Don’t look now, but the Bengals have put together back-to-back wins. A victory against the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday puts Cincinnati at .500 on the year and within striking distance of many of their preseason goals. According to some models, the Bengals’ chances of making the playoffs stand at around 40 percent. The Athletic has the figure at 51 percent.
Whatever the statistical model, nearly every game from now until the end of the season seems like a must-win. Some games against the likes of the Ravens will pit the Bengals against some of the league’s best. But on the other hand, there are numerous very winnable games left on the slate for 2024. These include games against Las Vegas, Tennessee, Denver, and Cleveland. The matchups against Dallas and the Los Angeles Chargers grow more favorable with each game those teams play.
And yet, the clash with the Eagles stands before all of those games. This game is an interesting one because it features a Bengals defense that is improving. The Bengals offense is trying to find its mojo from a few weeks ago. On the opposite side, the Eagles have a very good pass defense and had so many sacks last week you’d be forgiven in thinking they had a line full of Reggie White clones. It seems as though with the talent of Hurts and Barkley that they could explode on offense at any given moment, even though they haven’t necessarily done it yet this year.
So at the end of the day, what are some of the most important questions that will be answered on Sunday. What impact will those answers have on the outcome of this titanic clash? Read below and find out.
Is The Bengals Defensive Improvement for Real?
The Bengals are finally healthy along the offensive line. This has led to an improvement in their ability to stop the run. After allowing 175 yards and 5.1 yards per carry against Baltimore, the numbers have been much better.
Against the Giants, Cincinnati allowed 119 yards (3.8 YPC). The Browns managed just 77 yards (3.7 YPC) on the ground. This was the first time all year that the Bengals held their opponents below the century mark.
While these are promising trends, they weren’t exactly against powerhouses. Cleveland is 28th in rushing. The Giants aren’t much better, just 25th. That all changes this Sunday when the Eagles come to town.
Saquon Barkley is coming off his best game of the year. He rattled off 176 rush yards on just 17 carries against New York last week. That was the second game this season where he’s had over 140 yards. He’s been held in check at times this season, though. Most notably by the Browns. They limited Barkley to 47 yards on 18 rushes. That could be a blueprint for how Cincinnati might also look to bottle up an electric back.
Through the air, Jalen Hurts is having an average year based on his own past statistics. He’s throwing for 218 yards per game and completing almost 68 percent of his passes. His 7 touchdowns and 4 interceptions have yielded a rating of 94.4 on the season. Against the Giants, the Eagles seemed content to let Barkley and the ground game take care of business. Hurts completed just 10 passes for 114 yards and a touchdown. Although he has not used his legs as frequently this season he has shown flashes. Hurts torched the Falcons with 85 yards on the ground and a touchdown back on September 16th. Hurts’ athletic ability to extend plays and get yards on his own are factors the Bengals will have to account for.
The Eagles have the ability to put up points in bunches if they are firing on all cylinders. Their offense is significantly better than both New York and Cleveland. They are ninth in the league in touchdowns per drive. Sunday will be a test of just how improved Lou Anarumo’s defense has become.
Yes, it’s true the Bengals’ success on defense in recent weeks came against below-average offenses. But this defense has talented players on call. They’ve faced significant injuries. The confidence that comes from dominating performances, no matter what the opponent, can go a long way to the start of a turnaround.
Will We See the High-Powered Bengals Offense from Earlier This Year?
Since putting up 442 yards of offense against the Baltimore Ravens, the Bengals’ offense has struggled to match that level out output. They managed just 304 offensive yards against the Giants and a measly 223 versus the Browns. An offense that once looked like it could not be stopped has managed just four touchdowns on its last 24 drives in the past two games.
For his part, Joe Burrow has still been efficient. In those two games against New York and Cleveland where the offense looked less potent, he posted quarterback ratings of 89.6 and 108.9. He still completed over 63 percent of his passes. Burrow threw no interceptions and still had two touchdowns.
And still, the Bengals offense just looked…off. They struggled to find big plays and appeared out of sync in several key spots. These past two games have looked eerily similar to the output in the season opener against the Patriots. In that game the offense also seemed to move in fits and starts and got bogged down far too often.
