Unbeaten Eagles, Buccaneers trying to ignore negative ‘noise’ from outside the locker room

TAMPA, Fla. — The Philadelphia Eagles and Tampa Bay Buccaneers insist they don’t seem to be listening to “noise” outdoors their locker rooms.

The unbeaten NFC rivals meet in prime time Monday evening, every sporting 2-0 information which have spawned questions on sensible expectations for the season.

Jalen Hurts and the Eagles have been much less dominant than many felt they’d be coming off a Tremendous Bowl look final winter. The Bucs have been higher than anticipated with much-traveled Baker Mayfield following Tom Brady at quarterback.

“Hear, are we going to be taking part in the identical soccer we performed on Feb. 12 final yr proper now? No, we’re not. No one is,” Eagles coach Nick Sirianni stated. “We’re on this climb. We’re beginning again from the start.”

Philadelphia held off New England on the highway and survived a house take a look at towards Minnesota the previous two weeks.

With Mayfield taking part in turnover-free ball, the Bucs defeated the Vikings on the highway after which handed the struggling Bears their twelfth consecutive loss final week.

“The factor we did finest final yr was take it sooner or later at a time, one sport at a time, the whole lot. Little bits at a time,” Sirianni stated. “It’s a tough mindset to have since you wish to have the expectations. … And, it’s not essentially the expectations of us. It’s expectations of the skin world.”

The “outdoors” chatter concerning the Bucs within the aftermath of Brady’s retirement has principally painted an image of gloom and doom for the season.

Mayfield is together with his fourth workforce in two years and coming off a season by which he misplaced eight of 10 begins with the Carolina Panthers and Los Angeles Rams.

The No. 1 total decide from the 2018 draft is accustomed to being second-guessed. He stated the Bucs didn’t enable unfavorable prognostications to hassle them within the offseason, so there’s no must take heed to what’s being stated now that they’ve gained two video games.

“That’s been the narrative, however we’ve recognized the entire time what we now have on this locker room and the workforce that we’re attempting to construct, the place we’re attempting to move,” Mayfield stated. “The vital half now isn’t letting the skin noise have an effect on us within the constructing. We didn’t let it have an effect on us earlier than, why let it do it now?”

Sirianni stated the Eagles, who misplaced twice (together with postseason) to the Brady-led Bucs two seasons in the past, are merely attempting to enhance week to week.

“We perceive everyone goes to have opinions, and we simply should concentrate on ourselves,” the coach added. ”We now have to concentrate on getting higher on daily basis. It’s actually as boring and monotonous as that. Simply put your head down, go to work, block out noise for those who’re anyone that will get affected by that.”

The Bucs, in the meantime, embrace the problem of dealing with the defending NFC champions. Coach Todd Bowles, although, stopped wanting calling it a litmus take a look at for his workforce.

“We have a look at each week like that. The truth that they’re 2-0 and went to the Tremendous Bowl doesn’t hassle us. We’re attempting to go 3-0,” Bowles stated.

“There’s going to be challenges each week for us. They’re going to be greater because the weeks go on,” the Bucs coach added. “We’re trying to get higher as a workforce, irrespective of who we’re taking part in.”

RIVALRY

For groups which have by no means been paired in the identical division, the Eagles and Bucs have developed fairly a rivalry.

Tampa Bay leads the all-time collection 11-10, together with a 3-2 edge within the postseason. In the latest matchup, Brady led the Bucs to a 31-15 win in a NFC wild-card sport at house in January 2022. Three months earlier, Tampa Bay gained a prime-time, regular-season matchup 28-22 in Philadelphia.

MEMORIES

Eagles followers most likely finest keep in mind Corridor of Famer Ronde Barber for clinching Tampa Bay’s win over Philadelphia within the 2002 NFC championship sport with a 92-yard interception return for a landing, sending the Bucs to the Tremendous Bowl for the primary time.

Tampa Bay misplaced in Philadelphia within the first spherical of the playoffs every of the earlier two seasons.

Barber, the fourth member of that workforce to be enshrined in Canton, Ohio, will obtain his Corridor of Fame Ring of Excellence throughout a halftime ceremony Monday evening.

RUN EAGLES RUN

The Eagles have the NFL’s No. 2 ranked speeding offense, averaging 178 yards per sport. Hurts ran for 2 TDs and threw for a 3rd towards the Vikings, whereas D’Andre Swift completed with a career-high 175 speeding on 28 carries.

“We’re going to journey the new hand. Do I feel it’s sustainable? Shoot, his physique is able to go,” Sirianni stated of Swift’s workload. “I don’t ever wish to put an expectation on anyone. If he’s obtained the new hand on Monday evening, we’ll maintain rolling with him.”

For the file, the Bucs are permitting 52 yards per sport speeding, second-fewest within the NFL. The Eagles are No. 1, yielding 51 a sport.