After last week's game, Joe Burrow said he had never lost two straight. Now after Sunday in Philadelphia, he says he had never been in a tie, either.
"We didn't win. That's all it is to me," Burrow said after it was over. "You don't win, you lose."
Or put another way, "No moral victories around here."
It was new ground for head coach Zac Taylor, too: "I've never tied in my life. It sure as hell doesn't feel like we won."
Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins caught his first two NFL touchdowns and wide receiver Tyler Boyd had the eighth 100-yard game of his career with 125 yards on ten catches. Meanwhile, wide receiver A.J. Green caught five balls for 36 yards. It's the first time in his career he's gone three straight games without a catch of more than 15 yards and just the third time he's gone three straight games with not more than 51 yards.
After they connected last week for three fourth-down conversions, Burrow and Boyd clearly have a thing going on.
"Week in and week out we feel pretty comfortable on the pass game and whatever we've got dialed up," Boyd said. "But at the end of the day it's not good enough. Despite everything that's going on, despite all the statistics and everything, we've still got to make one more play. I feel like if I could have made one more huge play to get us into a field goal drive to go on and win the game. At the end of the day, we've just got to find a way to win."
Boyd, with 230 yards, is on pace for his third straight 1,000-yard season at 1,226.
The Bengals did exactly what they wanted to do on defense Sunday. They came in with just two sacks and got three sacks, two by edge rusher Carl Lawson against veteran Pro Bowl left tackle Jason Peters, and one by end Sam Hubbard. And they got two interceptions, the first for Bengals rookie linebacker Logan Wilson and veteran cornerback LeShaun Sims.
"It's very frustrating. We study the statistics," said end Carlos Dunlap, who had one of those busy Carlos days with a team-high nine tackles, one for a loss to go with a quarterback hit and a tipped ball.
"They would show, I think, eight out of ten times if you win the turnover battle you're going to win the game."
View some of the best in game images from the Week 3 matchup as the Bengals face the Eagles.
Cincinnati Bengals' Joe Burrow plays during the first quarter of an NFL football game against the Philadelphia Eagles, Sunday, Sept. 27, 2020, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Chris Szagola)
Cincinnati Bengals' Carlos Dunlap (96) wears an End Racism helmet decal as he huddles with his fellow linemen before an NFL football game against Philadelphia Eagles, Sunday, Sept. 27, 2020, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Rich Schultz)
Cincinnati Bengals' Joe Burrow plays during the first quarter of an NFL football game against the Philadelphia Eagles, Sunday, Sept. 27, 2020, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Chris Szagola)
Cincinnati Bengals' Joe Mixon runs with the ball during the first quarter of an NFL football game against the Philadelphia Eagles, Sunday, Sept. 27, 2020, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Laurence Kesterson)
Cincinnati Bengals' Joe Burrow lines up during the first quarter of an NFL football game against the Philadelphia Eagles, Sunday, Sept. 27, 2020, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Chris Szagola)
Cincinnati Bengals' Logan Wilson intercepts a pass by Philadelphia Eagles' Carson Wentz during the first quarter of an NFL football game, Sunday, Sept. 27, 2020, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Laurence Kesterson)
Cincinnati Bengals' Joe Mixon runs during the first half of an NFL football game against the Philadelphia Eagles, Sunday, Sept. 27, 2020, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Chris Szagola)
Cincinnati Bengals' Tyler Boyd (83) is tackled by Philadelphia Eagles' Nathan Gerry (47) during the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Sept. 27, 2020, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Laurence Kesterson)
Cincinnati Bengals' Giovani Bernard runs with the ball during the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Sept. 27, 2020, in Philadelphia.
Cincinnati Bengals' Tee Higgins scores a touchdown during the first half of an NFL football game against the Philadelphia Eagles, Sunday, Sept. 27, 2020, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Laurence Kesterson)
Philadelphia Eagles' Carson Wentz (11) looks to throw a pass as Cincinnati Bengals' Sam Hubbard (94) grabs him during an NFL football game, Sunday, Sept. 27, 2020, in Philadelphia.
Cincinnati Bengals' Tee Higgins reacts after scoring a touchdown during the second half of an NFL football game against the Philadelphia Eagles, Sunday, Sept. 27, 2020, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Chris Szagola)
Cincinnati Bengals' Tyler Boyd plays during the second half of an NFL football game against the Philadelphia Eagles, Sunday, Sept. 27, 2020, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Chris Szagola)
Cincinnati Bengals' LeShaun Sims (38) pulls in an interception from Philadelphia Eagles' Carson Wentz during the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Sept. 27, 2020, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Laurence Kesterson)
Cincinnati Bengals' Mackensie Alexander reacts after a tackle during the second half of an NFL football game against the Philadelphia Eagles, Sunday, Sept. 27, 2020, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Chris Szagola)
Cincinnati Bengals' Randy Bullock kicks during the second half of an NFL football game against the Philadelphia Eagles, Sunday, Sept. 27, 2020, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Laurence Kesterson)
Cincinnati Bengals' Samaje Perine warms up before an NFL football game against the Philadelphia Eagles, Sunday, Sept. 27, 2020, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Chris Szagola)
Tough day for first-round picks. There was the veteran Green (2011) and the rookie Burrow (2020), who got sacked eight times, Billy Price (2018), called off the bench, struggled after Fred Johnson struggled in the first half at right guard. Wide receiver John Ross (2017) was a healthy scratch.
"We have talks all the time. I don't feel like he's down because it's only Week 3," Boyd said of his neighbor Ross. "We are going to need him at some point in time. His number is going to get called again. It's the NFL, it's a business at the end of the day. As long as he's not taking it personal. We were all in that position before. I was in that position before (and) other guys were in that position before. He understands his worth. He's straight."
