We’re just hours aways from an intriguing Monday night matchup featuring two undefeated NFC teams when Tampa host Philadelphia at Raymond James Stadium.
Turnover margin
Both teams are among the best in the NFL at protecting the football while taking it away from the opposing team.
Mayfield has been best in the two wins, primarily because he has had excellent ball security with zero giveaways. He was 21-of-34 with two touchdown passes in the Week 1 win over Minnesota, and then he went 26-of-34 for 317 yards and a TD against Chicago. That’s 68 passes without an interception. Tampa Bay has given him solid protection, the Bucs have run the ball just enough, and Mayfield has been efficient.
Tampa Bay also has five takeaways against an Eagles defense/special teams with six takeaways, so the turnover ratio, as always, is a critical statistic to win in this game. It’s not much different than any other game, but it emphasizes one of the primary reasons the Bucs are 2-0: The offense hasn’t made mistakes.
Brian Johnson's offense vs. Todd Bowles system
The Buccaneers employ a big and physical defensive front, fast linebackers who flow well to the football, and a secondary that was able to confuse Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts in two prior matchups.
Tampa will focus on stopping D’Andre Swift and the Philadelphia running game, putting the outcome in the hands of Johnson (play-caller) and Hurts QB).
Man or Zone against Mike Evans
Philadelphia played man when Darius Slay was matchup on Justin Jefferson in Week 2 while sliding to zone coverage when Josh Jobe or another cornerback was matched up with the All-Pro wide receiver.
Evans has 12 catches, 237 yards, and two touchdowns in two games, averaging nearly 20 yards per reception.
Philadelphia returns James Bradberry from a concussion, equalling the playing field some.
How the Eagles deal with Evans while accounting for Chris Godwin will be something to watch.
Can Philadelphia play a complete game?
The Eagles’ starters didn’t play a down during the preseason, giving some credence to the idea that the first two games helped get the rust off.
In jumping out to their 2-0 start, Philadelphia has built big leads before staving off late rallies.
With several key starters returning from injury, can Nick Sirianni’s team finally play a complete game on both sides of the football?
James Bradberry in the slot
Talented defenses do the best job at getting the 11 most productive players on the field, and with Avonte Maddox out indefinitely, Sean Desai moving James Bradberry to the slot could be something to watch.
The Buccaneers love to use Chris Godwin out of the slot, and with Darius Slay likely to trail Mike Evans, sliding Bradberry inside can give Philadelphia an advantage against any wide receiver or tight end.
The Eagles have also talked about utilizing Mario Goodrich, but Bradberry against Godwin is the ultimate chess move.
