Let’s delve into the Eagles’ weird and unhappy history with the Tampa Bay Bucs
The Buccaneers have been linked to an awful lot of frustration for the Eagles. Here's a rundown of the worst losses. Among the words uttered: "For who? For what?" and "What's that idiot doing?"
The Chiefs and the Patriots have those Super Bowls. The Giants have the geographic proximity and those multiple Meadowlands miracles. And the Cowboys, of course, have the long-standing, deep-seated resentment. But if we’re talking about a rival that has been linked to an awful lot of frustration and heartache for the Eagles and their fans, you have to look first at the … Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
The Eagles and Bucs, each 3-0, meet Sunday at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Fla., and it will be a mild surprise if the game is just a run-of-the-mill competitive matchup of two of the best teams — if not the two best teams — in the NFC. Tampa Bay has won 13 of the 24 games between the franchises, which sounds unremarkable. And it is, but only if you’re unfamiliar with the circumstances and events surrounding many of these games — circumstances that often led to the Eagles’ losing in strange and excruciating fashion.
Here’s the catalog of the weird and, for the Eagles, the not-so-wonderful.
Dec. 29, 1979: Bucs 24, Eagles 17
In the NFC divisional round, and in the first playoff game in Tampa Bay history, Ricky Bell carried 38 times for 142 yards and two touchdowns as the Bucs overpowered Dick Vermeil’s team. One victory away from the NFC title game, the Eagles lost to a recent expansion franchise that, over the 1976 and ’77 seasons, had lost its first 26 games.
Oct. 6, 1991: Bucs 14, Eagles 13
A month removed from Randall Cunningham’s season-ending knee injury in Week 1, the Eagles started rookie third-stringer Brad Goebel against 0-5 Tampa. Goebel completed just nine passes for 62 yards, and Chris Chandler threw two late TDs against Reggie White, Jerome Brown, and the rest of that vaunted Eagles defense.
Sept. 3, 1995: Bucs 21, Eagles 6
In his first game as an Eagle, Ricky Watters short-armed an over-the-middle pass from Cunningham, then uttered four infamous words that too often obscured how terrific he was during his three years in Philly. Say them with me: “For who? For what?”
Sept. 19, 1999: Bucs 19, Eagles 5
This odd final score was made possible only by a brain freeze from Eagles kicker Norm Johnson, who, despite being 39 years old and in his 18th NFL season, wasn’t ready to hustle out to try a 26-yard field goal late in the first half. Doug Pederson, then the Eagles’ starting quarterback and holder on extra points and field goals, was already kneeling and waiting for the snap when Johnson ran onto the field and hastily booted the ball wide of the uprights.
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“It came down to a mental error on my part,” Johnson told reporters afterward. “I had to apologize to my team, to my coaches. It was one of those things you see on SportsCenter, where you go, ‘What’s that idiot doing?’”
Jan. 19, 2003: Bucs 27, Eagles 10
The NFC championship game. The last game at Veterans Stadium. Joe Jurevicius. Simeon Rice. Ronde Barber. The rest is still nightmare fodder for football fans throughout the Delaware Valley.
Sept. 8, 2003: Bucs 17, Eagles 0
The first regular-season game at Lincoln Financial Field. Who knew Sylvester Stallone in an Eagles jersey would be the only home-team highlight? Jurevicius caught two touchdown passes. Rice sacked Donovan McNabb twice. At least Barber didn’t intercept a pass … this time.
Oct. 22, 2006: Bucs 23, Eagles 21
Not only did Barber intercept McNabb two more times, not only did he return both of those picks for touchdowns, not only did McNabb throw up on the field because of the oppressive Florida heat, but Tampa Bay kicker Matt Bryant blasted a 62-yard field goal with no time left to win the game.
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Nov. 22, 2015: Bucs 45, Eagles 17
Jameis Winston tied an NFL rookie record for touchdown passes in a game, throwing five against coordinator Billy Davis’ marzipan-soft defense. Jeffrey Lurie ended up firing head coach Chip Kelly little more than a month later.
Sept. 16, 2018: Bucs 27, Eagles 21
The Eagles’ first post-Super Bowl LII loss. Ryan Fitzpatrick didn’t have quite the day that Winston did three years earlier, but he came close: 402 yards and four touchdowns, including a 75-yarder to DeSean Jackson.
Oct. 14, 2021: Bucs 28, Eagles 22
Tom Brady tore apart Jonathan Gannon’s defense, completing 34 of his 42 passes for 297 yards. Remember those days when the Eagles were happy to have an opposing quarterback complete as many passes as he wanted? Good times.
Jan. 16, 2022: Bucs 31, Eagles 15
Neither Nick Sirianni nor Jalen Hurts appeared ready for prime time in the playoff debut for both. Jalen Reagor botched three punt returns. Boston Scott scored the Eagles’ first touchdown. Alex Singleton led them in tackles. This was less than four years ago.
Jan. 15, 2024: Bucs 32, Eagles 9
Apropos of nothing, Bill Belichick and his girlfriend/brand manager, Jordon Hudson, are on the cover of the latest issue of Us Weekly.
“I believe you are going to see Jordon Hudson the book, Jordon Hudson the movie, Jordon Hudson the brand, Jordon Hudson the perfume,” a friend and former employer of Hudson’s told the magazine. “You either have star quality or you don’t, and I believe Jordon Hudson has star quality.”
Yeah, that would have gone over well here.
Sept. 29, 2024: Bucs 33, Eagles 16
The Eagles’ last double-digit loss. The last loss Hurts started and finished. The loss that got everyone wondering what Sirianni’s future was with the Eagles … assuming he even had a future. This was less than a year ago. Now that’s weird to contemplate.