minute of the fourth quarter in each of three games.

They could reverse that trend against an Eagles team that is 1-3 in three years at Raymond James Stadium and 1-4 with Nick Sirianni as the head coach.

A.J. Brown Could Turn Tide In Eagles' Favor

“I don't care,” said Brown when informed of the recent history. “It ain't got nothing to do with me. It's in the past. You can't live in the past. Even though we talk about the Super Bowl, like that's over with.

“Those are just worries at the end of the day. We have a job to go out there and do it. I don't care about the conditions or anything like that. We gotta play fast and play our style of football. What's done in the past is done.”

Brown didn’t play in the Bucs’ 32-9 romp over the Eagles in the playoffs during the 2023 season, but he played in the matchup between the two teams during the regular season, catching nine passes for 131 yards in a 25-11 Eagles win. He also didn’t play in the playoff game in Tampa in 2022 because he hadn’t been traded from the Titans, yet.

The common denominator is that the Eagles have won the only game Brown played in during this streak under Sirianni. The last time the Eagles hosted the Bucs was in 2021, but they lost that game, too, 28-24.

“I mean, the record’s the record,” said Jurgens. “The last few years. I’ve been down there when we won, I’ve been down there when we lost. I feel like I haven’t played them at home at all.”

More NFL: Eagles Linebacker Duo Growing Into A Force, Look Ready To Go Vs. Buccaneers