Buccaneers slow start proves fatal in loss to Eagles

TAMPA, Fla. — The Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3-1) came up short against the Philadelphia Eagles (4-0) in a 31-25 loss Sunday.

It was Tampa Bay’s first defeat of the season and just its second against Philadelphia in the teams’ last eight matchups. Only the 1979, 2002 and 2008 Buccaneers began 4-0. This marks the third straight year Tampa Bay has opened 3-1.

Much was made leading up to the game about how the Eagles would handle the Florida heat. Instead, it was Philadelphia’s hot start that set the tone. Tampa Bay trailed 24-6 at halftime.

After stopping the Bucs’ opening drive, Eagles tight end Cameron Latu blocked Riley Dixon’s punt. Safety Sydney Brown scooped up the loose ball and scored the game’s first touchdown.

The Buccaneers have had two punts blocked this season. Before 2025, the last Bucs punt blocked came in 2018 with Bradley Pinion. It’s Dixon’s first year in Tampa Bay after signing a two-year deal last offseason. Since debuting in 2016, Dixon has had a league-high nine punts blocked.

“We’ll get that fixed. There’s a lot going on with the special teams and none of it’s good,” head coach Todd Bowles said.

Tampa Bay has been outscored 34-13 in the first quarter this season.

“This group is too good to start this slow,” quarterback Baker Mayfield said.

Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts didn’t ease up, leading scoring drives on three of Philadelphia’s four first-half possessions. He finished 15-of-24 for 130 yards, two touchdowns and 62 rushing yards.

The Buccaneers’ offense could only manage two Chase McLaughlin field goals before halftime. Right before the break, McLaughlin drilled a 65-yarder — the longest in franchise history and the longest ever at an outdoor stadium in NFL history.

At halftime the Eagles had 201 total yards. They finished with 200, after being held to minus-1 in the second half. Hurts didn’t complete a pass in the game’s final 30 minutes

Defensive tackle Vita Vea delivered a dominant performance with two sacks, two tackles for loss and two quarterback hits. Safety Tykee Smith had a team-high nine tackles and two pass breakups.

The Bucs’ run defense held Philadelphia to 88 yards on the ground, their 13th consecutive game holding an opponent under 100. Star running back Saquon Barkley was limited to 43 yards on 2.3 yards per carry.

Linebacker Haason Reddick, defensive tackle Greg Gaines and cornerbacks Jamel Dean and Benjamin Morrison all left with injuries. Bowles did not have updates after the game.

Explosive plays and turnovers defined Tampa Bay’s offense. Rookie receiver Emeka Egbuka caught a 77-yard touchdown, the Bucs’ longest passing play since 2013. He finished with four receptions for 101 yards. His four touchdowns are the most by a Buccaneers rookie through four games. He leads all rookie receivers in yards and scores.

Running back Bucky Irving added a 72-yard touchdown catch, along with 63 rushing yards and 102 receiving yards. He’s the first Tampa Bay back to surpass 100 receiving yards since Jacquizz Rodgers in 2018. But Irving also fumbled in the third quarter, leading to a Barkley touchdown that stretched Philadelphia’s lead to 31-13.

In the fourth, trailing 31-23, Tampa Bay reached the red zone looking for a game-tying score and two-point conversion. Mayfield was intercepted by rookie linebacker Jihaad Campbell. He finished 22 of 40 for 289 yards and two touchdowns.

Mayfield, who led the league with 18 turnovers last year, had avoided giveaways in the Bucs’ first three games. In each of those wins, he engineered scoring drives on Tampa Bay’s final possession. This week, though, the Bucs were stopped on fourth down with 1:02 remaining, effectively ending the game.

Receiver Chris Godwin returned for his first game since dislocating his ankle last October, catching three passes for 26 yards.

All-Pro left tackle Tristan Wirfs also made his season debut after offseason knee surgery. With injuries piling up, Tampa Bay has shuffled its offensive line. Against the Eagles, Wirfs played left tackle, Ben Bredeson lined up at left guard, Graham Barton at center, Luke Haggard at right guard and Charlie Heck at right tackle. The Bucs averaged 4.0 yards per carry and allowed two sacks.

It was the Buccaneers first game without receiver Mike Evans this season due to a hamstring injury. Tampa Bay has now dropped five straight games without Evans on the field.

Despite the loss, Tampa Bay remains in first place in the NFC South, holding a one-game lead over Atlanta.

Up next, the Buccaneers travel to Seattle. Kickoff is scheduled for 4:05 p.m. Eastern on Sunday, though Mariners playoff games could shift the time.