Eagles DeVonta Smith Bounces Back In 37-17 Win Vs. Bengals

The Eagles receiver had a game-changing 45-yard touchdown catch to help Philly win its third game in a row to reach 5-2.

Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver DeVonta Smith (6) makes a touchdown catch over Cincinnati Bengals safety Jordan Battle (27) in the 3rd quarter at Paycor Stadium Sunday October 27, 2024. The Bengals lost 37-17 and remain winless at home. / Cara Owsley/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

His last name may be Battle, but DeVonta Smith won this one, outleaping the Bengals defensive back for a key touchdown in the Eagles’ 37-17 romp over the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday.

Locked up in man coverage, Jordan Battle was no match for the Eagles’ fabulous receiver, who made a 45-yard catch in the end zone to give the Eagles a 24-17 less than two minutes after the Bengals had tied the game at 17. The score came with 2:43 to play in the third quarter and the Eagles never gave the lead back. The win moved them to 5-2 with a home game scheduled for Sunday against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

“We knew we would get the one-on-one coverage and Jalen (Hurts) trusts me to go out there if it’s one on one to win a 50-50 ball,” said Smith.

It was a solid bounce back game for him after last week’s game against the Giants, in which his run blocking was stellar, but his pass catching was not. He had only one catch in the 28-3 win over New York, a failed bubble screen that lost two yards.

“I’m just out there doing my job, whether I get a lot of targets or I get a few targets, I just go out there and try to do the best I can to make the most of my opportunities,” he said. “Just trusting my training. I go out there every day and I feel I work really hard at my craft, so just being ready when the opportunity comes. Sometimes it doesn’t come right then, but when it does you have to be ready for it.”

Oct 27, 2024; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver DeVonta Smith (6) reacts after scoring a touchdown against the Cincinnati Bengals in the second half at Paycor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Katie Stratman-Imagn Images / Katie Stratman-Imagn Images

His advantage over Battle? "I can see the ball and (he) can’t," said Smith, who ended his day with six catches and a team-high 85 yards and the game-changing TD.

“Great catch,” said A.J. Brown, who added five catches for 84 yards. “I was praying that he held onto it because of how he fell.”

Smith has been down the road of adversity before when it comes to making plays in the pass game. In the 2022 season opener in Detroit, he was targeted four times but didn’t have a catch. The following week, in a 24-7 win over the Minnesota Vikings, he had seven catches for 80 yards.

“Smitty’s not worried about none of that,” said Brown. “He’s going to come to work, make plays when his number is called. Of course, he wanted more than negative-(2) yards last week. So, when he got the opportunity, he made the most of it. That’s what’s expected.”

Smith's. atch was his second touchdown catch covering 45 yards this season and the team's 11th play of at least 40 yards this season, which leads the NFL and is already two more than they had all of last season.

“That’s the way the game goes," said head coach Nick Sirianni about Smith's offensive output, or lack thereof, last week. "That’s why you can’t overreact when things happen and proud of him and the things he stands for and the way he puts his head down and works and tunes out everything else.”

Perhaps the irony is that Smith’s first reception went for a loss of two yards. Jalen Hurts never stopped throwing to him, though.

Smith came up big on a pair of third-down throws. He made a 15-yard catch on third-and five to keep a drive alive that led to a touchdown and 17-10 Eagles lead in the third. Smith also had a nine-yard grab on third-and-seven on another drive that kept drive alive to push the lead to 34-17.

“He made some huge plays down the stretch of the game down the field and then on third downs, he showed up big,” said Hurts. “I think that was a great showing for him and a great showing for our team.”

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