The Bengals had been with out one in all their hottest gamers when broad receiver Tee Higgins was declared out of Sunday’s recreation in opposition to the Eagles at Paycor Stadium.
After grabbing 159 yards on 11 catches in his final two video games, Higgins surfaced as restricted on Friday’s damage report with a quadricep challenge. On Sunday morning he was listed as one in all their 5 inactives.
Since he has returned to the lineup following a hamstring damage within the Thursday observe earlier than the opener worn out his first two video games of the season, Higgins averages 68 yards per recreation and has three landing catches.
Final week in Cleveland, he completed the scoring on a 25-yard landing off a slant on third-and-four to cap off an 82-yard day.
Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow, 3-4 with out Higgins, discovered weapons early this season when he was out. Tight finish Mike Gesicki had seven catches for 91 in Kansas Metropolis, the place broad receiver Andrei Iosivas had two red-zone landing catches.
BROTHERLY SHOVE
It truly is a recreation of brotherly shove Sunday not even taking into consideration twins Chase (Bengals) and Sydney (Eagles) Brown.
There’s former Bengals backup left deal with Fred Johnson drawing a begin for the Eagles in opposition to the NFL’s hottest sacker, Trey Hendrickson. Two of the most effective gamers out of the College of Toledo, Bengals particular groups ace Tycen Anderson and Eagles beginning cornerback Quinyon Mitchell, return to Ohio to fulfill. Bengals defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo and Eagles offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland, each Staten Island natives, convey a slice of the Huge Apple of the banks of the Ohio.
And there may be Eagles kicker Jake Elliott, a fifth-round choose of the Bengals in 2017 returning for the sport he by no means received to play at Paycor. Elliott misplaced a coaching camp battle that 12 months to Randy Bullock, however has been the kicker in Philly ever since and turn into one of many league’s most constant kickers.
From 2017-2020, Bullock had a field-goal share of 85% whereas Elliott was at 82.2. Then in 2021, the Bengals got here again to the fifth spherical choose Evan McPherson, who has had the best begin to a profession of a kicker in franchise historical past.
Whereas Elliott had the 2 longest discipline targets by a rookie to assist the Eagles win a Tremendous Bowl, McPherson kicked the Bengals right into a Tremendous Bowl with two walk-offs within the playoffs and hasn’t had a miss in 19 postseason field-goal makes an attempt. Whereas Elliott got here into this season tied for the second-highest discipline share (90.9%) since 2021, McPherson has the third most 50-yarders for the reason that begin of 2021.
It shapes up for an intriguing kicking derby Sunday of Bengals’ fifth-rounders.
SLANTS AND SCREENS
Additionally inactive for the Bengals is rookie security Daijahn Anthony for the primary time this 12 months …
Additionally out had been three others who’ve been normally inactive: edge Cedric Johnson, tight finish Tanner McLachlan, defensive deal with Jay Tufele…
With Anthony down, defensive deal with Lawrence Man is up because the Bengals play operating again Saquon Barkley for the primary time …
The sport is almost 15 years to the day (10/25/09) Bengals operating again Cedric Benson set the document for many yards in opposition to his outdated crew when he went for 189 in opposition to the Bears at Paycor. Barkley got here shut final week in opposition to the Giants with 176 …
Good contact by the coaches. They despatched out Chase and Sydney as one in all their captains they usually hugged earlier than the coin toss.
After which there may be the true “Brotherly Shove,’ in any other case generally known as “The Push Tush,” that controversial rugby scrum of a short-yardage play the Eagles have run the previous three years to virtually perfection.
Even with the retirement of Professional Bowl middle Jason Kelce this 12 months, the Eagles have been utilizing it effectively sufficient to get two one-yard landing runs out of it by quarterback Jalen Hurts final week in New York.
“It is a type of issues that has stood the check of time already,” Anarumo mentioned final week. “Huge level of emphasis for us is we need to keep out of these downs if we will. However even when it is a third-and-six, or a protracted third-and-12, 14, you’ll be able to’t let or not it’s fourth and two as a result of they are not going off the sector, they are going to go for it. We have talked about how we will strategy these issues, however it’s very tough. They do not get stopped fairly often. “
Even with Kelce, it is nonetheless breaking dangerous for foes.
“He was nice, however these different guys are nonetheless mauling you in there. It is a rugby scrum to the nth diploma,” Anarumo mentioned …
Offensive deal with Andrew Stueber is energetic for the Bengals and turns into the primary participant ever from Darien Excessive Schol in Darien, Conn., to play in an NFL recreation …