Bucs and Eagles meet Sunday in battle of undefeated teams
TAMPA - The NFL scriptwriters may be getting a little lazy these days because Bucs fans have seen this one before.
"Last year they had a couple of guys out. They weren't at full strength, and we weren't at full strength," Bucs head coach Todd Bowles said, recalling last year's game against the Philadelphia Eagles.
When the Eagles and Bucs meet on Sunday, it will be the fourth time in three seasons the two teams have played.
It's also a matchup that pits a pair of undefeated teams against one another.
"It's a team that lines up, and they do what they do, and they do it really well," said Bucs quarterback Baker Mayfield.
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"So, we have to do the same thing and match that energy."
That energy is something that has helped the Eagles win and win often.
"That's huge in this league," Bowles said.
"If you understand how to win and expect to win, they do a very good job at that."
What they're saying:
"Every single week in this league is competitive, don't get me wrong on that but when you're playing the Super Bowl champs from last year, a team that's really, really good, you always try to elevate your game a little bit," Mayfield said.
The backstory:
Despite going on to win the Super Bowl last season, the Eagles have lost their last two games to the Bucs.
"We're trying to set the tone on our own end," Mayfield said.
"This year is about, not just winning the division, but the goals after that. We've got to take it one game at a time and this week we have a great opponent in the Eagles."
The Bucs and Eagles kickoff Sunday at 1:00 p.m. at Raymond James Stadium.
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The Source: Information for this story was gathered by FOX 13's Sean Barie.