I’m sure they have their reasons, probably something to do with money, but the National Football League is again providing a Monday Night Football doubleheader. Last week, the Saints beat the Panthers and the Steelers upset the Browns, this coming Monday, the schedule serves up the defending National Football Conference Champion Philadelphia Eagles at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. That 4:15 p.m. Pacific Time start is followed an hour later when the winless Cincinnati Bengals host the Los Angeles Rams.

Let’s explore the Eagles.

This is a team that finished with the worst record in the NFC in 2020, a wild card playoff berth the following year, and the Super Bowl last season. It has been a steady rise for Nick Sirianni’s squad, and in 2022 they achieved the unity and rhythm that thrives among teammates on a championship team. It is like magic. It also routinely marks the apex of success with a drop in results almost certain to follow.

The path Philadelphia took to get to the Super Bowl is seldom followed by a successful season if their trip to the Roman Numeral Game ends in defeat.

But, if this is supposed to be a notch down year for the Eagles, based on their three point loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LVII, how does one explain their 2-0 start without a point spread loss?

Very fortuitous scheduling.

In first week action, the Eagles opened on the road against a Bill Belichick Patriots squad clearly not the caliber of teams he had previously fielded in Foxboro. This may be Belichick’s worst team and this proposition is supported by the first oh-and-two start suffered by New England since 2001. That losing streak was ended by the insertion of a sixth round draft choice after Drew Bledsoe was injured in second week action against the New York Jets.

There is no Tom Brady in Belichick’s pocket this time around, and Mac Jones does not appear to possess the team leadership qualities necessary for a big time winner.

The Eagles took advantage of early New England mistakes two weeks ago, and held on for a five point win, 25-20.

Last Thursday, the Eagles hosted the Minnesota Vikings, a team already talking about trading their starting quarterback in surrender that this year does not stack up to be a good one for head coach Kevin O’Connell. Still, Kirk Cousins led the Vikings to 21 second half points and closed the Eagles winning margin to a six point final deficit, 34-28, and a push on the point spread.

That was the Eagles opening two opponents. Now they take the extra rest they got by hosting last week’s Thursday night game and meet an under-appreciated Tampa Bay Buccaneers squad. Behind one-time first pick in the draft, quarterback Baker Mayfield, the Buccaneers have earned wins at Minnesota and against the Chicago Bears heading into this primetime contest against Philadelphia.

Both teams come into this game with perfect 2-0 marks, neither has a point spread loss on their record, and both are looking at their first game against a quality opponent.

A lot is the same, but what is different is that the Buccaneers are on the way up and the Eagles are not.

Qoxhi Picks: Tampa Bay Buccaneers (+4½) over Philadelphia Eagles