Last time met: The Eagles closed the 2004 regular season with a 38-10 loss to the Bengals on Jan. 2, 2005. Because the Eagles had already clinched home-field advantage throughout the playoffs, coach Andy Reid rested almost all of his starters. Wide receiver Freddie Mitchell scored their only touchdown on a 3-yard pass from Jeff Blake. Bengals running back Rudi Johnson rushed for 99 yards.

Eagles' best-case scenario: They rebound from the loss to the Giants with an impressive performance. Donovan McNabb throws three touchdown passes. Brian Westbrook rushes for 120 yards. Bengals quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick throws two interceptions. Quintin Demps returns a kickoff for a touchdown and DeSean Jackson scores on a punt return. Reid wins two challenges.

Eagles' worst-case scenario: They overlook the Bengals and suffer an upset loss. Bengals wide receivers T.J. Houshmandzadeh and Chad Ocho Cinco each catch a touchdown pass and surpass 100 receiving yards. Chris Perry rushes for 100 yards. McNabb struggles early again and throws two interceptions. Ex-Eagles linebacker Dhani Jones returns one for a TD. Westbrook is stymied. Reid loses two challenges.

Keep an eye on: Houshmandzadeh (No. 84). Ocho Cinco gets most of the attention, but Houshmandzadeh is the Bengals' best offensive player. He leads the team with 61 receptions for 577 yards with three TDs. He ranks third in the NFL in receptions.

Notable numbers: Bengals lead series 7-3 and are 3-0 vs. Eagles in Cincinnati. ... Reid is 21-16 vs. AFC and 6-2 vs. AFC North. ... Westbrook has 60 career touchdowns, ranking seventh in franchise history. ... Eagles rank fourth in NFL with 27.9 points per game. ... Bengals are 9-2 in last 11 home games vs. NFC foes. ... Johnson is four catches away from 600 for his career. ... Bengals rank 31st in NFL with 13.9 points per game.

Assessing the offenses

Eagles: They haven't had much trouble scoring but routinely struggle in short-yardage situations. That happened again against the Giants. McNabb has gotten off to slow starts the past two games. Westbrook has been mediocre most games. The offensive line clearly misses guard Shawn Andrews, especially in running situations. Rookie wide receiver DeSean Jackson scored on a 9-yard run from the single-wing Wildcat formation last week.

Bengals: They have been held to 14 points or less in six of eight games. They really miss quarterback Carson Palmer, who has a sore right elbow. Fitzpatrick has four TD passes and six interceptions. Johnson and Houshmandzadeh have been been held in check most games. Running back Cedric Benson rushed for 104 yards vs. Jacksonville in the Bengals' first win. The offensive line has allowed 30 sacks, tied for second-most in the AFC. EDGE TO EAGLES

Assessing the defenses

Eagles: They forced two turnovers against the Giants and are tied for third in the NFC with 17. They also are second with 28 sacks and second with 32 tackles for losses. The run defense has been inconsistent. The Giants rushed for 219 yards. End/tackle Darren Howard has been their most consistent defensive lineman. Middle linebacker Stewart Bradley might get some Pro Bowl votes. Safety Brian Dawkins continues to struggle.

Bengals: They have allowed 26.9 points per game to rank 26th but are coming off a terrific effort against the Jaguars. Jones, who was a disappointment for the Eagles, leads the Bengals with 89 tackles at middle linebacker. They have trouble getting to the quarterback, as evidenced by their nine sacks. Only Kansas City (six) has fewer sacks. The Bengals' 11 takeaways are 14th in the 16-team AFC. EDGE TO EAGLES

Assessing the coaches

Eagles: Reid is coming off a terrible game.

Bengals: Marvin Lewis is making the best of a bad situation.

EDGE TO BENGALS

Intangibles

Eagles: They need a win to bolster their playoff hopes.

Bengals: They have talent but lack chemistry.

EDGE TO EAGLES

Other views

Chick Ludwig, Dayton Daily News:

"The bye week is designed to give NFL teams a break on the long, grinding road of the regular season. It's supposed to be the pause that refreshes. For the Bengals, it's been a momentum killer. Four straight seasons (2004-07) have yielded four straight losses in games after their bye week. They believe it's time to rectify that."

Key matchup

Westbrook (36) vs. Jones (57). The Eagles will likely try to exploit a Bengals run defense that ranks 25th in the NFL. Westbrook could go for more than 100 yards unless Jones continues his high level of play. Eagles backup running back Correll Buckhalter might also get more work.

E-mail David Weinberg:

DWeinberg@pressofac.com