Philadelphia Eagles bold predictions for Week 8 vs. Bengals

After watching the New York Giants look like a plucky team capable of putting up yards and points against darn near anybody, the Philadelphia Eagles took the short drive up I-95, followed Saquon Barkley out of the tunnel, and went on to kick the ever-loving heck out of their division rivals.

Jalen Hurts threw an efficient game, recording his second-straight outing without a pick. The Eagles’ defense put up eight sacks and flustered Daniel Jones so greatly that he was benched for Drew Lock. And as for Saquon Barkley? Barkley put up more all-purpose yards, 187, than the entire Giants’ offense, 176, and looked like a certified Pro Bowler in this his seventh professional season.

Riding high off of a two-game win streak coming off the bye, the Eagles have a chance to seriously pick up steam heading into November, and the best part? They might actually get some national credit if they are able to extend their streak to three against a Cincinnati Bengals team that is also starting to pick up steam. In their second-straight road game, the Eagles have a chance to do something they haven’t since Christmas Eve of 2000: beat the Bengals.

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1. Saquon Barkley puts on another rushing clinic

In Week 7, Barkley proved that he is not only a better player than anyone the Giants have on offense, but quite possibly better than their entire offense period, as he alone outgained the red, white, and blue on just 19 total touches.

All the anger from fans in New York was justified, all the hemming and hawing about the Giants making Barkley regret his free agency choice was short-lived, and in the end, the Eagles simply looked like the better team. With an elite offensive line leading the way, even down two starters for much of the game, Barkley didn’t look diminished and ultimately ripped off multiple big runs on the way to a banner day.

And the best part? In Week 8, he might just do it again.

That’s right; while most fans are firmly aware that the Bengals’ defense is pretty darn bad, as evidenced by their 3-4 record, the area where they are worst is probably their run defense. Through seven games, the Bengals have allowed 293 more yards than they have earned themselves on the ground, allowing 953 yards on 218 carries for 4.4 yards per rush. They’ve allowed at least 70 yards in all but one game so far this season – they did play the Browns last week – and have allowed more than 100 on three occasions, including to a Giants team that did little on the ground last week.

Throw that all together, and what do you have? A perfect opportunity for Barkley to go off once more, with the potential for another 100-yard game, 150-yard game, or even a shot at his all-time career record on deck in Cincinnati.

2. Sydney Brown’s unit gets the best of his brother, Chase

After making his triumphant return to the field for the Eagles in Week 7, even if it was only for nine defensive snaps, Sydney Brown has the potential to do something pretty cool in Week 8 against the Bengals: play a game against his brother, Chase.

That’s right, while Sydney went off the board at pick 66 for the Eagles last season, his brother, a running back who also played college ball at the University of Illinois, came off the board 97 picks later in the third round, where he has carved out a nice role as the Bengals’ RB2. Appearing in all seven games with two starts for the Bengals so far in 2024, Brown has found plenty of success as a 1B to Zach Moss’ 1A, rushing for an average of 46.7 yards per game while consistently providing an additional impact as a receiver, catching all but three of the balls thrown his way for 59 yards and a touchdown.

Is there a chance Sydney could lay the hammer on Chase in their first head-to-head battle as foes, not teammates since… potentially ever? Sure, if the Bengals deploy four receivers with regularity, S. Brown will almost be on the field as a dime linebacker and, thus, will be afforded a chance to play the run against his brother.

But do you know what? Even if Brown-Brown doesn’t happen in Week 7, that doesn’t mean the brother whose team wins the clash won’t have major bragging rights, not just on Sunday night but indefinitely. Fortunately for the Eagles, their defense has been on fire the last few weeks, allowing less than 250 total yards in each of the past two games. And as for the Bengals? The Bengals haven’t gotten much together offensively over the past two wins, benefitting from playing a pair of teams in the Giants and Browns who will likely finish out the year with a top-5 pick.

If the Eagles can take care of business once more in Week 8, it looks like the Skyline Chili will be on Brown, Chase, not Brown, Sydney on Sunday night.

3. The Eagles advance to 5-3 

So if Barkley is able to run like mad on a Bengals defense that has yet to replace DJ Reader and the Eagles’ offense bests the Cincinnati defense in the most interesting game featuring the name Brown you will see in 2024, Philadelphia has a pretty good chance to the Buckeye State with a third-straight win, right?

Yup, despite being underdogs in the game, the Eagles feel rightfully like the favorites in this game, as they are a better defensive team, a similarly effective offensive team, and have that certain je ne sais quoi of having a truly elite running back going up against a below-average rushing defense fresh off an elite effort. Throw that all together and what do you have? A recipe for victory the likes of which is as rich as the cheese sauce at Chickies and Petes across the street from the ballpark.