The Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Philadelphia Eagles have never shared a division, but they have a rich history together, especially if one includes the postseason.
Since first encountering each other in Philadelphia in 1977, the second year of the Buccaneers' existence, the two teams have met 12 times in the regular season and four times in the postseason. The Eagles lead the all-time regular-season series, 7-5, while the four playoff games have produced a 2-2 split. The regular-season series has been one of streaks – Philly won the first three, followed by three victories for the Buccaneers, two more for Philly and a matching two for Tampa Bay. The Eagles have won the last two meetings, however, to give them their current edge in the head-to-head battle.
There have been significant milestones along the way. On December 29, 1979, the Buccaneers played their first-ever postseason game and beat the Eagles, 24-17, at Tampa Stadium to advance to the NFC Championship Game. In 1991, the Buccaneers used a botched punt by Philadelphia to score two touchdowns in the game's last five minutes and win, 14-13, in one of the most incredible comebacks in franchise history. On September 19, 1999, QB Donovan McNabb made his debut for Philadelphia and was greeted with six sacks (the Bucs' defense also sacked starting QB Doug Pederson three times) in a 19-5 Tampa Bay win.
The Buccaneers' 2000 and 2001 seasons ended with playoff losses in Philadelphia, but on January 19, 2003, Tampa Bay defeated the Eagles, 27-10, in the last game ever played at Veterans Stadium, winning the 2002 NFC Championship Game and advancing to Super Bowl XXXVII. Ronde Barber's 92-yard interception return for a touchdown late in the fourth quarter sealed that victory and became one of the iconic moments in franchise annals. The very next September, the Bucs visited Philadelphia for the regular-season unveiling of the new Lincoln Financial Field and produced a dominant 17-0 Monday Night Football victory on opening weekend. The team's next meeting, on October 22, 2006, brought another unforgettable moment for the Buccaneers as K Matt Bryant won it, 23-21, with a team-record 62-yard field goal as time ran out. Coincidentally, last year's meeting also ended in a 23-21 final on a last-minute score, although this time it was Nick Foles-to-Jeremy Maclin one-yard touchdown pass with two seconds left that gave visiting Philadelphia the win.
Bucs-Eagles Game-by-Game Record:
|
Season |
Result |
Site |
|
1977 |
L, 13-3 |
Philadelphia |
|
1979 |
W, 24-17 |
Tampa* |
|
1981 |
L, 20-10 |
Philadelphia |
|
1988 |
L, 41-14 |
Tampa |
|
1991 |
W, 14-13 |
Tampa |
|
1995 |
W, 21-6 |
Philadelphia |
|
1999 |
W, 19-5 |
Philadelphia |
|
2000 |
L, 21-3 |
Philadelphia** |
|
2001 |
L, 17-13 |
Tampa |
|
2001 |
L, 31-9 |
Philadelphia** |
|
2002 |
L, 20-10 |
Philadelphia |
|
2002 |
W, 27-10 |
Philadelphia* |
|
2003 |
W, 17-0 |
Philadelphia |
|
2006 |
W, 23-21 |
Tampa |
|
2009 |
L, 33-14 |
Philadelphia |
|
2012 |
L, 23-21 |
Tampa |
- NFC Divisional Playoff Game
** - NFC Wild Card Playoff Game
* - NFC Championship Game
Series Notes:
- Overall Season Series: Philadelphia leads, 7-5
- Bucs' Home Record: 2-3
- Bucs' Road Record: 3-4
- Current Streak: Lose 2 (2009, 2012)
- Buccaneers' Longest Winning Streak: 3 (1991-1999)
- Eagles' Longest Winning Streak: 3 (2000-02)
- Regular Season Point Total: Buccaneers 179, Eagles 212
- Most Points in a Game, Buccaneers: Buccaneers 23-21 (2006)
- Most Points in a Game, Eagles: Eagles 41-14 (1988)
- Most Points, both teams: Eagles 41-14 (1988)
- Fewest Points in a Game, Buccaneers: Eagles 13-3 (1977)
- Fewest Points in a Game, Eagles: Buccaneers 17-0 (2003)
- Fewest Points in a Game, both teams: Eagles 13-3 (1977)
