Eagles vs. Bengals score, takeaways: Jalen Hurts sets NFL rushing record for QBs, Philly rolls past Cincinnati

Hurts finished with three rushing TDs in the win

By Jeff Kerr

Oct 27, 2024 at 5:00 pm ET

Jalen Hurts had his best game with the Philadelphia Eagles in two years, totaling four touchdowns as Philadelphia used a huge second half to propel itself to a 37-17 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals. Hurts threw for a touchdown and had three touchdowns on the ground, playing a role in all three of the Eagles' second-half scores. 

The Eagles improve to 5-2 after the victory while the Bengals fall to 3-5, still failing to win a game at home. Joe Burrow and the Bengals were held to just seven points in the second half and had two turnovers.   

Hurts tied a career high with three rushing touchdowns, which he accomplished in his first career start against the New Orleans Saints back in 2020 and on one other occasion. The Eagles scored on all five of their second-half possessions, as Hurts finished the second half with no incomplete passes. Hurts is the first quarterback in NFL history to have three or more games with three-plus rushing touchdowns.

DeVonta Smith connected with Hurts on a 45-yard touchdown to give Philadelphia the lead for good in the third quarter, while Saquon Barkley rushed for over 100 yards and topped 100 scrimmage yards for the sixth time in seven games with the Eagles. Philadelphia scored on six of its seven possessions in the game, in what was arguably its finest offensive performance of the season. 

Here are the takeaways from the Eagles victory over the Bengals; a recap of the game can be found in the live blog below!

Why the Eagles won

This was the best offensive performance from the Eagles this season. Philadelphia scored on six of its seven possessions, punting only once and getting points on all five of its second-half possessions. Jalen Hurts was flawless in the second half, finishing 9 of 9 for 150 yards with a touchdown and a 155.8 rating. Hurts also had two rushing touchdowns in the half, giving him three in the final 30 minutes of play. 

Hurts finished with four total touchdowns and became the first quarterback in NFL history to have three games with three or more rushing touchdowns. This was Hurts' finest performance with the Eagles, as he is 42 of 59 (71.2%) for 614 yards with four touchdowns, zero interceptions and a 127.4 rating over his last three games. 

Why the Bengals lost

Despite going 10 of 13 on third down, questionable possessions in the second half ended up dooming the Bengals. Cincinnati had two turnovers in the fourth quarter, a Burrow interception and a fumble that led to 10 Eagles points. The game was arguably decided on a Zac Taylor decision to go for it on fourth-and-1 at their own 39-yard line that led to a loss of yardage and downs trailing 24-17. 

On the Bengals' final four possessions, they ran 11 plays for 36 yards resulting in a turnover on downs, an interception, a fumble and the end of the game. The Eagles outscored the Bengals 13-0 during that stretch and had the final 20 points of the game. 

Turning point

With the Bengals trailing 24-17 and on their own 39-yard line, Zac Taylor decided to go for it on fourth-and-1 at his own 39-yard line with just over two minutes left in the third quarter. Zack Moss was stopped by Brandon Graham on third down for no gain, but Taylor wanted to keep the Bengals offensive momentum going. 

Burrow threw a pass to Ja'Marr Chase, but Cooper DeJean was there to greet Chase right away for a loss and a turnover on downs. The Eagles were able to get a field goal with the good field position, but that put the Bengals down two scores. Cincinnati turned the ball over on its next two possessions as Philadelphia pulled away. 

Play of the game

The Eagles were up 27-17 in the fourth quarter when they earned just their third takeaway of the season, one of the most impressive plays in the NFL all year. Joe Burrow threw a deep pass intended for Ja'Marr Chase that was intercepted by C.J. Gardner-Johnson.

How Gardner-Johnson got the interception was all Isaiah Rodgers, who broke up the deep ball and tipped the ball right into the hands of Gardner-Johnson for him to come down with the interception. The Eagles used the momentum to score a touchdown on their ensuing possession to put the game away. 

The quote

"We just wanna be where our feet are. Obviously we have a lot of talent, but the No. 1 thing is optimizing that talent. I think we're building and trying to find our stride. Set ourselves an identity. ... I think we played team football." -- Jalen Hurts on the win and finding the Eagles identity to NFL on CBS' Evan Washburn. 

Up next

The Eagles (5-2) head back to Philadelphia to face the Jaguars next Sunday (4:05 p.m. ET, CBS) while the Bengals (3-5) host the Raiders (1 p.m. ET, CBS). 

https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/eagles-vs-bengals-score-takeaways-jalen-hurts-sets-nfl-rushing-record-for-qbs-philly-rolls-past-cincinnati/live/

9 hours ago, time2rock said:

Hurts is the first quarterback in NFL history to have three or more games with three-plus rushing touchdowns.

I know people like to try and take away the tush push plays from Hurts but that’s crazy! Hurts is a huge part and a huge reason why that play is so successful.

Sorry @time2rock still not sure how to quote text without quoting you on my iPhone?