Two of the three undefeated NFC teams meet on Sunday as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers host the Philadelphia Eagles (1 p.m. ET, FOX).
The Buccaneers opened the season with wins over the Atlanta Falcons, Houston Texans and New York Jets by a total of 6 points. Of all six unbeaten teams in the NFL[1], the Bucs’ point differential is the smallest.
Philadelphia has outscored the Dallas Cowboys, Kansas City Chiefs and Los Angeles Rams by a combined 14 points as the defending Super Bowl champions opened the season and continue to be the team to beat in the NFC East. Sunday’s game will have a significant impact on determining the NFC favorite early in the season. The other undefeated team in the conference is the San Francisco 49ers.
Tampa Bay is dealing with some injuries[2] to a handful of key players. Quarterback Baker Mayfield was limited in practice this week with a biceps injury. Wide receiver Mike Evans did not practice on Wednesday or Thursday with a hamstring injury. Fellow wideout Chris Godwin Jr. did not practice Thursday because of an ankle injury.
All 53 players on the Eagles’ active roster participated in practice.
Tampa Bay started the season 5-0 in 2002. They went on to win the Super Bowl, so a victory over the Eagles could be a defining moment in this season.
Speaking of the 49ers, another Florida team travels to San Francisco this week, as the Jacksonville Jaguars cross the country to face the Niners.
The Jaguars (2-1) are coming off a victory over the Texans[3], where the defense forced three turnovers. The Jaguars lead the NFL with nine takeaways, a remarkable turnaround after the defense forced eight turnovers all of last season.
The 49ers are dealing with injuries as well. Fifteen players were listed on the team’s injury report this week, including defensive lineman Nick Bosa, who is out for the season with an ACL injury. Both starting quarterback Brock Purdy (left shoulder, toe) and backup quarterback Mac Jones (knee) were limited in practice[4] this week. Jones is a Jacksonville native who served as Trevor Lawrence’s backup during the 2024 season.
The Jaguars have not started a season 3-1 since 2018[5]. Coming off an appearance in the AFC championship game, the Jaguars beat the defending champion Patriots in the opening month but then nosedived, winning just two of the next 12 games to finish 5-11.
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References
- ^ Of all six unbeaten teams in the NFL (www.nfl.com)
- ^ dealing with some injuries (www.buccaneers.com)
- ^ a victory over the Texans (www.espn.com)
- ^ limited in practice (ninerswire.usatoday.com)
- ^ The Jaguars have not started a season 3-1 since 2018 (www.pro-football-reference.com)