Fitzgerald Cecilio

Quarterback Andy Dalton was hot in the second half, throwing a touchdown pass and rushing for another to lead the Cincinnati Bengals to a convincing 34-13 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles Thursday at Lincoln Financial Field.

Dalton, who was outplayed by Eagles counterpart Nick Foles in the first half, ran for the go-ahead touchdown in the third period and added a scoring heave to wide receiver A.J. Green in the fourth period en route to their eighth win.

The victory boosted the Bengals (8-6) to solo second in the AFC North and strengthened their bid for a playoff spot.

Dalton completed 13 of 27 passes for 127 yards, Benjarvus Green-Ellis tallied 106 yards on 25 carries and a touchdown and Green added 57 yards on six catches for the Bengals.

Foles finished 16-for-33 for 182 yards and a touchdown but threw a crucial interception that doomed the Eagles, who dropped to 4-10.

The Bengals broke the ice in the first quarter behind a one-yard touchdown run by Green-Ellis after a six-play, 44-yard drive.

Josh Brown added a 24-yard field goal to hand the Bengals a 10-0 lead advantage.

However, the Eagles turned the tables in the second quarter, with Foles throwing an 11-yard touchdown heave to Cooper to trim the gap to three points.

Alex Henery buried a 22-yard field goal to tie the count before defensive tackle gave the ball back to the Eagles after forcing Dalton to a fumble, with 1:42 left.

Foles then led the Eagles to a seven-play, 12-yard drive to put Henery within field-goal range.

The kicker didn't let the effort go to waste as he buried a 20-yarder to put the Eagles ahead, 13-10, at the break.

With five minutes left in the third period, Foles threw his first interception of the game when his deep pass intended for wide receiver Jeremy Maclin was intercepted by cornerback Leon Hall.

Then, Dalton engineered an eight-play, 40-yard drive which he himself capped with an 11-yard scramble to give the Bengals a 17-13 lead.

The Bengals did not stop there as Wallace Gilberry returned a fumble by Eagles running back Bryce Brown for a 28-yard touchdown and a 24-14 lead after three quarters.

Quarterback Andy Dalton Shines as Bengals Beat Eagles - NFL 2012 Week 15