The Philadelphia Eagles are set to face off against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the Super Wild Card Weekend of the 2024 NFL playoffs. The Eagles, who started the season 10-1, have lost five of their last six games. However, they are still favored to win by many pundits. The Buccaneers, on the other hand, have won five of their last six games and are looking to continue their momentum. Now, let's explore some bold projections for the Eagles as they eagerly approach their playoff clash with the Buccaneers.

Season Recap

Despite a challenging 1-5 stretch to end the regular season, Nick Sirianni's squad secured a playoff berth for the third consecutive year. They finished with an 11-6 record. Despite the late-season struggles, the Eagles finished seventh in points per game. This was buoyed by the league's top offensive line and a dynamic wide receiver duo.

Now Philly faces a familiar adversary on the road. The Eagles head to Tampa to square off against the 9-8 Buccaneers at Raymond James Stadium. The playoff history between these two teams is rich, having clashed five times previously. These included a memorable NFC Championship Game in Philadelphia in 2002. The most recent postseason meeting occurred just two years ago in 2021. That resulted in a 31-15 victory for the Buccaneers during Jalen Hurts' first road playoff start. This year's playoff matchup is a rematch of their Week 3 encounter at Raymond James Stadium. In that clash, Philadelphia emerged victorious with a 25-11 scoreline.

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Here are our bold predictions for the Philadelphia Eagles as they face the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the Super Wild Card Weekend matchup of the 2023 NFL season.

Hurts in Pain

In his most recent big outing, Jalen Hurts demonstrated his dual-threat capabilities by completing 24 of 38 passes for 301 yards and a touchdown in a Week 16 victory over the Giants. He also set a new NFL record for single-season rushing touchdowns by a quarterback with his 15th rushing score, surpassing Cam Newton's 2011 mark. Despite this achievement, Hurts faces a challenge as he hasn't thrown multiple touchdowns in five of his last six games. Remember that Hurts didn't exactly play very well in their last two losses to the Cardinals and Giants as well.

Now Hurts is dealing with a dislocated right middle finger. However, he participated in the media-access portion of Thursday's practice. Recall that he was eventually pulled before halftime in their 27-10 Week 18 defeat. X-rays on the finger returned negative, but Hurts expressed some uncertainty about being fully ready for the playoffs. As of Thursday's practice, he hadn't thrown since the game, but there are positive signs of progress. Hurts was spotted wearing gloves on both hands, an indication that the injury might require ongoing attention.

We believe Hurts will definitely play during their Wild Card match against the Bucs. He will be in pain, though, and that will affect his performance. We have him struggling to go past 220 passing yards here. He won't have more than one touchdown.

Swift's Ascendance

Philadelphia's homegrown talent D'Andre Swift enters the playoffs on a high note after a commendable season. Swift ranked fifth in the NFL with a career-high 1,049 rushing yards. This marked his first 1,000+ yard campaign. This achievement contributes to the Eagles featuring back-to-back 1,000+ yard rushers for the first time since 2013-14 with LeSean McCoy. Swift should continue to shoulder much of the offense against Tampa Bay. We have him putting up more than 100 yards quite easily.

Aerial Attack

Wide receivers AJ Brown and DeVonta Smith each exceeded 1,000 receiving yards for the second consecutive year. Recall that they formed the first 1,000+ yard receiving duo in Eagles history in 2022. Brown's 1,456 receiving yards placed him fifth in the NFL. He trails the likes of Tyreek Hill, CeeDee Lamb, Amon-Ra St. Brown, and Puka Nacua. Notably, Brown tied Terrell Owens' 2004 record for the most 100+ yard receiving games (seven) in Eagles history. Brown also concluded the season with a career-high 106 receptions. This ranks second in team history behind Zach Ertz's 2018 tally of 116. Now, both Brown and Smith will be tested against the Buccaneers. With Hurts likely not at full strength, the aerial attack will suffer. We have both wideouts combined for not more than 160 yards on the day.

Eagles' Recent Struggles

The Eagles find themselves in a slump. Again, they have gone 1-5 in their last six games. While the Buccaneers have struggled in their recent outings, both teams appear to be grappling with their own challenges. Yes, the Eagles seem to possess better components and a more dependable head coach. However, Jalen Hurts will not reach his recent peak during the playoffs. Take note also that the Eagles' secondary is a concern. As such, a strategy of relying on Mike Evans might provide the Bucs an opportunity for an upset. Sure, that's despite Baker Mayfield's status as well. The Eagles could then face another setback, with the Buccaneers pulling off a monumental upset.

Looking Ahead

As the Philadelphia Eagles brace themselves for the Super Wild Card Weekend clash against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, several storylines unfold. Jalen Hurts, battling through discomfort, aims to lead his team to victory. The triumphant emergence of D'Andre Swift and the dynamic receiving duo of AJ Brown and DeVonta Smith contribute to the unpredictable nature of this playoff showdown. Despite recent struggles, the Eagles possess the talent and coaching stability to make a statement in the postseason. However, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers stand as formidable opponents. The Eagles have flown very low of late, and they'll crash & burn here.