On the road again, for a second consecutive week and this time to Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati to play the Bengals, a team the Eagles play infrequently. Philadelphia is 3-9-2 against the Bengals and hasn't won a game in this matchup since the 2000 season (three losses and two ties since then).

But … it's a whole new ballgame. Mostly new players. Both teams are riding two-game winning streaks (coincidently, both teams beating the Browns and Giants) and are feeling like they have righted their respective ships. With that, a view from the Eagles' locker room as the team finishes up its week of preparation.

Quinyon Mitchell: Preparing for WR Ja'Marr Chase and Bengals

It is one of the toughest tasks on the schedule: Cincinnati wide receivers Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins are one of the best tandems in the league. Higgins is big and long and strong and has 29 receptions for 341 yards and 3 touchdowns this season. Chase is a beast and he has 39 receptions, 620 yards, and 6 scores.

Tough, tough task.

"Great receiver, physical, can run, great after the catch, so yeah, it's going to be a great matchup," said Mitchell, the Eagles' first-round draft pick, of Chase. "Every week, that's what you get in the NFL. The preparation is the same because any mistake you make is going to cost you."

Mitchell has been a starter since Day 1 and he's been competitive and, in fact, a darn good cornerback, rookie or not. According to Pro Football Focus, Mitchell has the following metrics …

Among all defenders with at least 200 coverage snaps:

• Mitchell's 50 percent completion percentage is tied for 10th-best in the league

• Mitchell's forced incompletion percentage of 25% is fourth-best in the league

• No touchdowns allowed

• 72.6 passer rating on throws in his direction

• Just one penalty

"I feel like I've done OK. I want to make more plays and get more opportunities but I feel I'm getting better each and every week and gaining more confidence," Mitchell said. "I'm really hungry for that first interception. Really hungry. When it comes, it comes. I'm not trying to force it."

Cam Jurgens loving the way the running game is rolling

The Eagles rank second in the NFL with 166.7 rushing yards per game despite an offensive line that has had to endure myriad injuries. Philadelphia ran for more than 250 yards against the Giants last week, including a 55-yarder from Saquon Barkley down the left sideline. He was sprung by center Cam Jurgens, who hustled out to the edge to clear cornerback Deonte Banks. The run ignited the offense.

And while it was a terrific run, Jurgens wasn't satisfied.

"It was OK, but if I had knocked down the guy (Banks), Saquon probably would have scored," Jurgens said. "So that's what I saw. I didn't finish the block."

It's that kind of quest for perfection that makes Jurgens such a good player in his first year as a starting center and his second as a starter. He said he is "much more comfortable, but there is a lot of room to grow."

And the success of the running game? Things are clicking.

"It's awesome when you've got a guy like Saquon back there," Jurgens said. "He and Kenny (Gainwell) are getting it done. Saquon, with all of his big runs, he's made such a difference. We give him a little hole and he's through it and on the unblocked guy and he's going to make that guy miss the tackle. It's awesome seeing all of these 50-yard runs."

Moro Ojomo making his impact inside on the D-line

The numbers don't show it, but there's a reason people say that numbers don't tell the full story: Defensive tackle Moro Ojomo has become a force as an inside pass rusher and he's helped the Eagles rejuvenate the defense – 13 sacks and zero touchdowns allowed in the last two weeks tell a compelling tale.

As for Ojomo, he is a standout interior pass rusher, with metrics from Pro Football Focus …

Among interior DL with at least 75 pass rush snaps this season, Ojomo:

• Pass rush win percentage is 2nd (18.9%) in the NFL to Kansas City's Chris Jones

• Ranks 11th in pass rush grade (75.3)

• Has 10 QB hurries

"I feel super thankful for the opportunities that I'm getting and I couldn't do it without (Clint) Hurtt (senior defensive assistant/defensive line), Matt Leo (player development assistant), Patrick McDowell (player development assistant/scout), a lot of guys here who have helped develop me and who work with all the guys," said Ojomo, a seventh-round draft pick last season. "BG (defensive end Brandon Graham) and Sweaty (Josh Sweat) have had great pass rushes and that has impacted me inside and they've helped me with advice and technique.

"What's working for me is having confidence. I think when you're a pass rusher you have to believe in your move and just know your brother is going to be there and execute. Football is all about execution."

The task this week is considerable: Cincinnati quarterback Joe Burrow gets the football out of his hands extremely fast and is elusive and, while he's been sacked 18 times, narrows the time for defensive linemen to get their hands on him.

"Burrow is a guy you respect and we will have a scheme and cover on the back end and that will give us some time to win up front," Ojomo said. "That's the goal every week – stop the run and get a lead and then we're in position to rush the passer. That's what you want to have happen every week."

The scouting report: OT Fred Johnson talks about DE Trey Hendrickson

As Fred Johnson prepares to make his third start of the season, he sees a familiar player in film study: Bengals defensive end Trey Hendrickson may be the best pass rusher nobody talks about – he's been in double digits in quarterback sacks in three of the last four seasons, including a career-high 17.5 in 2023. Hendrickson has 7 quarterback sacks in 2024, tied for fourth in the league.

Johnson, who played with the Bengals from 2019 through 2021 and who overlapped with Hendrickson in that final season, has every bit of respect for what he's going to face on Sunday in The Jungle.

"Good player, good athlete, smart, very dynamic," Johnson said. "When they need a sack, he's the one who makes it happen. I respect his game and he's a very dominant player. We had our fair share of reps in practice – I know him and he knows me – and it's going to be exciting to play against him in this game. I've progressed a lot since then."

Johnson is a key figure for the Eagles up front. He has replaced Lane Johnson on the right side of the offensive line this season and now he's playing in place of Jordan Mailata on the left side.

And on Sunday, he draws the tough task of Trey Hendrickson.

"I've had a lot of growth since my Bengal days and I know what I'm facing here," Johnson said. "Great player. I have to be on point at all times."