Eagles vs. Bengals Recap
The Eagles moved to 5-2 on the season with their best victory of the season in Cincinnati. They scored 37 points in the matchup, the highest of the season thus far. Jalen Hurts had his best outing, with 273 total yards along with four touchdowns. It’s also his third straight game without a turnover, a promising sign. From the eye test, it was the most composed Hurts looked in the pocket in any game this season. The defense also had a strong performance, holding Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati offense to 17 points on their turf. With that being said, there were many areas of execution that stood out.
The pass rush continues to progress each week, with four sacks against the Bengals. Previously scrutinized, linebacker Nakobe Dean had a strong outing. He played physically and was a presence in the middle of the field all day long. Rookie cornerback Cooper DeJean continues to take advantage of his opportunity to start, showing flashes of excellent open-field tackling. It was also refreshing to see DeVonta Smith have a big day after being held to one catch against the Giants. The star receiver had six receptions for 85 yards, along with a phenomenal 45-yard touchdown. It is expected that Smith will continue to have a significant role in the success of the offense. Running back Saquon Barkley continues to shine, eclipsing 100 rushing yards. It is the fourth game this season Barkley has accomplished this mark.
Somewhat flying under the radar, second-string tight end Grant Calcaterra has been having a nice stretch of games. Calcaterra had 58 yards, his second-highest of the season. He’s shown flashes of elusiveness in the open field. It will be interesting to see how the Eagles incorporate him when Dallas Goedert returns to action. The last two weeks have certainly looked like a completely different team. In the last two games, the team has outscored their opponents 65-20. Long sustained stretches of these margins of victory are traits of a dominant football team. Hopefully, Philadelphia continues to show this stretch of consistency.
