It feels like some type of crucial joke that the Cincinnati Bengals have yet to win at home.

Unfortunately, no one is making things up here, and the Bengals have dropped a 3-5 in a discouraging Week 8 home battle with the Philadelphia Eagles, a game that could’ve pulled the Bengals to .500 and restored some hope in the Queen City. It has the opposite effect.

Joe Burrow went for 234 yards, a touchdown, and an interception. While it certainly wasn’t his best game, allowing 37 points in the final three periods is what really did this team in. Now, they’ll have an uphill battle again staring them in the face.

That said, let’s dive into how the national media view this organization after eight games.

NFL.com — No. 22 – Down from No. 20

Wins over the Giants and Browns, along with a solid start against the Eagles, had us warming again to Cincinnati’s cause. Then the offense stalled out after a missed field-goal try in the second quarter from the suddenly shaky Evan McPherson, scoring once in the Bengals’ final five drives and turning it over three times, including once on fourth down. Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase had some moments, but with Tee Higgins out and the run game stuck in place again, there were only so many answers out there. The Bengals’ defense, meanwhile, showed that maybe their previous two encouraging performances were more of the fool’s-gold variety. The Eagles were only really stopped once all game, scoring on their other seven drives. Shortening the game is a good approach for a troubled defense, but the Bengals have to find a rushing attack, prevent turnovers and stop leaving points on the board for that to work next time.

CBS Sports — No. 25 – Down from No. 23

Losing the way they did to the Eagles at home really slows their momentum. The offense didn’t look the same without Tee Higgins.

ESPN — No. 22 – Down from No. 19

While Mims’ blocking numbers aren’t great — third-worst pass block win rate among rookies (81.7%) — he has been a very capable starter at right tackle. According to ESPN Research, Mims has surrendered only three sacks, which is tied for the fourth-fewest among his fellow rookies. His presence has been highlighted, especially with the lack of depth at that position due to injuries. — Ben Baby

Sporting News — No. 22 – Down from No. 19

The Bengals started well against the Eagles, but then Joe Burrow, minus Tee Higgins (quad) again, got into a funk and couldn’t outduel Jalen Hurts.

FOX Sports — No. 20 – Down from No. 16

It doesn’t matter how good Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase are; they’re never going to be perfect. And that’s a problem, because they’ll need to be perfect if the Cincinnati defense gives up points on six straight possessions, like they did against Philadelphia.

The Ringer — No. 17

Quarterback Joe Burrow did everything he could for three quarters to keep Cincinnati in Sunday’s game against the Eagles, but this Bengals defense failed to meet the moment. Against each of the Bengals’ best opponents this year, whenever the offense has fallen short of perfection, the game has effectively been over—and that was the case when wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase couldn’t convert on a fourth-and-1 in the second half.

Veteran defenders like Trey Hendrickson, Logan Wilson, and Germaine Pratt are still productive but not nearly as impactful. Sam Hubbard has lost a step as a pass rusher, and the overall issues on the interior of the defensive line negate Hubbard’s impact as one of the better run stoppers in the league. On the back end, coverage is still a mess, and the Bengals are giving up explosive plays every week. I still think defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo is a good coach; there’s just no fixing the talent gap on Sundays.

USA Today — No. 21 – Down from No. 16

They converted 77% of their third downs Sunday – best in the NFL this season – and lost by 20. Been that kind of year for Cincy, which is just about equally inept while attempting to defend on third down.

Sports Illustrated — No. 20 – Down from No. 16

When Joe Burrow converted a third-and-22 to Mike Gesicki in the second quarter with one of those deceptively amazing, draw out the play then shoot a dart between a defender’s hand passes, I thought that the Bengals had finally exorcized something and would put some distance between themselves and the Eagles. Instead, this gave way to a familiar refrain: a failure to both run and stop the run. I wonder if, this offseason, Zac Taylor reaches into his Rams-ian past for some inspiration as to how he can tie the run and pass together more intricately and solve some of these woes.