Tiger Tamers

For the first time in 24 years, the Eagles best the Cincinnati Bengals, winning 37-17 Sunday in the team’s most balanced win of the season.

The Eagles also achieved another notable feat, winning in Cincinnati for the first time in franchise history.

In a collective effort, the Eagles played complementary football, though the Bengals had jumped out to a 10-3 lead before the Eagles got rolling.

In another twist, the Eagles found their way into the turnover production column, with safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson nabbing a deflection for his first interception of the season and linebacker Zack Baun swiping the football away from tight end Mike Gesicki as fellow linebacker Nakobe Dean pounced on the loose ball.

Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts completed 16-of-20 pass attempts for 236 yards and a touchdown, while adding another 37 yards and three scores as a runner.

Wide receiver DeVonta Smith, who finished last week with minus-2 receiving yards, led the team with seven pass targets, snaring six for 85 yards and a touchdown.

Defensively, Baun sat atop the leaderboard, notching 12 tackles and a forced fumble, with Dean closely trailing, logging nine, including a tackle for loss, quarterback hit and fumble recovery.

GETTY IMAGES: Eagles QB Jalen Hurts rushed for three TDs and tossed another in a 37-17 win over the Bengals in Week 8.

Let’s get to the observations.

* Eagles inactives: QB Tanner McKee (3rd QB), CB Eli Ricks, OL Mekhi Becton, OL Trevor Keegan, TE Dallas Goedert. Third-year TE Grant Calcaterra made his second consecutive start in place of Goedert, while veteran OT Fred Johnson made his third start of the season, second in place of LT Jordan Mailata. Second-year pro Tyler Steen made his first start of the season, replacing Becton (concussion) at right guard. Rookie WR Ainias Smith, activated to the active roster from the injured reserve list Saturday, made his NFL debut.

* The Eagles received their most well-rounded performance from QB Jalen Hurts, who didn’t commit a turnover for the third consecutive game, appeared poised and unflappable, trusting his protection, utilizing the middle of the field when applicable, burrowing forward in short yardage and distributing the football to six different receivers. For at least this afternoon, it seemed as though the offense was rounding into form and conjuring images of what it’s supposed to look like.

* The Bengals unfathomably orchestrated a 17-play, 70-yard scoring drive to start, covering 10:04 in the opening quarter. Bengals QB Joe Burrow was surgical, completing 11-of-12 pass attempts for 60 yards and a touchdown on the drive, converting on all five third-down attempts. The Eagles pass defense provided little resistance on the opening drive as Burrow picked apart their coverage, and as a result of the lengthy opening drive, the Eagles were once again held scoreless in the first quarter for the seventh consecutive game.

* Chalk it up to a rookie blunder, but DB Cooper DeJean, on a second quarter 3rd-and-22, peeled off his man in coverage to pursue Burrow, who delivered a 24-yard completion to TE Mike Gesicki to extend the drive. For DeJean, who has provided remarkable production in his first two starts, growing pains are to be expected as he learns on the job and faces upper echelon passers. The Bengals added three points seven plays later.

* Tough opening half for RG Tyler Steen, who was levied with holding and unnecessary roughness penalties, , albeit questionable infractions. The unnecessary roughness penalty, in particular, was borderline, as the whistle wasn’t yet blown and Steen was attempting to clean up the pile. As a whole, however, Steen appeared to have a relatively strong start, holding up in pass protection and mauling in the ground game. I maintain – penalties included – that Steen has performed with more consistency than Becton. Furthermore, LT Fred Johnson deserves a mention for his stellar showing, as he primarily drew Bengals DE Trey Hendrickson in protection. Hendrickson, by the way, finished with four tackles – no sacks or QB hits. Johnson, who surrendered considerable pressure at RT against the Bucs, has really settled in on the left side. An unsung hero from Sunday’s win.

