The Cincinnati Bengals have an exciting interconference matchup this Sunday as they look for their first home win of the 2024 season against the Eagles. According to FanDuel, they will see this as a slight 1.5-point favorite.

To gain insight into what’s happening in Philly, we tapped into the knowledge of Brandon Lee Gowton of Bleeding Green Nation.

1.) AC: What’s the feeling like for the Eagles right now? It seems like the late season disappointment of 2023 has seeped into this year even though they are 4-2. Have things changed for their coach and quarterback, who have come under scrutiny?

BG: “Eagles fans are feeling more encouraged after the team’s second straight win and their first win by more than one score in almost a year. It’s a relief to actually witness a victory that doesn’t feel so excruciating.

But by beating the Browns and Giants (the same two teams the Bengals last played), hardly anyone really believes in the Eagles’ ceiling as a championship contender.

Questions remain about Nick Sirianni’s ability to push the right buttons and give his team an edge. He had issues with game management and lacked answers when it came to starting quickly in attack. The Eagles are the only team in the NFL not to score a point in the first quarter this season. They have now not scored in the first quarter for eight games in a row.

Jalen Hurts is coming off his second straight game of not turning the ball over, which is good to see after opening the season with seven giveaways through the first four weeks. But the Eagles’ passing game isn’t very cohesive or reliable right now. Hurts didn’t seem to see the field well in Week 7. Holding on to the ball for too long meant missing some throws that needed to be made and taking sacks that could have been avoided if the ball had come out sooner.

To beat the Bengals, the Eagles will likely need Sirianni and Hurts to be sharper than before.”

2.) AC: What do you think is the most favorable positional matchup for the Eagles this week?

BG: “If Orlando Brown can’t play, I think an Eagles pass rush that seems to be coming to life could especially benefit the Bengals’ offensive line. But it appears Brown could have a shot after being limited in Wednesday’s practice.

Still, I’m curious to see if Philly’s defense can build on their performances against the Browns and Bengals, where they combined for 13 sacks, 14 TFLs, and 21 quarterback hits. I noticed that Pro Football Focus currently ranks the Bengals’ offensive line as the sixth-worst blocking unit in the NFL.

Also interested to see how the Bengals defend Saquon Barkley. The Bengals are tied for the fourth-best defense in terms of opponent yards per rush attempt, but Barkley will test this Cincy defense, which allowed Derrick Henry to log 15 carries for 92 yards earlier this season.

3.) Give us a player on offense and defense that we may not know, but who can make an impact in this game.

BG: “Insult: You actually know him as a former Bengal, but I’ll say he’s Fred Johnson. He starts at left tackle in place of Jordan Mailata, who is on injured reserve. Johnson has made some really nice contributions as a run blocker, but he has been up and down in pass protection. I’m really concerned about him going up against an elite edge rusher in Trey Hendrickson.

You’d think the Eagles would try to get Fred Johnson some help, but offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland typically doesn’t go that route with his tackles, instead leaving them 1-on-1 at a higher rate than the rest of the competition. We’ll see if he suits up for this matchup. (Honorable mention on offense: Linebacker Ben VanSumeren, who has seen some snaps at fullback. He had some good lead blocks on Saquon runs last week.)

Defense: Not exactly an unremarkable guy for a first-round pick (I’m really not following the rules of this question, am I?), but I’ll say Quinyon Mitchell. According to Pro Football Reference, the rookie cornerback has allowed just a 69.3 passer rating when targeted this season. He has been close to intercepting a pass in almost every game this season.

It seems like only a matter of time before he finally catches the ball and makes a really big play. Mitchell faces his biggest test yet as he faces off against the Bengals’ impressive receiving trio. He may face some rookie issues at some point, but no one would be surprised if he rises to the challenge and shines again.

4.) AC: Do you think a potential win would more likely come from the legs of Hurts and Saquon Barkley or through the arm of Hurts and his quality wideouts?

BG: “The first. The Eagles have really leaned into their running game after their Week 5 bye. And it’s hard to blame them for how good Barkley has looked. He’s a big play waiting to happen.

The Eagles will eventually need to get their passing game to click better than it currently does. They won’t be able to win on a regular basis if Hurts only attempts 14 passes like he did against the Giants. Eventually they will need more passing volume. But right now they might not need it, especially if they can build a lead and play from the front in this one.”

5.) AC: Do you have a prediction for this?

BG: “I do power rankings for Bleeding Green Nation every week. Even when the Bengals fell to 1-4, I still had them ranked 14th. This is what I wrote at the time:

“You might be wondering why I’m pushing the 1-4 Bengals after a loss. The answer: they are better than their record indicates. Don’t be surprised if they get four straight wins, followed by over NYG, over CLE, against PHI and against LVR.”

I believe the Bengals are better than their record indicates. The underlying statistics indicate this; Cincy is 12th in DVOA and 16th in point differential.

And so I like the Bengals winning this game. I don’t see them dropping to 0-4 at home, especially when the Eagles have generally struggled in Cincy. Bengals 28, Eagles 24.”

Our thanks to Brandon Gowton of Bleeding Green Nation. You can watch the other side of our conversation here.

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