Eagles @ Bengals
Final Score: PHI 37 – CIN 17
Writer: Chris Helle (@ChrisHelleQBL on Twitter)
Riding the momentum from their blowout win in New York, the Eagles traveled to Ohio to take on the underperforming Bengals. Cincinnati came out of the gates firing, as Joe Burrow led a 70-yard drive capped by throwing a touchdown to Ja’Marr Chase. The Eagles’ offense started slow and found themselves down 3-10 late in the second quarter. Cincinnati was dominating time of possession but missed a 54-yard field goal, which opened the door for the Eagles to drive down the shorter field and tie the game up going into the half. It was a shootout to start the second half as the teams traded touchdowns, but a failed 4th down attempt from Cincinnati was the turning point in the game. Already down 24-17, the Eagles kicked another field goal to make it a two-possession game. Burrow threw an interception, which turned into seven more points for the Birds. Another late turnover paved the way for one last field goal to put this game to bed.
Two Up
- Devonta Smith – Turns out that A.J. Brown isn’t the only receiver who can bring in a deep ball! Aside from the big play TD, this was an important bounce-back game for Devonta after only 1 catch last week.
- Mike Gesicki – The biggest beneficiary of Higgins’ absence, Gesicki tied his most receptions this season with 7 on the day as he did in Week 2 – one of which was an impressive one-hander for his highlight reel.
One Down
- Cincinnati’s RBs – This offensive line really struggled to create any opportunities for either back, and it seemed as though the snap shares were close to even between the two. Chase Brown did get the goal line carry that he paid off, so he might not be down as much as Zack Moss, but the lack of efficiency from either combined with a timeshare is a bit of a caution flag.
Philadelphia Eagles
Quarterback
Jalen Hurts: 16/20 236 Yards, 1 TD | 10 Attempts, 37 Yards, 3 TDs
This was more than just a great production for fantasy purposes – Hurts played potentially his most complete game of the season. Sure, he was the beneficiary of two brotherly shove touchdowns, but he was also making better decisions and better throws without turning the ball over. He did well with working through his progressions, scored another touchdown on the ground, and threw a beautiful 45-yard dime to Devonta Smith in the endzone. Philly fans and fantasy owners should be optimistic he’s worked his way out of the turnover struggles and is back to performing at his MVP-caliber skill level.
Running Back
Saquon Barkley: 22 Attempts, 108 Yards | 1 Target, 1 Reception, 3 Yards
Saquon’s longest run of the day went for 19 yards, with most of his attempts fairly well contained by the Bengals’ defense. Even though he didn’t find the endzone, this game essentially sets the standard of what’s expected of him: 20+ carries for over 100 yards. Aside from the 100-degree game where the Eagles struggled in Tampa Bay, this may be a floor type of game for Barkley. His strength and elusiveness have him turning near tackles for loss into gains of 3-5 yards. He also was roughly 6 inches from scoring a touchdown after breaking a tackle and tip-toeing down the sideline. Hurts ended up getting the score on the ensuing shove.
Kenneth Gainwell: 5 Attempts, 19 Yards | 1 Target, 0 Receptions
Will Shipley: 2 Attempts, -3 Yards
Wide Receiver/Tight End
Dallas Goedert: DNP
Devonta Smith: 7 Targets, 6 Receptions, 85 Yards, 1 TD
This was a great bounce-back game for Devonta after last week, where he had just 1 reception for -2 yards. A screen to him early on went for -2 yards because A.J. Brown missed the block, but aside from that, most of his other targets were midrange down the field. He also got a turn as the deep threat and hauled in the 45-yarder from Hurts for his third TD of the season. It should be reassuring to see him more involved throughout the game and that A.J. isn’t the only one getting thrown deep shots.
A.J. Brown: 6 Targets, 5 Receptions, 84 Yards
Devonta may have stolen the limelight in this game, but this was still a good game from A.J. Brown. Through this point in the year, it seemed as though his primary role was to stretch the field vertically. He ran more slants and curls in this contest and was also used as a decoy route runner a few times. Nonetheless, A.J. is still Philly’s #1 receiver. This new season low for him was mostly because the Bengals dominated time of possession, and the Eagles only threw the ball 20 times.
Grant Calcaterra: 3 Targets, 3 Receptions, 58 Yards
Filling in for Dallas Goedert, Calcaterra is proving to be a viable weapon in this offense. His longest catch was for 28 yards on a deep dig across the middle. After how cautiously Philly’s staff handled AJ Brown’s hamstring injury combined, it would be safe to say Calcaterra should continue to see the field and targets for at least another couple of weeks and potentially even split time with Goedert upon his return to action.
Jack Stoll: 1 Target, 1 Reception, 6 Yards
Cincinnati Bengals
Quarterback
Joe Burrow: 26/37 234 Yards, 1 TD, 1 INT | 3 Attempts, 15 Yards
Outside of his lone interception, Burrow played extremely well and looked the most mobile he has since his calf injury last season. Throughout the first half, he was extending plays behind the line of scrimmage and hitting his targets downfield. The offense was systematic, and they dominated the time of possession. The second half was a slightly different story, where the play calling limited his targets to shorter routes and handing the ball off more. This is more of a credit to the Eagles’ defense for making adjustments than a concern for Burrow. Higgins should be back shortly, which will create more and better opportunities.
Running Back
Chase Brown: 12 Attempts, 32 Yards, 1 TD | 4 Targets, 2 Receptions, 2 Yards
Zack Moss: 5 Attempts, 11 Yards | 4 Targets, 4 Receptions, 28 Yards
Cincinnati’s offensive line certainly didn’t do either of these two running backs any favors. Their longest runs were a 4-yarder from Moss and a 5-yarder from Brown. Chase Brown did get the goal-line carry that he took into the endzone and looked more elusive at an ‘eye-test’ than Moss. With that said, it’s a split backfield, and it seemed as though the snap shares were a near-even split.
Wide Receiver/Tight End
Tee Higgins: DNP
Ja’Maar Chase: 11 Targets, 9 Receptions, 54 Yards, 1 TD
This could have been a much bigger game from Chase given that Tee Higgins wasn’t playing. It was a little odd that almost all of his targets were on short or intermediate depth routes – even his touchdown came after the offense had driven the ball down to the 2-yard line. His longest catch was a 13-yard out route, so he really wasn’t being put in good positions to break off the big plays we’d expect from him. With that said, 9 receptions and a touchdown is nothing to complain about.
Mike Gesicki: 8 Targets, 7 Receptions, 73 Yards, 1 fumble
It was beginning to look like he was losing snaps and targets to fellow TE Erick All, but this was an important game for Gesicki to cement himself as a valuable piece of this offense. He’s fast for his size and has the hands of a receiver. It was also encouraging to see Burrow find him multiple times on broken plays, potentially a sign that the two are building some rapport. The fumble came late in the 4th quarter when the game was already well out of hand.
Jermaine Burton: 3 Targets, 1 Reception, 41 Yards
Erick All Jr.: 2 Targets, 2 Receptions, 32 Yards
Trenton Irwin: 1 Target, 1 Reception, 4 Yards
Andre Iosivas: 3 Targets, 0 Receptions