Whew! That was close! We thought the Philadelphia Eagles would now be down three of their five starting offensive linemen. Following a four-yard rush by Saquon Barkley on 1st and ten from Philly's 41-yard line, Lane Johnson went down and rolled to the Birds' sideline. He got up and limped around for a while.
He missed one play. He returned to the field. Gosh... This is one tough son of a gun!
The Eagles will need Lane Johnson and Philly's best offensive effort if they're going to survive a tough test vs. Bengals.
We've discussed Philly's record with and without Lame Johnson in great detail. As you know, they are simply a better team that wins more often when he can play.
The Bengals are doing what we hoped Philly might, control the clock. We knew this would be a hard-fought win if the Birds can pull it out. We have been treated to exactly what we thought we might.
Joe Burrow has been surgical. The Eagles offense still hasn't scored during the first quarter since Week 17 of last season, but thankfully, despite the fact that Cincy has dominated time of possession, the game isn't out of reach and still winnable.
Here's something of note. Philadelphia gets the ball first to begin the third quarter.