Fred Johnson nightmare headlines 5 key Eagles vs. Bengals matchups

In every football game, two teams enter a Week 8 clash with one goal. The Philadelphia Eagles and Cincinnati Bengals are looking to eat during yet another road trip for Philly. They don't see each other often, but more often than not, when they do, Cincy wins.

Stop us if you've heard this before. Philly has never won in Cincinnati. It's gotten stale, hasn't it? Still, we keep checking the lines, and the Birds are road underdogs.

During their first month of action, Philadelphia alternated wins and losses before the bye week and have won two straight after some rest. Cincy also stunk it up. They lost three in a row to begin their season. They've won three of their last four albeit against shakey competition (the Panthers, Giants, and Browns).

Make no mistake. This game is winnable for Philly. As always, the final score will come down to who wins the important matchups.

Fred Johnson vs. Trey Hendrickson

The nightmare continues for Fred Johnson. After facing Myles Garrett and Brian Burns on consecutive Sundays. He gets to spar with Trey Hendrickson at 1 p.m. EST on Sunday afternoon. Don't shed a tear for him. That's life in the NFL.

Johnson excelled in Philly's run-heavy attack last weekend. He's a better run blocker than pass defender, but he'll more than likely have to spend a lot of time protecting Jalen Hurts' blind side.

Let's just hope he is well prepared.

A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith vs. Cam Taylor-Britt and D.J. Turner II

This one's obvious. Philly's offense simply doesn't work without A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith. At the risk of sounding disrespectful, they should be able to have their way with Cam Taylor-Britt and D.J. Turner II.

A.J. is unstoppable vs. one-on-one coverage. Smitty is as smooth as they come. Here's one of the areas where the Birds should focus their attack.

Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins vs. Darius Slay and Quinyon Mitchell (if Tee Higgins plays)

Tee Higgins popped up on Cincinnati's injury report Friday and was listed as 'questionable'. Let's assume he plays. He and his buddy provide a tough challenge.

A.J. and DeVonta enter Week 8 tied with Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins for the most TD receptions by an NFL WR duo. Both have 37.

Darius Slay has played well as of late despite battling through injury. That hasn't been mentioned as often as it should be, but he and rookie Quinyon Mitchell will be tested this week.

Josh Sweat vs. Orlando Brown Jr. (or Cody Ford)

One good left tackle vs. edge rusher mention deserves another. Josh Sweat has rediscovered his mojo. He has tallied a sack during each of the Eagles' last three games.

Cincinnati's starting left tackle, Orlando Brown, is dealing with a knee issue. Even if he plays, he won't be 100% healthy.

He was a limited participant at Bengals practice on Wednesday but a full participant on Thursday and Friday. If, for some reason, he can't go, Cody Ford is the backup. This will be a tough day at the office for Josh Sweat.

Eagles DC Vic Fangio vs. Bengals OC Dan Pitcher

Philly's defense has had to pull their teammates out of the fire a lot. Blame offensive droughts and unforgivable turnovers. They'll need to be at their best again on Sunday.

Dan Pitcher is the Bengals' offensive coordinator. Joe Burrow is an elite QB talent with elite weapons. Expect a stressful afternoon in Ohio's Queen City.

Worth mentioning: Vic Fangio was tasked with limiting Cincy's offense in 2021 as Denver Broncos head coach. The Bengals were held to their lowest point total of the season.

Joe and company still earned the win, but that does give Philly some confidence. If they can hold Cincy's offense in check and eliminate the offensive inadequacy, the Birds can end the jinx and walk out of the Queen City with a win.