Eagles @ Bengals: Brotherly Love in the Queen City Week 8 Preview

What we've seen the last few weeks is much closer to what we expected from this Bengals squad than what we got the first week, still, every loss was a one-score game.

The Bengals offense has been rolling, only petering out in the season opener and really clicking during a stretch where they put up 105 points in three games. The defense has started putting it together as well, giving up a combined 21 points over the last two weeks after giving up an average of 29 the first five.

Division leaders Baltimore and Pittsburgh are still comfortably in the (co)driver's seat for now, but the Bengals still have three games against the two of them and another against the Browns who are looking more and more like the worst team in the league (not named Carolina). If Cincy can win this Sunday they put themselves in a much better position to make the playoffs and win the division while also picking up a win against one of the NFC's better teams.

Eagles (4-2) @ Bengals (3-4)

Kickoff - 1p CBS

Line - Bengals -2.5 O/u 47.5

Series - Bengals lead 9-3-2

Last meeting - Tie 23-23 September 27, 2020 in Philadelphia, PA

Bits and Baubles

Bengals - Cincinnati is unbeaten in their last five games against the Eagles, going 3-0-2 dating back to 2005. Germaine Pratt and Logan Wilson are tied for third in the NFL with 71 tackles each. Charlie Jones' kickoff return against the Browns last week was the Bengals' first since 2020.

Eagles - Brother Chase (Bengals RB) and Sydney Brown (Eagles S) will face each other on the football field in the NFL for the first time on Sunday. Saquon Barkley's 658 rushing yards are his best to open the season since 2022 when he had 726yards and make the second of two career Pro Bowls.

Injury Report

Bengals

Tee Higgins - WR - Questionable (Quadriceps)

Eagles

Byron Young - DT - OUT-IR (Hamstring)

Dallas Goedert - TE - OUT (Hamstring)

Mehki Becton - OT - OUT (Concussion)

Fantasy Advice

As always Bengals receivers should be playing for you (at least Chase and Higgins), Iosivas is still a decent streaming play. I'm not sure I play either Chase Brown or Zach Moss this week, they couldn't manage much running the ball against the Browns so I don't think it would be better against the Birds.

Saquon Barkley should have a nice day, but the Bengals have tightened up their run defense (other than the Chubb TD) in recent games, so maybe don't expect a HUGE game. Jalen Hurts looks like a new QB since the bye week (5 total TDs, 0 INTs) and it's more than possible you can chalk him up for at least two TDs and a chunk of rushing yards.

Prediction

Eagles 27-24