Eagles vs. Buccaneers: NFL experts make Week 6 picks
The Eagles and Buccaneers are now just hours away from matching up on Thursday night and the NFL experts have weighed in.
Can Jalen Hurts dual and go throw for throw with Tom Brady, while Jonathan Gannon works to slow down Tampa’s vaunted offensive personnel?
We predicted an upset before the season and we’re just as confident, but the experts don’t agree.
Philly Voice -- Buccaneers
Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Jimmy Kempski is rolling with Tampa Bay.
The Eagles have had to face a pair of the league’s elite offenses already this season in the Dallas Cowboys and the Kansas City Chiefs. In those two games, not including kneeldowns, the Birds allowed 11 TDs in just 18 possessions, and the Cowboys and Chiefs made it look easy.
They’ll face another elite offense on Thursday night. The Buccaneers employ the best player in NFL history, the best set of wide receivers in the NFL, and a very good offensive line. Unlike the Cowboys and the Chiefs, however, Tampa also has a suffocating defense.
There are good feelings in Philly once again after the Eagles were able to steal a win on the road against the banged-up Carolina Panthers, but reality will once again set in that the Eagles cannot hang with the best teams in the NFL.
The Inquirer -- Buccaneers
Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Dyer-USA TODAY Sports
The Inquirer likes Bucs big
The Eagles defense is a scrappy bunch. The veteran-led unit showed Sunday at Carolina it can still cause enough havoc to disrupt opposing quarterbacks. The Eagles pressured Sam Darnold with eight quarterback hits and three sacks, allowing the secondary to make plays on the back end. Tampa Bay’s offensive line presents a larger challenge, but the Eagles will have a fighting chance to disrupt the Bucs offense. A lot will depend on the battle in the trenches, and Javon Hargrave is playing like the best interior lineman in the league right now.
Nick Sirianni and Jalen Hurts have yet to find a sweet spot in the offense. Considering the early offensive struggles, it’s tough imagining this roster has enough firepower to keep pace with one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time.
Prediction: Bucs 33, Eagles 21
NJ.com -- Buccaneers
Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
All five of their writers are picking the Bucs.
The Eagles won a game they needed to win against Carolina last week. Unfortunately for them, they run into another juggernaut Super Bowl contender at home. The Eagles’ first-half home stretch is like a death by a thousand cuts, and the Bucs will bring their swords with them on Thursday. While the Bucs’ cornerback group can be thrown on, Tampa Bay’s receivers on the other side of the ball are just too much for this secondary. Oh, and Tom Brady throws them the ball.
PICK: Buccaneers 31, Eagles 27
NBC Sports Philadelphia -- Buccaneers
Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
All four of their writers are predicting an Eagles’ loss.
Tom Brady is 44 years old with a bruised thumb on his passing hand and he will be playing on the road on a short week. So how effective can he be? Answer: As effective as he needs to be. He is Tom Brady. He’s not a quarterback, he’s a cyborg.
He won six Super Bowls with New England then signed with Tampa Bay last year and won a seventh. He has won 268 games, including post-season, and last week he threw for 411 yards and five touchdowns against Miami. In other words, this ain’t Sam Darnold the Eagles are playing this week.
The Buccaneers defense is battered and vulnerable so the Eagles should be able to move the ball and score some points but Brady will score more. Good luck, Jonathan Gannon.
ESPN -- Buccaneers
Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
One writer is picking the Eagles.
CBS Sports -- Buccaneers
Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
CBS Sports is rolling with Tampa
The Eagles are coming off an impressive road victory over Carolina, and you know they will be juiced here playing the champs. Tom Brady lit up the Dolphins last week, but on a short week this is a real challenge. The Eagles will hang around in this game, as Jalen Hurts has a good day throwing it and running it against a bad Tampa Bay defense hit with injuries. Brady wins, but it’s close.
Pro Football Talk -- Buccaneers
Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports
Mike Florio likes Tampa
The Eagles are still figuring out who they are. The Bucs know.
Bleacher Report -- Buccaneers
(AP Photo/Jacob Kupferman)
Bleacher Report staff is rolling with Tampa
The public is hitting the Tampa Bay Buccaneers pretty hard as a mere 6.5-point favorite over a clearly inferior Philadelphia Eagles squad this week, but it’s possible that line is a red flag for bettors. It’s not moving up, which means oddsmakers are begging you to jump on the Bucs.
Why might that be? Well, we’re still talking about a 44-year-old quarterback and a veteran team traveling to a tough environment to play a desperate team on extremely short rest. And for what it’s worth, the Bucs went just 1-3 on less than a full week’s rest last season, with Brady throwing more interceptions (five) than touchdown passes (four) in those three losses (the only win came on a six-day week against the lowly Detroit Lions).
But that isn’t scaring off a slim majority of our panel. They’re laying the points…
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