The Philadelphia Eagles have put together two impressive back-to-back wins before heading into Cincinnati for a tough matchup against the Bengals. The Eagles have never beaten the Bengals in their home turf and the hope was that this time would be different.
Another thing that has been plaguing the Eagles this season has been the slow starts which is another monkey that the offense has been hoping to get off of their back. In a matchup where two teams need this win to bounce back, it would be the Bengals that drew first blood.
Burrow looked like a man on a mission during that first drive as he went 11/12 for 60 yards and a touchdown pass to Ja’marr Chase who was covered by LB Nolan Smith. It wasn’t the matchup that Fangio wanted but the Bengals forced that marriage on that play.
On the Eagles’ first drive, the offense seemed to have found its footing. Jalen Hurts was quick with decision-making and was on the move more than he’s been all season. The QB designed plays and the short passes were working well for them but it was a holding penalty by Tyler Steen that forced the offense to settle for a field goal.
Philly and Cincinnati battled for most of the first half with both offenses trying to take advantage but it was the Bengals who owned time of possession in that first half. The Eagles didn’t let that get to them. Impressively enough they played their game and forced the Bengals to play the Eagles game
To end the first half, the Eagles fought their way down the field with the ambition to even the score. Hurts stayed calm and delivered with poise and quick reads. He knew where he wanted to go and was determined to make it work but it was a big illegal hands-to-the-face call that gave the Eagles a fresh set of downs.
The penalty led to an impressive tush push score that just showed the pure strength and determination of Jalen Hurts. With under 30 seconds left in the half, the Eagles tied the game and carried momentum into the third quarter.
The momentum continued as they started the third quarter with a score after five runs and three quick short passes. The 8-play drive finished with a 7-yard touchdown by Jalen Hurts. Hurts and the offense followed that impressive drive with a big 45-yard touchdown pass to DeVonta Smith to increase their lead to 24-17.
While the offense owned the spotlight for the majority of the game, the Eagles defense had some great moments. Brandon Graham had a big stop when they took down Chase Brown on 3rd and 1 to force a fourth down. The Bengals then chose to challenge the Eagles’ defense and went for it on 4th and 1 with a quick pass to Ja’marr Chase that went nowhere thanks to Cooper DeJean.
The Eagles’ offense stalled out on that next drive which led to a Jake Elliot field goal to extend the lead to 27-17. With desperation settling in on the Bengals’ offense, Burrow would throw an unusual pick on the next drive. Isaiah Rodgers deflected the pass into the arms of C.J. Gardner-Johnson for the first turnover of the game.
Philadelphia would answer with an impressive drive that was heavily dependent on Saquon Barkley. Barkley would rush for more than 50 yards on a 12-play 85-yard drive which ended with a tush push score by Jalen Hurts. The crazy thing about momentum is that once it starts it never stops.
The contagious energy led to another turnover by the Bengals offense as Zack Baun forced a fumble on the next drive which led to the finishing touches of what became a deflating day for the Cincinnati Bengals.
The Eagles will now carry their three-game winning streak back to Philadelphia as they host the Jaguars for a 4:05 PM.
Mandatory Credit: Katie Stratman-Imagn Images
