The Pittsburgh Steelers are finally back in action in Week 5 against the Philadelphia Eagles after their Week 4 matchup against the Tennessee Titans was postponed due to COVID-19.

The Steelers will look to improve to 4-0 on the young season against the Eagles, who are 1-2-1 after defeating the San Francisco 49ers in Week 4 for their first win of the season.

Unofficially nicknamed “The Battle of Pennsylvania,” the Steelers and Eagles have a fierce, inter-conference rivalry that dates all the way back to 1933. The Steelers will have approximately 5,500 fans at the game, so there will be at least some noise at Heinz Field for the Eagles to deal with on offense.

With that being said, ClutchPoints has made four bold predictions for the game from the Steelers' perspective.

1. Ben Roethlisberger will continue his hot start 

A future Hall of Famer, Ben Roethlisberger was only able to play in two games last season due to an elbow injury that required surgery. Big Ben has been motivated to prove his critics wrong this season after many pundits said he was going to be washed up coming back from his serious ailment.

Against the New York Giants, Denver Broncos and Houston Texans to begin 2020, Roethlisberger has looked like his old self. He's thrown for 777 yards and seven touchdowns while completing 67.0 percent of his passes. The two-time Super Bowl champion has thrown only one interception as well, as he's been making smart passes and putting his playmakers in positions to be successful.

The Eagles don't have a great defense, as they are giving up 26.8 points per game. Look for Roethlisberger to continue his hot start to the season for the Steelers and establish himself as an early MVP candidate.

The Eagles are allowing 207 passing yards per game and Roethlisberger is still one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL despite his age and body breaking down. He can still throw the deep ball better than anyone not named Patrick Mahomes, Aaron Rodgers or Russell Wilson.

2. James Conner will rush for 100-plus yards and score two touchdowns

The Eagles are allowing 108 rushing yards per game on the season and James Connor is coming off back-to-back games where he rushed for 100 yards for the Steelers.

With that being said, look for Connor to eclipse the 100-yard mark again against the Eagles. He's carried the ball 40 times for the Steelers and rushed for 224 yards and two touchdowns on the season. The 25-year-old was born and raised in Pennsylvania, so he knows all about the rivalry between the Eagles and Steelers.

Article Continues Below
Related News
Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins (18) prepares for a game against the New York Giants at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
Steelers rumors: Ryan Clark’s savage Allen Iverson mic drop on Kirk CousinsBenedetto Vitale ·
Tennessee Titans quarterback Mason Rudolph (11) looks to pass during the fourth quarter at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, Fla. The Jaguars held off the Titans 20-13.
Steelers’ Mason Rudolph gets real on QB1 job amid Aaron Rodgers buzzJake Faigus ·
New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers (8) is shown after he led Gang Green to a 32-20 victory against the Miami Dolphins, on Jan. 5, 2025, in East Rutherford, N.J.
Ryan Clark sounds off on Steelers downfall amid Aaron Rodgers chaseBen Strauss ·
New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers (8) is shown after he led Gang Green to a 32-20 victory against the Miami Dolphins.
Steelers rumors: Mike Florio hits Pittsburgh with ‘obvious’ Aaron Rodgers realityBenjamin Adducchio ·
Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins (18) prepares for a game against the New York Giants at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
Steelers rumors: Insider floats Kirk Cousins as potential Plan B in Aaron Rodgers sagaZachary Weinberger ·
Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Mason Rudolph (2) throws the ball in the first quarter against the Buffalo Bills in a 2024 AFC wild card game at Highmark Stadium.
Insider hits Aaron Rodgers with harsh Steelers-Mason Rudolph realityPreston Byers ·

This will be the first time in his young career that Connor will face the Eagles, so he will certainly be extra motivated to have a big game against Philadelphia and prove he's the best running back in the state (sorry, Miles Sanders).

3. JuJu Smith-Schuster will play and go off

JuJu Smith-Schuster has a knee injury, but it is likely that he will play Sunday versus the Eagles. Look for the explosive WR to go off against an Eagles secondary that can't stop a cold at the moment.

Smith-Schuster has caught 17 balls on the season for 160 yards and three touchdowns. Like Connor, this is the first time the Steelers wideout will get to participate in the Pennsylvania rivalry.

Since there will be fans at the game, look for Smith-Schuster to get in the end zone and do one of his patented dances to get the crowd going. He already has good chemistry with Roethlisberger and the Eagles really don't have a shutdown corner who can contain him on the outside.

4. Steelers win to remain undefeated on the season

The Steelers will win this game since they have the better quarterback, running game, passing game and head coach. While the team may be a little rusty to start the contest since they didn't get to play in Week 4, Roethlisberger has such a solid rapport with his offense that it shouldn't take him too long to get back in the groove he was in before the Titans game got postponed.

The Eagles are struggling on both sides of the ball right now. They defeated a 49ers team in Week 4 that played without Jimmy Garoppolo and benched Nick Mullens for C.J. Beathard. A win is a win in the NFL, but the Eagles didn't look all that impressive against the 49ers and they are now facing a much better unit in the Steelers.

The Steelers are hungry to get one more Super Bowl in the Roethlisberger era. This season could be a golden opportunity for the team to achieve that goal.