0-2. Ugly. Ok time to move on. The Eagles stay home to host the 0-2 Bengals, although they may not be playing like a winless team. Before we dive into the game, let's take a look at the Bengals' 2019 ranks and their offseason moves:
2019 Ranks:
Yards per game: 323.1 (26th)
Passing yards per game: 228.3 (19th)
Rushing yards per game: 94.8 (25th)
Points per game: 17.4 (30th)
Yards allowed per game: 393.7 (29th)
Passing yards allowed per game: 244.8 (21st)
Rushing yards allowed per game: 148.9 (32nd)
Points allowed per game: 26.3 (25th)
Key additions
QB Joe Burrow (draft), CB Trae Waynes (free agency), CB Mackensie Alexander (free agency), S Vonn Bell (free agency), DT D.J. Reader (free agency), LB Akeem Davis-Gaither (draft [I had to write his name because he was a guest of Flippin’ The Birds in March]), WR Tee Higgins (draft)
Key departures
QB Andy Dalton (released), TE Tyler Eifert (free agency), LB Nick Vigil (free agency), OT Cordy Glenn (free agency), CB Darqueze Dennard (free agency), CB Dre Kirkpatrick (released)
Liam Jenkins doppelgänger
Seriously, look up Joe Burrow and find the best (how can you pick just one?) picture of Liam. They are twins separated at birth.
Burrow, the number one overall pick in the 2020 draft, leads the league in pass attempts with 97. Not really what you want to be doing to a rookie, but what the hell do I know? (re: Wentz, Luck). He is only three yards behind Wentz in the passing yards department and has a 3:1 TD:INT ratio to Wentz's 2:4.
This is not saying Burrow is better than Wentz, he's not. So pump the brakes on the accusations, buckaroo.
Burrow lit college football on fire last year with 60 TD passes and 5,671 passing yards. There are high hopes for the rookie as he looks to bring the Bengals back to the playoffs.
In last week's 30-35 loss versus the Browns, Burrow went 37 for 61 with 316 yards, 3 TDs and zero INTs. He'll look to build off that momentum versus a reeling Eagles secondary.
From the enemy
On the latest Flippin The Birds, we were joined by Cincy Jungle deputy editor John Sheeran to break down the matchup between the 0-2 teams. According John, the matchup to watch is the Eagles' defensive line vs the Bengals offensive line:
It's the Eagles pass rush that would worry me if I were a member of the Bengals organization. I think it was just released today that Brandon and Malik Jackson are top ten at their respective positions in pass rush win rate. Sweat is looking like the player that a lot of us thought he was going to be coming out of that 2018 NFL draft.
Of course the guy we didn't mention is Fletcher Cox who I think is a better defensive tackle, when healthy, than Geno Atkins at this point in their respective careers. So that defensive line still scares the crap out of me and the fact that the Bengals offensive line still looks like the worst in the league, I think it's the biggest overall mismatch of this game...
According to Football Outsiders, the Bengals' offensive line ranks 27th in pass protection. Washington is worse, however, and the Eagles were able to keep the passing yards down, but we won't talk about the end result.
If there was any game for the Eagles defensive line to get going, it's this one.
For a brief history and predictions, check out the next page.
Photo by Ian Johnson/Icon Sportswire
History
The Eagles and Bengals have faced each other 13 times. The Eagles are 3-9-1 in the series, with the tie being the infamous McNabb press conference game. The Eagles are 1-3-1 in the last five matchups since 2000. Wentz last played the Bengals in his rookie year.
Predictions
One team with a number one overall pick from 2020 at QB and one team with a number two overall pick from 2016 at QB. You would think the 2016 team would have a better record than the 2020 team.. but here we are. The Eagles need this game. They need it (insert Spongebob water meme). The Bengals aren't as bad as people make them out to be, but they aren't good either. The Eagles make a statement in this game that they have taken one small step forward after two leaps back. Eagles win 42-35 (zero trust in Schwartz)
Stat Predictions
Wentz: 27/40 280 yards 3 TD
Sanders: 20 rush 120 yards 2 TD
Jackson: 2 rec 90 yards 1 TD
Ertz: 5 rec 60 yards
JJAW: Red zone TD, 8 rec 80 yards 1 TD
Hargrave: sack
Sweat: 2 sacks
Slay: INT
Gerry: breathing
Last week's stat predictions with actual in parenthesis
Wentz: 22/30 230 yards 2 TD (26/43 242 yards 0 TD 2 INT)
Sanders: 12 rush 56 yards (20 rush 95 yards 1 TD)
Ertz: 9 catches 80 yards 1 TD (5 catches 42 yards)
Goedert: 6 catches 50 yards 1 TD (4 catches 30 yards)
Nickell Robey-Coleman: 1 INT and 1 sack (lol)
Photo by Ian Johnson/Icon Sportswire