* Another week, another “sack” for Eagles second-year EDGE Nolan Smith, who collected his third in as many weeks, although he was given a half-sack. For Smith, whom DC Vic Fangio last week noted is rushing with more power, he’s also utilizing his hands with greater efficiency and figuring things out with more reps. While Smith reached Burrow and first initiated contact, the league officially split the sack between Smith and fourth-year DT Milton Williams, who cleaned up the play. Still, notable to see Smith start to hit his stride and build confidence.

* Given the star-studded offensive personnel, OC Kellen Moore’s unit continued its clunky operation early before ultimately settling in. Sputtering throughout much of the first half and implementing a largely horizontal passing attack that seldomly pushed the envelope, Hurts again didn’t appear to see the field well early, nearly tossing an interception on an ill-advised pass to RB Kenny Gainwell, who was plastered in coverage by Bengals LB Logan Wilson.

*Eagles LB Nakobe Dean is at his best attacking downhill. The third-year linebacker, who recorded a pair of sacks last week against the Giants, has become a notable power rusher, someone whom running backs in protection have countered with cut-block attempts. On a 2nd-and-7 in the third, on a 12-yard strike to WR Ja’Marr Chase, Dean stormed through and took on Bengals RB Zack Moss, blowing up the running back.

* The Eagles have received welcomed production from reserve TE Grant Calcaterra, who’s been thrust into a starting role in place of Dallas Goedert (hamstring). Calcaterra reeled in both targets for 47 yards, including a key 28-yard completion, and looks increasingly more comfortable every week. Moreover, it’s evident that Calcaterra has the all-important trust of Hurts, who has looked his way in critical spots. Even when Goedert does return, Calcaterra, while a work in progress as a blocker, has showcased enough positives to factor into the passing game.

* Speaking of tight ends, on the Eagles’ three-play, 70-yard third quarter scoring drive, TE Jack Stoll provided excellent protection against Bengals DE Sam Hubbard, staving him off to afford Hurts enough time to allow the play to develop and deliver a picture-perfect, 45-yard touchdown to WR Devonta Smith. It’s also worth noting that Stoll briefly left the game earlier in the second half. His contributions are another example of everyone coming together for a complete game.

* Like sacks, turnovers tend to come in bunches. And for a team like the Eagles, who haven’t garnered much production in the way of turnovers this season, the law of averages suggested the tides would eventually turn. On a Bengals 1st-and-10 from the 46 in the fourth, Burrow heaved a pass deep down the right sideline for WR Ja’Marr Chase. But CB Isaiah Rodgers, in for an injured Darius Slay (groin), ran step for step with the Chase, getting his hand in to deflect the pass into the waiting arms of safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson to complete the tip drill. Outstanding, heads-up play from Rodgers, who provided quality snaps in relief, and tremendous reaction and body control from Gardner-Johnson to seal the deal. The team would yield another turnover shortly after, when TE Mike Gesicki saw a short completion stripped away by LB Zack Baun. Nakobe Dean, Mr.  “Johnny on the Spot,” pounced on the loose ball for the Eagles’ second forced turnover of the afternoon.

* Even without WR Tee Higgins in the lineup,the Bengals got production from Gesicki and rookie WR Jermain Burton, so hats off to the Eagles’ defense allowing just 17 points. While much of the talk last week centered on whether their performances against the Browns and Giants truly represented a corner turn for Fangio’s bunch, the unit had been building and gelling for two weeks. Coupled with the collective buy-in, Fangio’s group met the moment. The Eagles’ defense is for real.

* For the second consecutive week, the Eagles earned the luxury of deploying many of reserves in the game’s final frame, a scenario which nearly led to rookie RB Will Shipley’s first NFL touchdown. The Clemson product accelerated through the interior, almost as if shot from a cannon, seemingly punching it in from 17 yards out, but a holding call on center Nick Gates negated the play.

– Andrew DiCecco (@AndrewDiCecco) is a Staff Reporter/Content Producer for InsideTheBirds.com.