Bucs v. Eagles: Tampa Bay defeats Philadelphia 32-9 in Wild Card matchup
Baker Mayfield #6 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers looks to throw a pass against the Philadelphia Eagles during the second quarter in the NFC Wild Card Playoffs at Raymond James Stadium on January 15, 2024 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty
TAMPA, Fla. - The Tampa Bay Buccaneers defeated the Philadelphia Eagles 32-9 on Monday night in a Wild Card weekend finale packed with intrigue and tight odds.
Raymond James in Tampa was packed with fans for the big game, which the oddmakers originally predicted the Bucs would lose.
It’s been a rocky season for QB Baker Mayfield and the crew, who squeaked into their fourth consecutive playoff appearance thanks to a less-than-inspiring 9-0 win over a 2-15 Panthers team in the final game of the regular season.
The Bucs though, seemed to be hitting their stride at the right time: winning five of their last six before the big win Monday night.
The opposite is true for the Eagles.
Philadelphia started the season flying high at 10-1, including a decisive Week 3 win over the Bucs at Raymond James Stadium, but as Tampa Bay turned things around in the final stretch, the Eagles dropped five of their last six and their chance to claim the NFC East.
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The Seminole Hard Rock had favored the Eagles with a 3-point spread and an over-under at 43.5. But with two injured quarterbacks and the potential of wet weather, it could be a challenge for these teams to put points on the board.
Key Injuries
There were major concerns at quarterback on both sides of the ball. Mayfield has been toughing through a rib injury and sustained an ankle injury last week in the final game of the regular season.
Eagles QB Jalen Hurts was expected to limited in the air considering he injured his throwing hand last week. Hurts dislocated his middle finger during an abysmal loss to the Giants and was limited in practice leading up to tonight's game.
Hurts was also be without one of his top targets. WR AJ Brown was ruled out for tonight with a knee injury.
Honoring Martin Luther King Jr.
The Bucs will also be hosting members of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s family at the game against the Eagles.
The team announced that Martin Luther King III, Arndrea Waters King and Yolanda Renee King will attend the Wild Card matchup as special guests. They will all be recognized as honorary Buccaneers team captains and will participate in the game's coin toss, the team said.