Eagles secondary prepared for explosive Bengals passing attack, led by Ja’Marr Chase

Parris Campbell has spent the past week doing his best impersonation of Ja’Marr Chase.

In the days leading up to the Eagles’ trip to Cincinnati to face the Bengals and their star-laden passing attack, the practice-squad wide receiver was given the red No. 1 jersey and the job of replicating Chase on the scout team for the week.

Considering Chase entered Week 8 leading the league in receiving yards and tied for the most touchdown catches, studying the 24-year-old’s film and emulating his play on the practice field was easier said than done for Campbell, but an enjoyable challenge nonetheless.

» READ MORE: Eagles vs. Bengals predictions: Our writers make their picks for Week 8

“It’s a fun opportunity, honestly,” Campbell said. “How the Bengals use him and what he’s asked to do in that offense, it’s definitely fun to run some of those routes. … He’s a rare dude. Honestly, it’s just going out there and showing them that speed, making sure I’m going full speed and trying to do my best to make it similar, seeing the film and then going out there.”

Led by quarterback Joe Burrow, Chase, and his fellow receiver Tee Higgins, the Bengals (3-4) have one of the most efficient passing offenses in the NFL, one that belies their sluggish start to the season. The group ranks sixth in defense-adjusted value over average in the passing game, which is an efficiency metric that accounts for strength of opponent. Burrow has completed 70.4% of his passes for 1,759 yards, 14 touchdowns, and just two interceptions so far this season, with each of those metrics ranking inside the top five or six in the NFL.

it will be a difficult test for the Eagles secondary, which has seemingly turned a corner in the last two games since the bye week. They held the New York Giants to just 43 passing yards last Sunday and stifled the Cleveland Browns to 144 the week prior.

Eagles cornerback Darius Slay acknowledged that, while few teams have a receiving duo capable of rivaling Eagles’ co-stars A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith, Cincinnati’s pair comes the closest.

“It’s going to be a great matchup just because of who they are from a quarterback standpoint to the receiver standpoint,” Slay said. “They have one of the best duos in this league. Chase right now is playing absolutely amazing.”

The Eagles may not see the duo, though, after Higgins was added to the Bengals injury report Friday. The 2020 second-round pick practiced earlier in the week, but was listed as questionable for the game with a quadriceps injury that first popped up after Friday’s practice. The 6-foot-4, 219-pound Higgins has 29 catches for 341 yards and three touchdowns this season working as the big-bodied complementary receiver opposite Chase.

Even if Higgins isn’t available, the combination of Burrow and Chase is among the league’s best quarterback-receiver pairings. Chase has 39 catches for six touchdowns and 620 yards this season, including 281 yards after the catch.

» READ MORE: Eagles-Bengals: Fred Johnson vs. Trey Hendrickson is one of the key matchups to watch Sunday

“He’s a guy that can get in and out of breaks,” Slay said. “He can do the dirty work, he can catch slants and go for 80, he can catch go balls, contested ones. He’s just the whole complete package as a receiver that you’d want on your team. He’s very good at what he does, for sure, he’s one of the best ones in this league. I had him early in his rookie year as one of my top-five guys that I like to watch and like to study because of the skill set he has.”

Considering which receiver most closely resembles Chase across the NFL, Slay said there are notable similarities between the Bengals’ star wide receiver and one of the Eagles’.

“He’s not as big as A.J., but A.J. has the same similar style of his play,” Slay said. “It’s like, ‘It don’t matter who is in front of me, I’m going to run my route, I’m not going to have to change too much of what I do. Because I make great catches, attack the ball, got great hands, can run fast and run by you.’ That’s kind of who he reminds me of because of the body types and the ability they got.”

When asked about the comparison, Brown added, “We’re kind of like the same size. I might be a little bigger, he might be a little faster. So I can see why he’d say that.”

After watching film on Chase, Campbell also noted one key similarity between Chase and Brown.

“Both of those guys, they’re just rare,” Campbell said. “They’re one of one.”

The Eagles play in Week 8 against the Cincinnati Bengals. Join Eagles beat reporters Olivia Reiner and EJ Smith as they dissect the hottest storylines surrounding the team on Gameday Central, live from Paycor Stadium.