Nick Foles makes his first start of the season with Michael Vick out due to injury.
There could be a lot on the line for the Eagles on Sunday. A win will guarantee that they will remain at least tied for the NFC East lead going into a Week 7 game against the Dallas Cowboys, who face the Washington Redskins on Sunday.
With the Giants already at 0-6, the Eagles could be in prime position to strike on a struggling team in Tampa Bay. Again, it is a rather unhyped matchup, as the 2-3 Eagles face the 0-4 Buccaneers. Here is this week's six points worth watching.
Nick Foles – Following his win in relief in Week 5, Nick Foles is starting for the injured Michael Vick on Sunday. As much as it seems the Eagles are going to return to Vick following this week once he's healthy enough to start, Foles has a chance to make an impact. A starting job is not secured just because a player gets hurt. Additionally, Foles threw for two touchdowns against the Giants and while both were off turnovers, both were also from pinpoint passing. The biggest question is whether or not Foles can lead drives successfully, although we also have seen that in his late second-quarter drive that led to an Eagles field goal last Sunday and his victory of the Bucs last season.
The Buccaneers MRSA cases – This is an interesting one. When rookie cornerback Johnthan Banks became the third Tampa Bay player to contract the skin infection MRSA, there was a possibility that this game could be cancelled. That will not happen, obviously, and Banks has been cleared to play. But the other two cases on the roster, guard Carl Nicks and former kicker Lawrence Tynes, have seen limited action since August. Tynes is no longer on the Bucs roster and Nicks didn't play until Week 3. This week, the infection returned, making him questionable for Sunday's game. With all the hoopla surrounding the issue, you have to wonder if even that is enough to get into the Bucs heads.
DeSean Jackson vs. Darrelle Revis – Jackson came out this week and said he think Revis "can't run with him." That instantly makes this an intriguing matchup. Jackson will obviously be a major focus for the Bucs defense, so it will be interesting to see how often Foles both targets and finds Jackson in addition to what he decides to do should Jackson be heavily covered.
Mike Glennon – The Buccaneers quarterback situation has been a mess this season. After the fallout with Josh Freeman, the Buccaneers are trying to regroup with Glennon. Glennon nearly led the Buccaneers to their first win of the season in Week 4 against the Arizona Cardinals, despite a rough debut, completing 24 of 43 passes for 193 yards and one touchdown with two interceptions.
Turnovers – The Eagles can easily attribute the Week 5 win against the Giants to winning the turnover game. The Eagles forced four New York turnovers without giving up the ball. The first order of business with Foles and the offense is to simply make the most of every drive by not turning the ball over, because it certainly appears the Eagles will have problem getting a turnover or two from the Buccaneers – tied for 7th in the NFC with eight turnovers.
Chip Kelly vs. Greg Schiano – Combined, the two head coaches in Sunday's game have all of 25 games of experience of coaching in the NFL. It isn't as much of a storyline as the two teams' starting quarterbacks, but it is worth noting. Schiano is certainly still adjusting to NFL life, and has to deal with a rocky situation at quarterback. Kelly is more in a spot where he is trying to make an immediate impact while implementing a new style. On the surface, Kelly's style could outrun the struggles Schiano's team is facing.
Kevin Durso is a contributor for Eagledelphia. You can follow him on twitter @KDursoPhilsNet.
