Andy Dalton threw touchdown passes to Tyler Eifert and Brandon LaFell, Jeremy Hill ran for a score and struggling kicker Mike Nugent booted field goals of 32, 33 and 26 yards – and also missed his fourth extra point in his last five tries – as the Bengals (4-7-1) jumped out to a 29-0 lead.
The last time the Bengals scored on their first six possessions was Oct. 25, 2009, when they got points on their first seven drives in a 45-10 victory at home against Chicago.
Cedric Benson, who ran for 189 yards and a touchdown in that game against the Bears, was one of the former Bengals in attendance for the pre-game ceremony, which also included Chad Johnson, Rudi Johnson and Anthony Munoz among others.
Sunday’s rushing attack was nowhere near as effective, the Bengals gaining just 81 yards on 32 carries, but Dalton had his best game of the year, completing 23 of 31 passes for 332 yards and two touchdowns for a season-high passer rating of 130.0.
LaFell caught five passes for a season-high 95 yards, including a 44-yarder that set up his 8-yard touchdown on the opening drive of the third quarter, upping the score to 26-0.
Rookie Cody Core’s first career reception was a 50-yarder in the first quarter to set up Hill’s 2-yard touchdown. Tyler Boyd added four catches for 66 yards to help the Bengals overcome the absence of Pro Bowl wide receiver A.J. Green, who missed his second consecutive game.
Defensively, Vontaze Burfict intercepted Philadelphia rookie quarterback Carson Wentz twice and had 13 tackles for his fifth consecutive game with double-digit stops.
Shawn Williams also had an interception.
The Bengals return to action next Sunday in Cleveland.
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