Eagles at Bengals: Highlights, score and recap
By James Dudko
The Cincinnati Bengals beat the Philadelphia Eagles 32-14 at Paul Brown Stadium in Week 13. Here are the highlights and key players from Sunday’s game.
Andy Dalton threw for over 300 yards and a pair of touchdowns to inspire the Cincinnati Bengals to a 32-14 rout of the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 13. Dalton was dominant at Paul Brown Stadium, connecting with tight end Tyler Eifert and wide receiver Brandon LaFell for scores.
Running back Jeremy Hill also scored, while under-fire kicker Mike Nugent booted four field goals. Philly’s response finally came when rookie quarterback Carson Wentz hit Zach Ertz from 13 yards in the third quarter. Darren Sproles scooted over from two yards in the fourth to make things interesting.
They got more interesting still when Nigel Bradham forced a fumble fellow Eagles linebacker Mychal Kendricks recovered. But Wentz made another mistake, throwing his third interception, this one straight to a blitzing Vontaze Burfict.
Wentz spent most of his day getting beat up by an intense pass rush. The Bengals hammered Wentz relentlessly and intercepted three of the rookie’s passes. Safety Shawn Williams and middle linebacker Burfict grabbed the thefts.
Cincy defensive coordinator Paul Guenther sent several blitzes at Wentz. Guenther dialled up maximum pressure overloads, with seven and eight rushes overwhelming the Philadelphia blocking schemes.
Three Stars
1. Andy Dalton
Dalton was imperious during the first half. He mixed precision short passing with decisive deep throws to carve up the Eagles secondary.
Dalton was also generous with his distribution. The Red Rifle hit nine different receivers as the Bengals found creative ways to compensate for A.J. Green’s absence.
This was the kind of star turn a teams expects from its franchise quarterback. Dalton has consistently played like one of those this season, despite Cincinnati’s other struggles.
2. Vontaze Burfict
Burfict got his hands on two interceptions and led the charge for a marauding defense all day. He punished runners between the tackles and made any receiver brave enough to cross the middle regret it.
This is a different defense when No. 55 is manning the middle. Burfict has restored the intimidation factor to the Bengals D’. He’s also refined the raw edges of his game to become an outstanding playmaker in both run support and coverage.
3. Brandon LaFell
The Bengals aren’t supposed to be able to stretch defenses vertically without Green in the lineup. Well, nobody told LaFell. He used his straight-line speed to make life a nightmare for Eagles defensive backs.
LaFell snagged five of Dalton’s passes for 95 yards. His haul not only included an eight-yard score, but also a 44-yard scoring grab to take the top off the Philly D’.
The Bengals needed receivers to step up with Green on the shelf. LaFell more than answered the call this week.
Next: NFL Week 13: Staff picks and predictions
The Eagles have talent at linebacker with Jordan Hicks and Mychal Kendricks. But a full-speed Eifert is tough for any defense to contain.
Next Week
Both teams face divisional battles in Week 14. The Eagles will host NFC East rivals the Washington Redskins, while the Bengals meet the Cleveland Browns on the road in the AFC North.