Eagles at Bengals: Highlights, score and recap

The 3-7-1 Cincinnati Bengals host the 5-6 Philadelphia Eagles at Paul Brown Stadium in Week 13. Here are the highlights and key players for Sunday’s game.

Losing has been the norm for the Cincinnati Bengals this season. It’s also becoming worryingly familiar for the Philadelphia Eagles, who’ve lost four of five ahead of Sunday’s game.

Normally an annual playoff contender, the Bengals have deteriorated on both sides of the ball. A shaky line and depleted receiving corps have unravelled a usually prolific offense. Meanwhile, age and free-agency defections have undermined the D-line and secondary.

These struggles have prompted many to question the future of head coach Marvin Lewis. Former Bengals and New England Patriots running back Corey Dillon thinks it’s time Lewis stepped down, per TMZ Sports.

Lewis would surely love to have wide receiver A.J. Green available. He’s one of the most effective wideouts in the NFL.

The Bengals are a different offense with Green in the lineup. He stretches the field and draws coverage away from the underneath passing lanes for quarterback Andy Dalton.

Green’s also a roving mismatch who can create big plays at every level of a defense. Coordinator Ken Zampese has built his pass offense around Green’s movement.

Unfortunately for Dalton and Zampese, Green is still out, according to Jay Morrison of the Dayton Daily News:

Being without Green puts the onus on Dalton’s other receivers to seize the initiative. In particular, tight end Tyler Eifert must deliver more of a big-play threat this week.

As for the Eagles, rookie quarterback Carson Wentz could also miss his favorite receiver, Jordan Matthews. Wentz and the offense would be helped if a defense long on big names but short on production gets back on track.

Highlights

Highlights will be added and updated as and when they happen.

Three Stars

Here’s a prediction for which players will thrive this week.

1. Vontaze Burfict

He’s the heart and soul of the Cincy defense, so Vontaze Burfict needs to be a game-wrecker this week. The good news for Burfict and Co. is Eagles running back Ryan Mathews remains a major doubt.

Mathews missed practice recently, according to NJ.com’s Eliot Shorr-Parks. The Philly running game is pedestrian without Mathews.

Expect Burfict to snuff out Darren Sproles and rookie Wendell Smallwood on the ground. Burfict will be the key to making the Eagles one dimensional and increasing the pressure on Wentz.

2. Brandon Graham

He hasn’t registered a sack in two weeks, but Brandon Graham can dominate this week. The seven-year defensive end is an underrated and disruptive force along the line.

Graham’s deceptively strong and most effective whenever he slams into the chest of a blocker and uses a bull rush. Versatility is also one of Graham’s best assets. He can rush from either side of a formation, and coordinator Jim Schwartz loves to move him around.

Graham should have his pick of weak blockers to target anywhere along Cincinnati’s crumbling  O-line.

3. Tyler Eifert

Green is Dalton’s premier target, but Eifert is the next best thing. He’s been a useful intermediate-level pass-catcher recently, snagging 11 passes in his last three games.

What Eifert needs to do is expand some of his routes to stretch the Eagles over the middle. Zampese should tweak the concepts of his playbook to get Eifert involved vertically more often.

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.

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