On Pattison Picks: Without Star Wideouts, Can Eagles Beat Bucs?

When the Tampa Bay Buccaneers defeated the Eagles 32-9 in the NFC Wild Card Round last season, Philadelphia was without their top wide receiver in A.J. Brown. 

The Eagles will return to Raymond James Stadium Sunday, and will again be without Brown, who is missing his third consecutive game with a hamstring injury. This time, DeVonta Smith also won't be in the lineup for the Eagles, as he was concussed during the Week 3 win over the New Orleans Saints. 

So it goes without saying that Jalen Hurts will have quite a bit of pressure on him Sunday. As will Saquon Barkley, who joined the Eagles since the last matchup with the Buccaneers and has rushed for an NFL-high 351 yards through his first three games in Midnight Green. 

Baker Mayfield and the Buccaneers have an edge, and like the Eagles, they are off to a 2-1 start. The Eagles are currently one-point favorites, but this game is essentially a tossup. 

Here are picks from our On Pattison staffers on how they believe things will play out in Week 4. 

Tim Kelly

Score: Bucs 19, Eagles 13

Game MVP: Bucky Irving

With A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith, the Eagles are thin on overall receiver depth since they've poured so many resources into those two. Without them both, Dallas Goedert might need to go for 200 receiving yards this week for the Eagles to escape Tampa with a win. I think this game will be pretty similar to last week, except this time the Eagles don't pull out the win late. 

Kyle Scott

Score: Eagles 32, Bucs 12

Game MVP: Jalen Hurts

The Eagles will be landing in a seaplane, presumably on Saturday. There might not be anything left in Tampa after Helene moves through, which will be the case for the city’s football team when the Birds come to town and spoil the Tom Brady return game by demolishing Tampa and reasserting their dominance, at least for the time being, in the NFC.

We’ve elevated WRs Parris Campbell and John Ross from the practice squad for tomorrow’s game, and we’ve downgraded WR A.J. Brown's (hamstring) and LB Devin White's (personal) game status to Out. pic.twitter.com/oK0FPbx0Pz

— Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) September 28, 2024

Anthony SanFilippo

Score: Bucs 23, Eagles 20

Game MVP: Mike Evans

One of these weeks, I’ll get this right… Look, the Eagles defense was better. But the Saints had to adjust to losing the captain of their offensive line in-game, which impacted their game plan. I’m also not a believer yet in what the coach and QB are selling. I know the Eagles are seeking revenge for the playoffs, but it’s supposed to be pushing 100 degrees Sunday in Tampa. The Bucs are used to that. The Birds? Not so much. And, it’s likely that there will be some extra emotion for the Bucs after the hurricane did so much damage to their community. I got nothing else to go on with an 0-3 record so far… so, yeah, this is now like your dog picking the college basketball tournament.

John Foley

Score: Eagles 17, Bucs 14

Game MVP: Saquon Barkley

To be honest, this game feels like a total crapshoot. The Eagles will play without DeVonta Smith and A.J. Brown. It’s expected to feel like 99 degrees in Tampa, with heavy wind gusts and possible thunderstorms. It’s a recipe for a weird, low-scoring, messy game. So I’ll take the Birds, the team with the best running back on the field.

Austin Krell

Score: Eagles 31, Bucs 27

Game MVP: Saquon Barkley

The war of attrition actually somehow favors the Eagles this week, despite them ostensibly being down checks notes A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith. But, things are simply worse for the Bucs. From a human standpoint, I can’t imagine it’s easy to concentrate solely on playing football if you’re representing Tampa Bay this week. Not only are they banged up, but those who are healthy might have their minds on other more pressing issues. Control the game with Saquon, go into the bye 3-1.