An NFL Writer Actually Predicted a Tie Between the Eagles and Bengals on Sunday
When the Philadelphia Eagles and Cincinnati Bengals played to a 23-23 tie on Sunday, most NFL fans scratched their heads in confusion.
But not NFL writer Mike Tanier.
Tanier, who writes for Pro Football Network and Football Outsiders, actually predicted the bottom-feeding teams would play to a tie in Week 3, and he only missed on the final score by one point.
The Eagles and Bengals played to a 23-23 tie in Week 3
Ties aren’t exactly a regular occurrence in the NFL. So many factors have to go right for neither team to emerge victorious in the end. Inept offenses. Dumb penalties. Spineless coaching decisions.
Somehow, all of those factors lined up this past Sunday at Lincoln Financial Field, as the Eagles and Bengals played to a 23-23 tie. It almost seemed as if neither head coach even cared about winning in overtime. Doug Pederson punted on the edge of field goal range on his last possession. Zac Taylor took a knee with time still left on the clock.
It was a bizarre finish, to say the least. One that neither fan base could’ve enjoyed very much. Both teams had their chances to win in regulation and overtime, but they both finished with the most underwhelming result in football.
The only thing even more impressive than the tie itself was Tanier nearly nailing the exact outcome of the game on Sunday.
NFL writer Mike Tanier predicted a 22-22 tie prior to the game
Tanier, who writes a weekly column called ‘Walkthrough’ for Football Outsiders previewing the upcoming NFL slate and predicting each game, gave a bold prediction for Sunday’s contest between the Eagles and Bengals. Neither team really deserves to win, so why wouldn’t they tie?
Tanier compared the matchup to the one in 2008, in which the Eagles and Bengals played to a 13-13 tie. He almost nailed the final score exactly.
“On paper, this game looks a lot like the Eagles-Bengals 13-13 “Donovan McNabb doesn’t know the overtime rules” game of 2008. The Eagles were a few years removed from the Super Bowl back then, the Bengals in one of their usual states of transition, and McNabb was coming off multiple seasons of injuries and maybe the backup is just as good speculation. McNabb, Reid, and the Eagles ultimately bounced back that year, but that tie felt worse than a loss (as ties often do), and it served notice that while the coming rebuild could be forestalled, it remained inevitable.
Prediction: Eagles 22, Bengals 22″
Impressive stuff, Mike.
The Eagles and Bengals are both headed for nightmare seasons
The Bengals didn’t have high hopes to start the 2020 NFL season, so the tie won’t be as tough to swallow in Cincinnati as it will be in Philadelphia. Bengals’ fans are just thrilled to have a franchise quarterback again, but the rest of the roster needs serious work.
The Eagles, on the other hand, are just three years removed from their Super Bowl victory. They still have most of the same pieces in place from that team, but boy do they look different this year.
The confidence and swagger of that 2017 team are gone. Carson Wentz seems to be regressing every year. Doug Pederson has completely lost his play-calling gusto.
The Bengals and Eagles are both 0-2-1 to start the year, and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see them tie again for a high draft pick after the season.
