Eagles Making Strategic Change to Journey Plans for Week 4 Buccaneers Tilt

Tampa Bay has not been variety to the Eagles these days.

The Eagles have made 4 journeys to Tampa throughout coach Nick Sirianni’s tenure and have misplaced three of them, together with two straight. The first defeat got here within the NFC wild-card spherical in January 2022, the second once more within the wild-card spherical two years later in January ’24. This previous season, Philadelphia sleepwalked its approach via the primary half of an eventual 33–16 defeat by the hands of the Buccaneers at Raymond James Stadium.

But because the saying goes, as soon as is an accident, two occasions is a coincidence and 3 times is a sample. And Sirianni, cognizant of the sample, purposely deliberate for the Eagles to go away for Tampa a day sooner than that they had in earlier matchups.

“Everything we do is to try [to make sure that] our process is right to give ourselves the best chance to win,” Sirianni said Wednesday. “If your process is off, then you don’t have as much of a chance. That was part of our process when we studied some things in the offseason with the heat and everything like that.

“Get on the market a day earlier to acclimate, one much less time off the airplane earlier than you play a sport.”

Playing football at any time of year in Tampa can be difficult, but it’s particularly challenging in September, when the heat and humidity can wear on players. The Eagles saw that firsthand during last season’s loss to the Buccaneers, in which offensive lineman Cam Jurgens and defensive tackle Jalen Carter both were forced to the locker room due to cramps in the sweltering heat. The temperature is expected to be 90 degrees with a real feel of 103 degrees in Tampa on Sunday.

When asked how he might prepare for the heat during game planning, Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio said there’s not much one can do, adding that it will be up to the players to handle the conditions.

“Well, it’s too late to do something proper now for it so far as prepping for it,” Fangio said Tuesday. “You do not apply in warmth in the future and say you are acclimated or take a tablet and say you are acclimated. The key might be, I imply, it is a mindset, primary. Number two, we have to not allow them to have 8, 10, 12 play drives on us.”

The Eagles, currently 3.5-point favorites over Tampa Bay, will kick off against the Buccaneers at 1:00 p.m. ET.

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