Eagles at Bengals predictions for Week 8 of the NFL season

Eagles at Bengals predictions for Week 8 of the NFL season originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

The Eagles (4-2) are heading to Cincinnati to face the Bengals (3-4) on Sunday afternoon.

Let’s get to the predictions:

Reuben Frank (1-5)

I have no idea what to expect from the Eagles Sunday in Cincinnati. If they can keep doing the things they’ve been doing – sacking quarterbacks, getting big production from Saquon Barkley, turnover-free games from Jalen Hurts – they will win and find their way to 5-2. But the Bengals aren’t the Browns or the Giants. Despite that 3-4 record, they’re a good team with an explosive offense, an elite quarterback, a world-class edge rusher and a wide receiver who’s almost as good as A.J. Brown. This is a challenging matchup. The Bengals have played some very good teams tough – they lost by one to the undefeated Chiefs in Kansas City, they lost by five to the 5-2 Commanders and they lost by three to the Ravens, who’ve won five straight. But their three wins are over teams that are a combined 4-17. The Eagles have never won in Cincinnati. They’re 0-4-1 on the banks of the Ohio River and 3-9-1 all-time vs. the Bengals with the last win coming in 2000 at the Vet. Too early to say they’ve turned the corner, but I like a lot of what I’ve seen the last couple weeks. Big one Sunday but I’m going with the Birds.

Eagles 26, Bengals 24

Dave Zangaro (3-3)

This one feels like it could go either way. I’m definitely not expecting a blow out for either team in this one. The Eagles have two straight wins coming off the bye against the Browns and Giants but will face a team with much more firepower in Cincinnati on Sunday. It’ll be a great test for a defense that has feasted the last two weeks against inferior opponents. If they can do it against the Bengals in this game, it would be a huge boost the rest of the way. But it’s unlikely they’re going to be able to completely shut down Joe Burrow and the Bengals.

On offense, the Eagles have been running the ball more since the bye. I’m still not sure I completely buy into the idea of that being the identity of the team the rest of the season but with how well Saquon Barkley has played, the Eagles would be crazy to not feed him the rock. In this game it would help to score some points in the first quarter, though, because being a run-first team is a lot harder when you’re down.

This feels like a coin flip to me. If the Eagles win it, they would be riding high. And I think it’s possible they get a W. But ultimately, I think this is a tough one on the road and the Bengals are a little more desperate. I think the Eagles lose but if they go 3-1 in this four-game stretch after the bye, fans should still feel pretty good.

Bengals 27, Eagles 26

Barrett Brooks (3-3)

The Eagles get a true test on their next step in gaining an identity. Can this offense flourish in a run-heavy system? With weapons like A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith, is it smart to have this identity? Conventional wisdom would say no. They are too talented on the outside to not highlight the top WR duo in the NFL. But right now, I’m going to double down and say yes: Running the ball can lead this team to the Super Bowl. NFL defenses are not equipped to stop a heavy run game. Linebackers and defensive linemen are smaller these days to combat the pass. The Birds have the biggest OL in the NFL. Why not use the size to move the crowd and pound on the opponent’s defense?

The Eagles’ defense is finally starting to turn the corner. I knew it would take a minute for the defense to get started. They are so young and Vic Fangio is just getting to a point where he knows how to use the different pieces on the field. The defensive line has finally woken up and is generating pressure on QBs — 13 sacks in the past two games is just the start.

Eagles 30, Bengals 28

Mike Mulhern (4-2)

Stop me if this sounds familiar. A team with Super Bowl aspirations struggled out of the gates then “got right” over the last two weeks with wins they had to have against the Browns and Giants. Yes, the Bengals and Eagles are on very similar paths as they set to face off Sunday. But the big question remains: has either team actually turned a corner?

Relying on the run seems to be the Eagles’ new plan of attack. Over the past two weeks, they’ve had 81 rush attempts to just 40 pass attempts. Game script played a major factor, but my concern is it seems to be a bit out of necessity rather than choice. Jalen Hurts is taking care of the ball, but they had a hard time protecting him and he missed some reads against the Giants that he can’t afford to against the Bengals. It would be ideal if the Eagles could find a way to marry Saquon Barkley’s success on the ground to some play-action passing and make things easier on their quarterback. Expect them to overcorrect and get DeVonta Smith involved early and often after his one catch performance last week.

I find myself believing that the defense has figured things out much more than the offense. Yes, it was the Brown and Giants, but 0 touchdowns allowed in two straight weeks is hard to do in today’s NFL. I’m curious to see what kind of game plan Vic Fangio puts together against Joe Burrow. The Eagles DC is known for being able to muddy the picture against top-shelf quarterbacks. Back in 2021, his Broncos defense held the Super Bowl-bound Bengals to a season-low 15 points. If they can keep Cincy under 24 on Sunday, I’d take it. I think they have the corners to match up and a pass rush that has found its mojo.

Eagles 25, Bengals 23

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