For two teams in different divisions, the two franchises have developed a contemptuousness that might be unparalleled, at least in recent seasons. And the level of bile that has been a part of the past three matchups, the degree of enmity that exists between veterans from both clubs, figures to make for yet another nasty get-together in the NFC championship game.

There is a body of bloody work for the franchises to review and it will begin with a look back at the most recent meeting, a 20-10 Eagles win at Veterans Stadium on Oct. 20, yet the latest contest in which the Tampa Bay offense came undone at the very sight of the Philadelphia defense.

Week 7 -- What they said

John Clayton's analysis When the Bucs traveled to Philadelphia in Week 7, ESPN.com's John Clayton was there for Philly's 20-10 win. Here's an excerpt of what he had to say following the game: PHILADELPHIA -- For an outsider not knowing the goings on of the past year, you could have sworn this was the same old Bucs team that marched into Veterans Stadium for its annual whipping. Warren Sapp was a terror on the defensive line. Linebacker Derrick Brooks made big plays. Strong safety John Lynch charged up near the line of scrimmage to make big hits. And the offense was missing in action. The Bucs lost to the Eagles 20-10 Sunday with an offense that seemed to be no better than the offenses that were stuffed by the Eagles in the past two playoff appearances. The new coach is Jon Gruden, an offensive mastermind who can't get this offense kick-started. He replaced Tony Dungy, who was known for creating the defense that made the Bucs an annual Super Bowl contender. Against the Eagles on Sunday, the Bucs gained 207 yards on 65 plays. That's a pathetic 3.2 yards a play. They had 81 yards rushing. Worse, they produced only 126 net yards passing, a number that decreased because of six sacks. Eric Allen's analysis Eric Allen also answered questions on each team following the game. Here's his analysis: Question on the Bucs: How can they improve their defense over the next couple of months? The Bucs are OK on defense. When you face a dominant offensive player (like today) you'll have some lapses. But the Bucs need lots of work on offense. If Tampa Bay and Gruden are going to go anywhere, they need to fix the offense. Question on the Eagles: Are they overlooked in terms of elite defenses? I don't think so. They lost some players, but they still have one of the best defenses in the league. Sometimes people focus on the scheme and see it as being more important then the personnel. The Eagles have an effective scheme but not many individual players who overwhelm you (although safety Brian Dawkins is a phenomenal player). Recap | Box Score

But don't bet that the boisterous Bucs, who have vowed that the latest sequel to this series won't borrow from past scripts, have spent this week camping out in the videotape room at their complex. The adage that those who ignore history are destined to repeat it doesn't quite wash here, where two playoffs losses at Philadelphia and the September defeat don't seem to much matter to Tampa Bay players, at least from what they contend.

"Three months, or whatever it's been since we played them, that's ancient history in this league," said defensive end Simeon Rice. "That's' the past. We deal in the present. And in the present, we're going to be ready to play, to put everything on the line." That said, there is rhetoric, and there is reality.

For the Bucs, the reality is that their three losses at Veterans Stadium in the past three seasons have been the equivalent of the old Bill Murray movie, Groundhog Day. OK, so the scores are different, but the plot certainly remains unchanged.

That was certainly the case in the regular-season matchup, when the Bucs offense failed to score a touchdown for a third straight time at Veterans Stadium, and where a solid defensive effort simply wasn't good enough. Philadelphia prevailed 20-10 that day, bringing the cumulative score in the trilogy to a lopsided 72-22, and the only Tampa Bay touchdown came on an 11-yard fumble return by weakside linebacker Derrick Brooks.

The Bucs offense eked out 15 first downs, a season-worst 207 yards, and just 81 rushing yards. Brad Johnson, knocked out of the game with a rib injury, completed 19 of 31 passes for 124 yards and his 1 interception led directly to an Eagles touchdown.

Defensively, the Bucs permitted tailback Duce Staley to run through the front seven, and he finished with 152 yards on 24 rushes. The fact Donovan McNabb completed a mere 12 passes didn't seem to matter, since the Eagles controlled the tempo with the running game, especially after they overcame an early 7-3 deficit.

"So why should this time be any different?" asked one Eagles offensive lineman rhetorically this week. "We chewed their front seven up, ran right at them, and beat them up inside. It's funny, because everybody talks about how their offense spits the bit every time they come up here, but the defense lets them down too in these games."

Of course, judging by the recent history of the series, the game figures to be largely about defense, since the Bucs statistically rank first in the league and the Eagles possess the No. 4 unit. No one expects a scoring spree, and that is justifiably so, as sixty-something coordinators Monte Kiffin (Tampa Bay) and Jim Johnson (Philadelphia) will have their defenses primed again.

But herein, based on the Oct. 20 meeting, might lie the key: The Eagles, at least, discovered an offensive key in that game. The Bucs have yet to locate a countermeasure for the wild and exotic blitz packages that spring from the fertile mind of Johnson, one of the league's most underrated savants.

In pounding Staley at the interior of the Tampa Bay defense, time and again, Philadelphia exposed a soft underbelly. The Bucs, even at the interior spots, are still at their best in a pursuit type of game. The bodacious tackle Warren Sapp, who disappeared in the final month of the regular season, is perceived as a player who collapses the interior. But he is more concerned with getting up the field these days than he is with his primary role, which is imitating a speed bump, permitting his teammates to make plays.

Middle linebacker Shelton Quarles, who moved inside this season when the Bucs lost Jamie Duncan in free agency, plays better in space than he does in a confined area. Quarles can turn and run with most backs, but he certainly isn't a natural stuffer, a guy who steps into the hole and stands up a tailback in his tracks. In short, Philadelphia found out three months ago that it could establish superiority inside.

No reason to believe the Eagles game plan won't revolve again around the running game. Such a design dictates tempo, further frustrates the Bucs if successful, and puts the onus on the Tampa Bay offense to do more than it has done in its three most recent trips to the dilapidated Veterans Stadium.

Tampa Bay converted just three of 13 third-down situations in the earlier game, didn't cross midfield until 18 seconds remained in the first half, got only nine snaps overall in "plus" territory. The Bucs didn't have a receiver with more than 38 yards. Look for the Eagles to come up and press Tampa receivers again, to get in their face and knock them off their routes, to get their hands on the wideouts and redirect them.

Notable from the first meeting was that the Tampa Bay tight end tandem of Ken Dilger and Rickey Dudley combined for 3 catches and 27 yards the first time around. The two, particularly Dilger, have become more frequent targets for Brad Johnson and he might like a matchup of one of those tight ends against Eagles strong safety Blaine Bishop.

The increased use of the tight end, in fact, might be the biggest difference in the Bucs since the last loss to the Eagles. Beyond that, not a lot has changed with the two teams, which might not bode too well for Tampa Bay. What the Bucs learned in the first meeting is a lesson that has been pounded home to them in previous trips to the City of Brotherly Love.

No matter how staunch your defense, the offense has to contribute points, and it would be simply stating the obvious to identify that as a shortcoming.

Len Pasquarelli is a senior writer for ESPN.com.