Game Overview ::
By papy324 >>
- The notable players on the Eagles injury report early in the week are TE Dallas Goedert (DNP) with a hammy and DT Byron Young (DNP) with a hammy.
- The notable player on the Bengals injury report early in the week is Orlando Brown (LT) with a knee.
- This is a matchup between two teams who stay aggressive in close games but take the air out of the ball with a lead.
- Chase Brown and Zach Moss appear to have switched sides of their time share.
- Saquon Barkley is locked into a modern-day workhorse role and has looked great in his first opportunity with better teammates.
- Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins are highly correlated with Joe Burrow. They all put up their best fantasy scores in close games.
- The Eagles aren’t throwing the ball but A.J. Brown has been able to thrive on limited volume.
How Philadelphia Will Try To Win ::
The 4-2 Eagles come into Week 8 in the middle of a competitive NFC East. They’re a game above the Cowboys and a game below the Commanders with all four of their head-to-head matchups still on the schedule. The Eagles have won three out of their last four but it’s worth noting that those wins came against Derek Carr, Deshaun Watson, and Daniel Jones. The Eagles have been playing on the quicker side (9th in seconds per play) while favoring the run (24th in PROE). This has been their offensive MO since Nick Sirianni took over. The “hurry up and run” works well when you have Saquon Barkley in the backfield. He is showing what he can do in his first chance to play with competent teammates (it’s frightening to think how good Saquon’s career might look if he didn’t waste away on the Giants). What has made Saquon’s performance more impressive is that the Eagles offensive line has started to slip. After perennially being a top five offensive line, they’re just above average this season (12th ranked by PFF). Lane Johnson might still be the best tackle in football but the rest of the O-line has deteriorated. Fortunately for the Eagles, the Bengals have struggled to get pressure (30th in sack percentage). Even though the Eagles O-line isn’t what it once was, it should still be good enough for this matchup.
The Bengals have been hurt through the air (20th in DVOA) and on the ground (22nd in DVOA), making them generally a weak defense. The Eagles offense got a big boost since A.J. Brown returned in Week 6. His presence has been clear on the scoreboard. In the three games he’s played, the Eagles are 3-0 while averaging 27.3 points per game. In the three games he missed, the Eagles are 1-2 while averaging 17.3 points. The Eagles offense isn’t the same without Brown and his return solidifies the idea that we will see them play in their usual style and that they are likely to find success with that style. Sirianni’s play calling is typically more influenced by game flow than his opponent’s strengths and weaknesses. He will take his foot off the gas with a lead but is happy to keep scoring points in competitive games. Expect the Eagles to come out trying to score with their typical fast moving, run oriented offense, while trying to set up shots down the field to Brown. If their approach works and the Bengals can’t keep up, they’ll be happy to take the air out of the ball in the second half while coasting to a comfortable victory.
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