Eagles at Bengals Week 8 | SCOUTING REPORT

The Bengals look to get their third win in a row on Sunday when the Philadelphia Eagles come to Paycor Stadium. Currently sitting at 4-2, the Eagles are also winners of two in a row, taking down the Cleveland Browns and New York Giants in the last two weeks.

Eagles Offense

Jalen Hurts commands the Eagles offense. The dual-threat quarterback has four rushing touchdowns this year, tied with Washington quarterback Jayden Daniels for the second most of any quarterback in the league. He has seven passing touchdowns to go along with his four rushing scores. Hurts threw four interceptions in his first three games but has gone without a pick in the team's last three contests.

Hurts has produced at a high level when kept clean this season, as his PFF offensive grade when not pressured ranks fifth among all quarterbacks. However, he has posted a 30.8 offensive grade when under pressure, ranking 35th among qualified quarterbacks. He has faced pressure on 92 drop-backs, the sixth-most among all quarterbacks.

The Eagles' offensive line lost longtime center Jason Kelce this offseason when he retired, but they returned a lot of talent, specifically at the tackle positions. Tackles Jordan Mailata and Lane Johnson both rank within the top 10 of PFF's pass-block grade, with Mailata topping the list at 90.9. As an overall unit, the Philadelphia offensive line ranks 13th in PFF pass-block grade and 11th in run-block grade.

The Eagles made one of the biggest acquisitions of the offseason when they signed running back Saquon Barkley away from their NFC East Rival New York Giants. The 2018 Offensive Rookie of the Year is enjoying one of the best seasons of his career so far, averaging 6.1 yards per carry and nearly 110 yards per game on the ground. Barkley's 376 yards after contact ranks fourth among all running backs, per PFF, while his 658 total rushing yards ranks third leaguewide. Always an explosive threat, the Penn State product has four runs of 40+ yards this year, the most of any running back.

Philadelphia's receiving corps got a big lift two weeks ago as number one wideout A.J. Brown returned from injury. Brown's 91.6 PFF receiving grade ranks second among all receivers, trailing only Houston's Nico Collins. The former Tennessee Titan averages 108 yards per game, also second behind Collins. On the other side of Brown, 2020 Heisman Trophy winner DeVonta Smith leads the Eagles with 25 receptions on the year. Tight end Dallas Goedert sits right behind Smith with 24 catches, and they both have 301 receiving yards.

Eagles Defense

The Philadelphia defense is coming off successful performances in three of their last four games, allowing 12, 16 and three points to the Saints, Browns and Giants, respectively.

The Eagles allow the fifth-fewest yards through the air and boast a 71.2 PFF coverage grade, good for 11th in the league. The investments Philadelphia made into their secondary have paid dividends, as rookie corners Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean are enjoying successful campaigns. DeJean, a rookie out of Iowa, has an 86.8 PFF coverage grade that ranks second in the league among all cornerbacks with at least 50 coverage snaps.

DeJean played just eight snaps in the first three games, but he has seen a more regular role in the last two weeks. As for Mitchell, he has allowed just three catches on eight targets for 25 yards in the last two games. Philly also has veteran Darius Slay, a former All Pro who has allowed 14 receptions this season.

Philadelphia yields115.2 yards per game on the ground, middle of the pack in terms of league numbers. They also allow 4.7 yards per carry, ninth-most in the NFL. Defensive tackle Jalen Carter has recorded three sacks this season and boasts an 81.8 pass-rush grade, the sixth-best among all defensive tackles. As a team, Philadelphia has 19 sacks through six games.

The Eagles have forced only two turnovers this season, both interceptions. Their minus-six turnover differential ranks tied for 28th in the league.

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