A battle of elite receivers could determine the matchup between the pinstriped Bengals and Eagles

The Eagles and Cincinnati Bengals have won two straight and three of their last four.

Their opponents in the last two weeks? The New York Giants and Cleveland Browns, who are 3-11 overall.

When the Eagles (4-2) visit the Bengals (3-4) at Paycor Stadium on Sunday (1 p.m., CBS, 94.1-WIP FM), the outcome could change the course of each team’s season.

A win for the Bengals would put them back in the hunt for the top-heavy AFC North, behind Baltimore and Pittsburgh. A win for the Birds would move the team into a tie with Washington for the lead in the NFC East, while the under-500 Jacksonville Jaguars come to Philly next week.

But the Eagles have never won in Cincinnati, where they are 0-4-1 overall.

“I didn’t even know that,” said Eagles coach Nick Sirianni, who had been absent for any of the previous games. “I try not to get too excited about these things, because what does it have to do with me? I’ve never been on this team where I’ve been. It’s productive for us to say, “Okay, hey, we’re playing in a hostile environment, so we have to do what we need to do to prepare for a hostile environment.”

This matchup will feature two of the best players in the league: AJ Brown of the Eagles and Ja’Marr Chase of Cincinnati, who was a favorite target of quarterback Joe Burroughs since his college days at LSU. Tie for NFL lead with 621 receiving yards, six touchdowns in seven games. Brown, who has played three games due to injury, has 324 yards and three TDs.

“We’re about the same size, I might be a little bigger,” Brown said with a wry smile. “He can be a little faster. …I mean, Ja’Marr is incredible. He is definitely one of the best receivers in the game right now. Some of the things he does, I think only he can do. I’ll definitely be keeping an eye out to see if I can learn anything from him.”

Eagles cornerback Darius Slay, who plays against Brown every day in practice, knows a lot about Chase.

“They’re the first two,” Slay said. “Of course, we have the best here. (Chase) is probably there too. No one can go wrong with either of them like 1A, 1B. They have different body types. (The chase) can jump the world. I saw his basketball highlights the other day while scrolling through Twitter. He also received a D-1 basketball scholarship. These guys are really talented.”

In a surprise move late Friday, the Bengals announced that their other star receiver, Tee Higgins, was limited in practice with a quad problem and is questionable. Even if Higgins doesn’t play, Burrow-Chase alone will be a problem.

“It’s going to be a great match, just because you know who they are,” Slay said. “From a linebacker to a receiver standpoint, they’re one of the best duos in this league.”

Higgins, who has missed time with injuries throughout his career and twice this season, has 29 catches for 341 yards and three TDs this year. If he sits against the Birds, Andrii Josivas will likely take his place.

Meanwhile, the Eagles have a chance to continue the run that was extremely successful against the Giants. In addition to finding Brown, they certainly want to feed receiver DeVonta Smith, who was only targeted twice last week in the rout of the Giants.

Cincinnati’s defense has struggled with pass pressure for most of the season, hovering in the bottom third of the league. That could give Jalen Hurts time to attack a Cincinnati secondary that hasn’t been fully healthy. But Eagles backup left tackle Fred Johnson may need some help against Cincinnati defensive end Trey Hendrickson, who has seven sacks. The rest of the Bengals have one sack this year.

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NOTES >> The Eagles’ pass rush, with additional hits from defensive coordinator Vic Fangio, has resulted in 13 sacks over the past two weeks. The Bengals’ offensive line, when healthy, has improved in recent years. But star left fielder Orlando Brown, who is nursing a knee/calf injury, will play under a pinch. The Birds may have an opportunity to reach the Burrow. … Cincinnati will be without starting cornerback Dax Hill, who is on injured reserve. Safety Geno Stone (shin) is expected to play despite being limited for the week. Eagles right guard Mehi Becton (concussion), tight end Dallas Goedert (hamstring) and left guard Jordan Mailata (hamstring) are out. Defensive tackle Byron Young (hamstring) joined Mailata on IR. Cornerback Eli Ricks (groin) was a full participant on Friday. … The Bengals are 9-3-2 overall against the Eagles. … The Bengals will wear their all-white uniforms, in which they are 4-0 overall. … The Eagles allowed three points to the Giants last week. The last time they went back-to-back without allowing a touchdown was in Weeks 11 and 12 of 2017.