Eagles-Bengals Preview With Final Score Prediction

Can the Eagles' defense maintain the consistency it has shown the past two weeks against one of the league's more dangerous offenses in the Cincinnati Bengals?

Oct 20, 2024; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; Philadelphia Eagles linebacker Josh Sweat (19) pass rushes against the New York Giants New York Giants guard Joshua Ezeudu (75) during the first half at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images / Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

PHILADELPHIA – The Eagles are looking to win their third straight game to get to 5-2. The Bengals are trying to even their record at 4-4 after a rocky start to the season. Here’s a closer look at the matchup, set for 1 p.m. (CBS) on Sunday.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Jalen Hurts. The quarterback threw the ball just 14 times last week and, despite not committing a turnover for the second straight week, heard nothing but how he has become a game manager, and the Eagles can’t rely on him to win games if he has to throw it too many times. Well, here’s something to consider: The Eagles are 10-5 dating back to the start of last year when Hurts has had to throw the ball at least 30 times in a game.

Fred Johnson. A week after matching up against the Giants' Brian Burns, the backup left tackle will start again, this time against potential game-wrecker Trey Hendrickson.

DeVonta Smith. The receiver got plenty of credit from head coach Nick Sirianni for how he “threw his body around” in the run game but one catch for minus two yards, like he had last week? No way. That won’t happen in this game.

Josh Sweat. The defensive end went eight straight games to close last season without a sack, but now has sacks in three straight games and appears to be finding his groove. Sirianni called him one of the most physical guys on the team.

Quinyon Mitchell. The Eagles rookie cornerback hasn’t given up a touchdown this season and has allowed just 17 receptions on 31 targets (54.8 percent), per Pro Football Focus. Ja’Marr Chase will test him and perhaps tee Higgins, too, though Higgins is listed as questionable with a quad injury.

Sydney Brown. Maybe you heard…the Brown twins will meet on different sides of the line of scrimmage, with Eagles safety Sydney ready to put running back Chase in his crosshairs and tackle him. That’s provided Sydney plays. He got just nine snaps last week in his first game back after rehabbing a torn ACL suffered last January. Either way, this is believed to be the first time twins lined up on different sides of the ball to play against each other since Week 6 in 2008 when Tiki and Ronde Barber went head-to-head.

Oct 20, 2024; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts (1) throws the ball as New York Giants linebacker Brian Burns (0) pursues during the second half at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images / Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

QUESTIONS

-Will this be the game in which the Eagles find a way to score points in the first quarter? They have gone eight straight without having done that dating back to last year.

-Can Hurts go three straight games without turning the ball over? He had just three games last year where he did that.

-Can the Eagles continue to feast on the big play? They have 10 plays of at least 40 yards or more a season in which they had just nine of those.

PREDICTION

The Bengals defense is ranked 22nd in the league, but its offense is eighth and averaging 25.4 points per game. The Eagles’ defense has looked much more consistent the past two weeks and hasn’t given up a touchdown in nine straight quarters.

That streak will end and, in the process, another one will live on and that is the Eagles will continue to remain winless in Cincinnati in their franchise history.

BENGALS 27, EAGLES 23

Season record: 2-4

More NFL: Seeing Double In Cincinnati: Brown Twins Doing Something For First Time Since 2006