The Eagles still haven't scored a first-quarter touchdown, but that hardly mattered on Sunday in Cincinnati.
The defense made some key stops in the clutch and the offense took off for 27 points in the second half to leave Joe Burrow and the Bengals in the dust, 37-17.
The Birds are 5-2 now, keeping themselves up there with the Commanders in the race for the NFC East after eight weeks.
Here are the pivotal plays that got them there…
Slay keeps 'em at bay
Burrow chewed the Eagles' secondary up on the Bengals' opening scoring drive. Then, after Nolan Smith and Milton Williams sent him 12 yards backward to set up a long 3rd and 22, the Cincinnati quarterback rendered it null and void with an extended play that he turned into a 24-yard pickup on a scramble and a drop-off to tight end Mike Gesicki for the first down.
It was a tough break for the Eagles' defense. The offense was stalling (again) and Burrow was keeping them on the field, further and further pinned back into their own territory as Cincinnati was setting up to extend its lead.
After the Bengals worked their way down to the Philadelphia 9, but faced with a 3rd and 3, Burrow took the shot and lofted one up for Jermaine Burton to the back corner of the end zone, but Darius Slay stayed on him to break up the pass and make it fourth down.
Cincinnati settled for a field goal to make it a 10-3 game, which to the Eagles' immediate favor, kept it at just a one-possession game – saved by some timely lockdown coverage from Slay.
Zone Reed
Burrow didn't shy away from constantly challenging the Eagles' defensive backfield though.
On 2nd and 10, and after an Eagles punt, Burrow went right back to Burton with Slay on him in coverage and it went the opposite way this time – a 41-yard completion over the shoulder that took the Bengals down to the Eagles' 39
Cincinnati was set up again in Eagles territory, but the defense stood tall in a crucial spot.
Chase Brown turned the corner for three yards on a run, a Burrow pass over the middle missed the mark, then on third down, the Bengals' QB went looking for Gesicki again on a comeback route, but Reed Blankenship cracked down from over top to force an incompletion.
Cincinnati sent Evan McPherson back out for the field-goal try from 54 yards out. He missed, and with just over five minutes left in the first half, the Eagles had their opening.
Make a push
And the offense was ready to make good on it, marching 56 yards on 12 plays for the score to knot it up at 10.
The Eagles brought it to the 1, where Cincinnati made it a struggle, but the "Tush Push" remains as one of the toughest plays in football to stop.
After review.. it's a Jalen Hurts TD on the push!
📺: #PHIvsCIN on CBS/Paramount+
📱: https://t.co/waVpO909ge pic.twitter.com/IqbXQkCrqg— NFL (@NFL) October 27, 2024
Better yet for Philadelphia, they were getting the ball back coming back from halftime.
Run it back
And found a rhythm.
DeVonta Smith pushed forward for 15 yards on a 3rd and 5 completion, and then Grant Calcaterra took off on a pass in the open field for a 28-yard gain deep into Cincinnati territory.
Grant Calcaterra celebrating #NationalTightEndsDay 😁 pic.twitter.com/DOm7rnYOXG
— Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) October 27, 2024
A few plays later, Jalen Hurts kept the ball on play action and slipped behind a Calcaterra block into the end zone. The Eagles had the lead, 17-10.
THAT'S OUR QB1 ❗️@jalenhurts | #FlyEaglesFly pic.twitter.com/CbPw0NUFms
— Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) October 27, 2024
Smith's ball or nobody's
The Bengals responded with a 13-play, 70-yard touchdown drive to keep pace, 17-17. But then, after a 23-yard completion to A.J. Brown put the Eagles in range at midfield, Hurts took the home-run swing.
DeVonta Smith. 46-yard touchdown. Beautiful pass, spectacular catch, and the Eagles back on top, 24-17, late in the third quarter.
HURTS LAUNCHES DEEP TO DEVONTA SMITH.
46-YARD TOUCHDOWN.
📺: #PHIvsCIN on CBS/Paramount+
📱: https://t.co/waVpO909ge pic.twitter.com/u4yjFvgeOi— NFL (@NFL) October 27, 2024
The kids are alright
There was still a lot of football left to play, and the Bengals had shown they could swing right back.
So the Eagles' defense followed up with maybe their best series of the day.
After Burrow scrambled for 8 yards on 1st and 10, Chase Brown ran into a wall and gained only a yard on second down, then it was Zack Moss turn to try on third down and Brandon Graham prevented him from going anywhere.
On 4th and short though, the Bengals' offense stayed out to go for it.
Burrow hooked a screen to Ja'Marr Chase, but Cooper DeJean already had the beat on the play and was barreling down to make the tackle.
The rookie stopped the Cincinnati star receiver way short of the line. Turnover on downs, Eagles' ball, and another solid play from the young cornerback – this time in a clutch spot.
THAT'S A BAD (DE)JAWN 😤@cdejean23 | #FlyEaglesFly pic.twitter.com/ZlMCooglqv
— Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) October 27, 2024
Gotta hand it to 'em
The Eagles flipped that turnover into a 49-yard field goal from Jake Elliot to go up 10, and now in the fourth quarter, the Bengals started needing to press.
Slay left the game with an injury, so Isaiah Rodgers checked in at corner, but matched up against Chase, Burrow saw a clear mismatch.
On a first down at midfield, Burrow launched a pass up for Chase down the sideline, banking on the bet that his guy would win the toss-up for the ball against a defensive back down on the Eagles' depth chart.
But Rodgers stayed with Chase and got his hand up as the ball was coming down, knocking it down and straight into the grasp of safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson, who was also tracking the pass for the interception.
The Eagles got the ball back, and were fully in the driver's seat from there.
🚨 ISAIAH RODGERS INTERCEPTION 🚨@rodgers_isaiah | #FlyEaglesFly pic.twitter.com/7hQihUCvXo
— Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) October 27, 2024
Saquon Barkley got fed the ball with clock management in mind and Hurts punched in more touchdown from a yard out to make it 34-17 after taking a substantial 7:37 of time away.
Then Cincinnati fumbled it and the Eagles recovered, which pretty much put the game away and moved the Birds to 5-2 once Elliott hit on another field goal.
MORE: Eagles get it right against Bengals to keep win streak going
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