With the defense’s consistent improvement, Bengals fans hope to finally see complimentary football against the Eagles. However, that will be no easy task. Philadelphia allows just 304 yards per game, good for fifth-best in the league. They are fifth also in passing defense. They allow only 189 yards through the air and have given up only seven touchdowns. The trio of Burrow, Chase, and Higgins are in for another fight in this one.
There are some positives in the matchup, though. The Eagles are dead last in the league in takeaways. They only have two, both interceptions. They are also 11th worst in the NFL in getting pressure on the quarterback. But because their pass defense is so effective, they still have 19 sacks on the year. If Burrow keeps getting the protection he is used to, he should have time to make the right decision and turn the offense around.
Special teams can also help the Bengals’ offense. Ryan Rehkow has shown he can help flip field position with his leg. And we all remember the electric return Charlie Jones had last week. Whether it’s scoring points or pinning opponents deep, those things can help put the offense in a position to improve.
Will Key Cincinnati Players Be Healthy?
The Bengals got some good injury news this week heading into this matchup. Safety Geno Stone and left tackle Orlando Brown Jr suffered what appeared to be some pretty serious injuries on Sunday. However, the team listed both as questionable and will not miss significant time.
Brown left the game against the Browns with a knee injury. He was replaced by backup Cody Ford who had a rough go against a good Browns pass rush. The fact that Brown, who has been one of the best offensive linemen in the league, won’t be out for multiple games is good news. Cincinnati is thinner along the line given Trent Brown’s own season ending patellar tendon injury earlier this year.
Brown has been a key part of a very good Bengals offensive line this season. Though they’ve had their struggles these past few weeks (Burrow was sacked three times against the Browns and four times against the Giants) overall they’ve given Joe Burrow the best protection he’s seen perhaps during his entire tenure with the Orange and Black.
The Eagles are 11th in the league in sacks but wracked up a ridiculous 8 of them last week alone against the New York Giants. Brown being back for this game would obviously be extremely important and the fact that is even a possibility is a big net positive for this team. On Wednesday, Brown was in uniform and did go through stretches but did not participate in individual or team drills.
For his part, when Geno Stone went down against Cleveland, it looked as though his season was done for sure. He collided with a teammate going for a pass breakup. His leg was instantly wrapped in an air cast and trainers carted him off the field in obvious pain. The Bengals stated that Stone suffered a shin contusion but there was no fracture, another blessing for this team. Head coach Zac Taylor remained optimistic that Stone could play on Sunday. Unfortunately, though, he did not practice on Wednesday. His progress will be something to watch. And if he cannot suit up, it will likely be Jordan Battle starting in his spot this week.
Both Brown and Stone are veteran players that the Bengals need to have on the field to contend against the Eagles. Though Stone has had his struggles this year, he’s also been playing better as of late. Brown is critical given the severe drop-off we all witness when Cody Ford entered the game. Left tackle is one of the most important positions on the field. The Eagles’ pass defense is stout enough without added pressure being put on Burrow through the pass rush. Bengals fans need to hope that Orlando Brown is good to go this Sunday. The fact that he was at least on the practice field on Wednesday is an extremely positive sign.
Final Thoughts and Prediction
So much of this game depend upon the health of Orlando Brown, Jr. If he can play and be effective, it puts the Bengals passing attack in a good place to be successful. That being said, the Eagles matchup very well in that facet of the game. If the offense sputters and struggles like they have against the Browns and Giants, it could end up being another very long day. Trying to get back on track against this Philadelphia pass defense will be no easy task.
However, Zac Taylor and Joe Burrow looked much more effective in the second half against the Browns. If they carry over that sort of production and play calling, they should be able to break out of their recent struggles. Baker Mayfield was able to 334 yards against the Eagles, and there is no reason why a Bengals offense that is in sync cannot see the same level of success.
I foresee a bit of a return to earth for the Bengals defense, to be honest. But by that same token, I believe the offense will step up and we will see a game where we get complimentary football on both sides of the ball for the first time this year.
Final score prediction: Bengals 27 Eagles 24
Cover photo credit to Scott Galvin-Imagn Images
