Mike Evans' absence, Tristan Wirfs' health, and the Bucs' ground game highlight top questions on offense vs. Eagles

Week 4 is officially in motion and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers face their biggest test of the young season in the undefeated, Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles.

The Bucs have gotten the best of the Birds in three of the last four matchups between the two teams and a win on Sunday will go a long way in determining playoff seeding after the regular season. That's how important this game is.

On offense, the Bucs face some big questions heading into this game. So, A to Z Philadelphia's Kelsey Kramer and myself figured it'd be a good idea to break down said inquiries from the perspective of each team.

With that being said, let's dive into the biggest questions hovering around the Bucs offense heading into Sunday's showdown.

Can the Bucs' makeshift offensive line hold up once again?

Evan: It's still unclear as to whether or not Tristan Wirfs returns this week and we probably won't know for sure until Saturday or Sunday morning at the latest. If he returns, center and the left side of the Bucs offensive line should go back to normal, with Elijah Klein and Charlie Heck manning right guard and right tackle, respectively.

Still, this week presents a big challenge, even if Eagles EDGE Nolan Smith has already been ruled out. Jalen Carter and Jordan Davis are one of the NFL's top interior defensive line duos and they both showed how they can single-handedly change games just last week.

The offensive line did enough to survive last week, but it has to be better in Week 4 if the Bucs want to go 4-0 for the first time in 20 years.

Kelsey: The Eagles' defense hasn't been perfect, but they've managed to stop big plays when they have mattered most, which is exactly how they're entering Week 4 undefeated. The biggest struggle they're dealing with right now is stopping the run. They currently rank 25th in the league in rushing yards allowed with an average of 133.3 yards allowed per game. If the Bucs can lean into the run game, that's where they'll find success.

As far as injuries are concerned, the Eagles' defense will be without Nolan Smith and cornerback Jakorian Bennett, who landed on the IR. However, that should not be a huge deal with veteran Za'Darius Smith stepping in to fill Smith's shoes and Kelee Ringo or Adoree Jackson taking over Bennett's reps. It is worth noting that Jackson is battling a groin injury, and the Eagles also have banged-up linebackers with both Zack Baun (knee) and Jihaad Campbell (triceps) nursing injuries. Those will be something to monitor heading into Sunday as Tampa looks for more weak spots on Philly's defense to take advantage of.

Bucs offensive line stats through Week 3

• Sacks allowed: 6 (21st)
• Pressure rate allowed: 39.1% (9th)
• EPA/rushing attempt: 0.04 (t-7th)
• Rush yards before contact per attempt: 1.79 (8th)

What does the Bucs' passing attack look like without Mike Evans?

Evan: This is easily the biggest question, but not just because of Evans' absence. Chris Godwin Jr. practiced in full on Wednesday and looks to be on track to play. He likely won't take on a full load in his first game action since October 2024. Even if he's on a snap count, his presence would be a major boon for the Bucs' passing attack and the offense as a whole.

Look for the Bucs' passing attack to dial up quick throws in order to help offset the injuries at offensive line and wideout. Baker Mayfield will get the ball out quick and he still has reliable targets in Emeka Egbuka and Sterling Shepard. There's also Bucky Irving and Rachaad White in the backfield plus Cade Otton at tight (we'll talk more about him here in a bit).

The vertical attack won't be as effective without Evans, but it's hard to trust the Bucs offensive line to hold up long enough for those routes to develop, anyway. Still, Josh Grizzard will take a shot or two when the opportunity calls. In all, it won't be the same without Evans, but there are still viable pieces to work with. Grizzard is just going to have to get creative.

Kelsey: Tampa without Mike Evans is an advantage for the Eagles, but that isn't going to help them enough to flat-out win the game, especially considering Tampa has plenty of weapons. Sure, the Eagles have been a lot better at defending the pass than stopping the run, but they still struggle to be consistent, and with their secondary still finding its footing and dealing with injuries to their linebackers, it's hard to predict how this matchup goes.