Soar no more.
The Cincinnati Bengals got another win last week, and now they have an opportunity to get to 500 with a win over the Philadelphia Eagles, but it’ll be far from easy. Here is what they must do to get their first win of the season at home.
Put it Together
The Bengals offense has had good weeks, and the Bengals defense has had good weeks, but they haven’t overlapped. This is not a week where they can afford to score less than 20 points, and it is certainly not a week where they can give up 30. Both sides of the ball need to come to play.
Run D
The Eagles want to run the football, so that is exactly what the Bengals defense needs to stop. While this was a problem early in the season, the return of BJ Hill, Sheldon Rankins, Kris Jenkins, and McKinnley Jackson from injury has made a big difference. This week is a good test for where exactly the Bengals defense is at. If they can contain Saquon Barkley, they have a shot at being pretty good.
Start Fast
The best thing that an offense can do for their defense is force the other team to play from behind. This is particularly true when your opponent wants to run the ball. Forcing the Eagles to throw the ball has the added advantage of allowing the Bengals to exploit the Trey Hendrickson/Fred Johnson matchup.
Big Plays
The Bengals have done a good job of creating explosive plays on offense this year, but they can always do more. Getting Jermaine Burton more involved could definitely play a part in this. Chase Brown has recently had some big runs, and this trend needs to continue.
Defensively, they have actually been pretty good at limiting explosive plays, but the Eagles will provide a real challenge. Barkley, AJ Brown, DeVonta Smith, and Dallas Goedert have all made explosive plays this year. The Bengals need to keep these weapons contained and force Jalen Hurts and Co. to move down the field in small increments.
Run the Dang Ball, Chip
When this offense has been clicking, they have been able to run the ball effectively. This will create opportunities for play-action passes and keep the heat off of Joe Burrow, which are both very good things.