Buccaneers–Eagles rivalry

The Buccaneers–Eagles rivalry is an American football rivalry between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Philadelphia Eagles. The Eagles entered the National Football League (NFL) in 1933 and saw some success in the 1940s, as well as in 1960, However, the Eagles entered a drought after winning the 1960 NFL Championship Game, as they never won a Championship again for almost 60 years before winning Super Bowl LII. The Buccaneers entered the NFL in 1976 as part of an agreement to expand the league after the AFL–NFL merger. The Eagles and Buccaneers played their first game during the 1977 NFL season, with the Eagles winning 13–3. The loss was part of the Buccaneers 0–26 record to begin their franchise, and is to this day the longest losing streak in NFL history.

The rivalry between the Buccaneers and Eagles was most pronounced in the early 2000s, when both teams met in the playoff three years in a row. The rivalry got some rejuvenation in the early 2020s, when the teams met in the 2021 and 2023 NFC Wild Card Rounds, with the Buccaneers winning both games.

History

These two teams first met in 1977, where the Eagles won 13–3, continuing the Buccaneers losing streak. Two years later, they had their first playoff matchup in the NFC Divisional Round, which the Buccaneers won 24–17, which was also the franchise's first playoff win.

The Buccaneers stopping an Eagles rushing play during the 1979 NFC Divisional Round.

The rivalry started to be ranked as a top one in the NFC in the early 2000s, when both teams were massive playoff contenders, as they faced off in the postseason three years in a row, with the most notable game being the 2002 NFC Championship Game, where the Buccaneers won 27-10 thanks to Ronde Barber's 92-yard pick-six, which was the franchise's first playoff win on the road, and the first time the Buccaneers reached the Super Bowl. Before that however, the Eagles beat the Buccaneers in blowout fashion in the 2000 and 2001 NFC Wild Card Games, which heavily frustrated the Buccaneers, with Warren Sapp saying in the America's Game episode on the 2002 Buccaneers that after a 20–10 loss to the Eagles in the regular season, “I had a burn in my gut because I really hate the Philadelphia Eagles at this point.”

Ronde Barber returning an interception for a touchdown in the 2002 NFC Championship Game.

With six playoff matchups, Buccaneers-Eagles is tied for the fifth most common matchup in the NFL playoffs, last meeting in 2023, where the Buccaneers won 32–9.

Season-by-season results

|- | | style="|Eagles
13-3 | Veterans Stadium | Eagles
1–0 | First meeting in the series. |- ! 1979 playoffs ! style="| Buccaneers
24-17 ! Tampa Stadium ! Tied
1-1 ! NFC Divisional Round.
The first meeting at Tampa Stadium, the first time the Buccaneers beat the Eagles, and the first playoff meeting in the series. |- |- | |style="|Eagles
20-10 | Veterans Stadium | Eagles
2-1 | |- | |style="|Eagles
41-14 | Tampa Stadium | Eagles
3–1 | |- |- | |style="|Buccaneers
14-13 | Tampa Stadium | Eagles
3-2 | The final meeting at Tampa Stadium. |- | |style="|Buccaneers
21-6 | Veterans Stadium | Tied
3-3 | |- | |style="|Buccaneers
19-5 | Veterans Stadium | Buccaneers
4-3 | |- |- ! 2000 playoffs ! style="| Eagles
21-3 ! Veterans Stadium ! Tied
4-4 ! NFC Championship Wild Card Round.
|- | | style="| Eagles
17-13 | Raymond James Stadium | Eagles
5-4 | The first meeting at Raymond James Stadium |- ! 2001 playoffs ! style="| Eagles
31-9 ! Veterans Stadium ! Eagles
6–4 ! NFC Championship Wild Card Round.
Eagles advance to their first of four consecutive NFC Championship Games, losing to the St. Louis Rams |- | | style="| Eagles
20-10 | Veterans Stadium | Eagles
7-4 | |- ! 2002 playoffs ! style="| Buccaneers
27-10 ! Veterans Stadium ! Eagles
7–5 ! NFC Championship Game.
With Ronde Barber’s 92-yard pick six, The Buccaneers won their first playoff game on the road, and reached their first Super Bowl, beating the Oakland Raiders. This was also the final NFL game ever played at Veterans Stadium. |- | | style="| Buccaneers
17-0 | Lincoln Financial Field | Eagles
7–6 | The first game of the season, the first game ever played at Lincoln Financial Field, and the first shutout in the series. |- | | style="| Buccaneers
23-21 | Raymond James Stadium | Tied
7-7 | Matt Bryant’s 62-yard field goal won the game for the Buccaneers. |- | | style="| Eagles
33-14 | Lincoln Financial Field | Eagles
8–7 | |- |- | | style="| Eagles
23–21 | Raymond James Stadium | Eagles
9-7 | |- | | style="| Eagles
31-20 | Raymond James Stadium | Eagles
10–7 | |- | | style="| Buccaneers
45-17 | Lincoln Financial Field | Eagles
10-8 | |- | | style="| Buccaneers
27-21 | Raymond James Stadium | Eagles
10–9 | |- |- | | style="| Buccaneers
28-22 | Lincoln Financial Field | Tied
10-10 | |- ! 2021 playoffs ! style="| Buccaneers
31-15 ! Raymond James Stadium ! Buccaneers
11–10 ! NFC Wild Card Round. |- | | style="| Eagles
25-11 | Raymond James Stadium | Tied
11-11 | |- ! 2023 playoffs ! style="| Buccaneers
32-9 ! Raymond James Stadium ! Buccaneers
12–11 ! NFC Wild Card Round. |- | | style="| Buccaneers
33-16 | Raymond James Stadium | Buccaneers
13-11 | |- | | style="| Eagles
31-25 | Raymond James Stadium | Buccaneers
13–12 | |- |- | Regular season | style="| | Eagles 6-4 | Buccaneers 5-4 | |- | Postseason | style="| | Buccaneers 3–0 | Eagles 2–1 | NFC Wild Card Round: 2000, 2001, 2021, 2023
NFC Divisional Round: 1979
NFC Championship Game: 2002 |- | Regular and postseason | style="| | Buccaneers 7–6 | Tied 6-6 | |-