REVEIW: The Philadelphia Eagles will start two Alabama guards in Sunday’s game.

The Philadelphia Eagles will start two Alabama guards in their lineup against the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday. Landon Dickerson, a staple at left guard since his rookie season in 2021, has earned Pro Bowl honors over the past two years. On the right side, Tyler Steen will make his second career NFL start and his first of the 2024 season. Steen filled in for 51 of the Eagles’ 66 offensive snaps in last Sunday’s 28-3 win over the New York Giants after Mekhi Becton left with a concussion. Becton hasn’t practiced this week and will be sidelined for the matchup against Cincinnati.

Steen also stepped in for Becton earlier this season, playing 58 snaps in a 15-12 victory over the New Orleans Saints on September 22.

Philadelphia coach Nick Sirianni praised Tyler Steen’s resilience, saying, “It takes a lot of mental toughness to not know when your number is going to be called but be ready. It speaks to Tyler and his mental toughness and his ability to prepare. I admire how he played under those circumstances, and he did a lot of good things to help us win that game.”

With Steen stepping in at right guard, the Eagles will field their fourth offensive-line combination in seven games this season. Left tackle Jordan Mailata is on injured reserve due to a hamstring injury, and Fred Johnson took over for him against the Giants. Johnson had also filled in at right tackle when Lane Johnson missed Week 4 after sustaining a concussion.

Landon Dickerson reflected on the team’s mindset, saying, “From Day 1, the emphasis in the offensive-line room is that, regardless if you’re a starter or not, you prepare like a starter. You practice like a starter, treat everything as if you were starting. That’s the standard we’ve set from Day 1, so that when a guy goes down, you trust the next guy to step in. Offensive line takes all five guys being on the same page, knowing how the guy beside you plays. That mindset has helped us deal with this season’s injuries and lineup changes.”

Despite the adjustments along the offensive line, Philadelphia rushed for an impressive 269 yards against New York. Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts threw just 14 passes, scoring twice on quarterback sneaks. The rushing total marked Philadelphia’s highest since they gained 363 yards in a 40-33 win over the Green Bay Packers on November 27, 2022.

Reflecting on the performance, Landon Dickerson said, “Sunday we ran the ball OK. Honestly, looking at the numbers, there’s room for improvement. We didn’t meet some of our goals in the run game. But, as I mentioned last week, it’s the small changes—the things we work on in each meeting, practice, workout, and walkthrough—that help us clean things up and improve, even if it’s not something flashy or headline-worthy.”

Dickerson added, “I think the run game was key for us this past weekend; it was something we could rely on to win the game. At the end of the day, it’s about doing whatever it takes on Sunday to come out on top, whether that’s running, passing, or a mix of both. Last Sunday, we found a lot of success on the ground, and that’s what led us to victory.”

The Eagles will face the Bengals at noon CDT on Sunday at Cincinnati’s Paycor Stadium. The game is set to air on Alabama’s CBS affiliates.