CINCINNATI: The way Pro Bowl quarterback Joe Burrows started out throwing the ball and completing impossible passes on third down; it looked like the Philadelphia Eagles were going to get run out of Cincinnati Bengals Paycor Stadium by halftime.
But the fifth-year pro cooled off, the Eagles offense and defense gradually took over the game.
The Birds (5-2) left The City of Seven Hills with a 37-17 beat down of the talented Bengals (3-5).
The Eagles outscored the home team 31-7 after trailing 10-3 at the 9:32 mark of the second quarter.
“It's hard to win in this league,” said Sirianni after being asked if this was the Eagles most complete game of the season. “Doesn't matter if you win by one or two, you're going to be excited. We put everything we had into this every single week. It truly takes mentally tough people in this game where you pour every ounce of what you have into each week, and then you win or lose and then win again, and you do that 17 times.
“Proud of these guys and how mentally tough you are. And then you win, you feel it and you're excited about it, regardless of how you win.”
The Cincinnati Bengals first drive was textbook on orchestrating a long time-consuming drive ending with a TD. Joe Burrow was 11 of 12 for 60 yards on the opening drive that took over ten minutes off the clock.
The drive ended with a Joe Burrow pass to Ja'Marr Chase to the right for a two-yard touchdown.
The drive was intimidating.
Six times on the opening drive, the Eagles defense had then Bengals at third and long...he converted all of them.
Linebacker Nakobe Dean was asked what he was telling teammates while the Burrows onslaught was going on.
“We knew who we were playing,” said Dean, who finished with nine total tackles (seven solo), a quarterback hit and a fumble recovery. “We knew he can make any throw on the field. They got guys who can catch the ball and any type of way.
"We just had to continue to get at it and keep the confidence of the front line going and the confidence the guys in the back end and everybody who covers...they were getting it out fast...I wanted to just to keep the confidence of the team...that was the message.”
To be fair, even though the Eagles didn't score in the first quarter for the seventh consecutive game this season, the Birds didn't start their first drive until there was just 4:56 left in the opening quarter.
The Eagles scored on their opening drive, a 39-yard Jake Elliott field goal with 14:10 left in the second quarter.
Cincinnati made it 10-3 after a Evan McPherson 37-yard field goal with 9:32 left in the second quarter.
The Eagles, led by Jalen Hurts, marched 56 yards on 12 plays that took virtually all the time off the clock and ended with a Hurts “Tush push” from the one.
It was 10-10 at the half with the Eagles set to get the ball to start the third quarter.
On their first possession of the third quarter, the Eagles rolled 70 yards on eight plays taking 4:25 off the clock to take a 17-10 lead on a seven-yard run by Hurts.
Burrows answered with a 13-play, 70-yard drive that ended with a four-yard run by Chase Brown.
That was it for the Bengals scoring-wise.
The Eagles scored on a 45-yard bomb from Hurts to DeVonta Smith with 2:43 left in the third.
Then a 49-yard field goal with 13:39 left in the fourth made the score 27-17.
The Birds tacked on ten more points on consecutive turnovers by the Bengals.
The visitors took an interception by C.J. Gardner-Johnson at the Eagles 15-yard line and marched 85 yards on 12 plays for a Hurts sneak from the one.
Then after a fumble by tight end Mike Gesicki, the Eagles made it 37-17 on a 47-yard Elliott field goal.
“Today was a great team win,” said Hurts, who was 16 of 20 for 236 yards, one touchdown, no sacks and no turnovers. “As a team, on defense, when you are able to stop an offense capable of playing at a high level, with the star players that they have...that's a great job.
“On the defense's part, they were able to take it away as well at critical moments.”
On how the offense performed, Hurts kept his thoughts tempered – as usual.
“Our offense continues to trend forward,” said Hurts, who rushed for ten times for 37 yards and three rushing touchdowns. “I don't think we're not there yet. We're slowly finding it, piecing things together.”
Hurts was asked if he any satisfaction of out-dueling Joe Burrow, a quarterback who is usually mentioned to be on the list of elite quarterbacks.
“That's the league,” Hurts said.
MORE TALK FROM TEAMMATES AND BENGALS
Lane Johnson has talked about how the offense needs to be more balanced with scoring early, improve in-game adjustments and ball security.
The Birds haven't come close to turning the ball over for three consecutive games...all wins.
The Birds are averaging around thirty points a game over the three wins.
Is this the type of game he was looking for?
“We had some good adjustments, we kept running the ball,” Johnson said at his locker after the game. “Eventually some of those little chunks turning into explosive runs that opens up the play-action game...you saw that with some of those plays to DeVonta (Smith) and A.J. (Brown)...it's good.”
Johnson, who left the game for one play in the second half for what he referred to as a low ankle sprain, talked more in depth about keeping the commitment to running the ball.
“Yeah, I think when you are able to run the ball effectively it opens up so much,” Johnson said. “First off it wears down the interior defenders, weakens the pass rush. Pushes the (D-) backers in a predicament, so the more we can effectively run block, and set up play-action, it opens up everything.”
Dean was asked what he thinks makes up the identity of the defense after seven games.
“Physicality,” said Dean, who recovered a fumble by tight end Mike Gesicki in the fourth quarter. “We just come out be the most physical team on the field every game. I fell like we continued to develop that theme.”
“We have opened the flood gate,” Dean said with a laugh. “We have some beavers building a dam and we'll now have a river of takeaways.”
Safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson talked about what he was doing to keep his teammate's head in the game during the blitz of completions by Burrows on first half.
“Don't give them easy access, he said at his locker after the game. “Don't give them nothing quick. He was trying to beat us with dink and dunk. We understood what they were trying to attack us with. We just had to lock in with the details.”
What did he say to the guys from your 'room?'
“They ain't going to be able to do that all game,” said Gardner-Johnson, who picked off a deep ball from Burrows to Ja'Marr Chase in the fourth quarter. “Just keep it cool
because...going 17 plays all game is hard to do. It's a long game. People get worn out on both sides. Just lock in and understand that 17-play drives aren't the who game.”
Burrow finished 26 of 37 for 234 yards, was sacked once, threw one TD pass and an interception.
He was asked about how after completing his first seven passes, going 10 of 13 on third down conversions for the game including converting a third and 22 could the final score of the game be so surprising.
“We were tied, then we didn't get the fourth down,” Burrows said. “And then they kick a field goal and we're down 10 at that point...then I throw a pick. At that point, it was an uphill battle.”
When pressed about how he and his team can dig out of this hole?
“We're not good enough,” Burrows said. “We're not goof enough, so we've got to get better.”
A.J. Brown finished with five catches for 84 yards was asked if the season had turned a corner to being a special season.
“I'm going to keep it one game at a time,” Brown said. “I'm not going to get ahead of myself. It was a good team we played. They have a really good offense that can put up points. We are definitely headed in the right direction.” *
Email Al Thompson at al.thompson@footballstories.com
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