THE Cincinnati Bengals (3-4) face the Philadelphia Eagles (4-2) Sunday at Paycor Stadium.
Part of the team’s slow start has kept the Bengals 0-3 in home games. Cincinnati is on a two-game winning streak and if the Bengals can beat the Eagles, it will take the team to .500 with two AFC games (2-5 Raiders and 5-2 Ravens) coming up.
Philadelphia is one of the most balanced teams in the NFC this year. Running back Saquon Barkley joined the Eagles in free agency and is one of the best at his position in the NFL. Quarterback Jalen Hurts has had his ups and downs this season, but his top receivers, AJ Brown and DeVonta Smith, are one of the best duos in the game.
On defense, the Eagles are led by veteran defensive coordinator Vic Fangio and a versatile defensive front. Philadelphia ranks in the top 10 in points allowed per game and the unit has been playing much better in recent weeks.
For the Bengals to win, they will have to play their most complete game of the season. So let’s take a closer look at what Cincinnati needs to do to beat the Eagles.
Bengals defense must limit Eagles’ explosive plays
The Eagles have weapons all over the field on offense. Running back Saquon Barkley, receivers AJ Brown and Devonta Smith, tight end Dallas Goedert and quarterback Jalen Hurts are all capable of making explosive plays.
Defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo’s unit will need to play well on all three levels of defense to stop this offense. But it all starts with Barkley. Against the Giants last week, Barkley totaled 176 yards on 16 carries. The Bengals can’t allow Barkley to punish them on the field. Keeping Barkley under 100 yards is the key to a win for the Bengals.
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The Bengals managed to keep the Ravens’ Derrick Henry in check for the majority of the game in Cincinnati’s Week 5 overtime loss. They’ll need a similar performance against Barkley, who Anarumo says is a bit different than Henry.
“You have to put many hats on the ball because it’s so elusive in the hole,” Anarumo said. “Derrick is a little more of a one-cut guy where Saquon kind of presents you in different ways. He’s maybe a bit faster, but both are great players, so it’s a huge challenge.”
Cincinnati’s secondary needs to cover well against Brown and Smith. Cornerback Cam Taylor-Britt has been shaky this season and will likely face Brown often. If Taylor-Britt plays well against Brown, it could greatly improve his confidence this year.
Brown led the Eagles in receiving last week against New York with five catches for 89 yards and a touchdown.
“First you start with that, big, strong, fast, you can go up and get it,” Anarumo said of Brown. “He has a very good, big catch radius. He’s strong at the catch point. He’s proven he can take a slant and go far with it while going down the field. He has all the traits of ‘a No. 1 receiver, and that’s what he is.’
Bengals must protect Joe Burrow from Eagles rush
This match has everything to be a high-scoring affair thanks to all the talent on the field.
That being said, the Bengals need to play better on offense than they have over the past two weeks. The biggest key to Cincinnati’s offensive success on Sunday will be how well quarterback Joe Burrow protects.
Philadelphia is going to make it difficult for Burrow throughout the game and the Bengals need to prepare for several different looks of pressure. The Eagles have five players with two or more sacks and how Cincinnati’s offensive line plays in pass protection will play a big role in the game.
If starting left tackle Orlando Brown Jr. can play on Sunday, it will make a huge difference. Brown has played at a Pro Bowl level this season and if he is unable to play due to the injury he suffered against the Browns, the Bengals will have to rely on Cody Ford.
The Eagles recorded eight sacks against the Giants a week ago. For the Bengals to win, they can’t allow Burrow to get hit that much.
Burrow has the weapons to take on Hurts and Co. and if he can get enough time in the pocket, the Bengals are capable of giving the Eagles a run for their money.
The Bengals must play well in all phases against the Eagles
The Bengals have yet to prepare for a full game in all three phases this year. For this team to play meaningful games in December, they need to start playing complementary football and that starts with winning games at home.
Early in the season, the Bengals offense was playing at an elite level, but the defense was struggling to find its footing. In the last two wins, against the Giants and Browns, the Bengals’ offense looked bad, but the defense played well.
Special teams got a huge boost against the Browns when Charlie Jones returned the kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown.
Playing all three phases well at the same time would be key for the Bengals.
This article originally appeared on the Cincinnati Enquirer: Keys to the game: How the Bengals beat the Eagles
