Subscribe
Follow Us
The Pittsburgh Steelers are on a roll.
They've won four of their last five games, ten of their last 13, and, with a two-game lead over the Baltimore Ravens in the AFC North and with four games left to play, completely control their destiny regardless of whether they secure the win or the loss in Week 13… which is good, because Pittsburgh has drawn another team that's on a roll in the Philadelphia Eagles, who have won nine-straight since the bye and are 11-2 on the season.
Now, on paper, the Steelers and Eagles are a lot alike; they both have strong running games, both make their bones on the defensive side of the ball – even if they do damage in very different ways – and should be in the mix for a deep playoff run with an all-Pennsylvania Super Bowl very much a possibility.
And yet, the two squads do have a few notable differences that could make things interesting down the road when Pittsburgh makes its way to Philadelphia for their rare showdown, including the fact that no Steelers team has secured a regular season win in the City of Brotherly love since the 1960s.
Could that change in Week 15? Sure, the Steelers have plenty of firepower on both sides of the ball and are a flukey loss to the Cleveland Browns away from their own expansive winning streak. They can pressure Jalen Hurts in the passing game, set a strong wall against Saquon Barkley with their stout front seven, and could even test an Eagles secondary that is having a moment but can still be exploited when it falls into a safe zone coverage. Throw that all together, and Week 15 has the potential to be one of the more interesting games of the weekend, even if there is absolutely no guarantee that Pittsburgh will come out of the showdown on top.
1. The Eagles' secondary holds Russell Wilson to under 200 yards
There's no two doubts about it: the Eagles' secondary is very good.
That's right, despite starting rookie cornerbacks – notoriously one of the hardest positions to translate to the pros – plus a UDFA safety under new defensive coordinator Vic Fangio, Philly's defense has consistently found ways to slow opposing offenses down with their mixture of coverages, select blitzing packages, and their DC's signature two-high safety look, which can disguise coverages and limit deep passing.
Now granted, the Steelers' passing game is no joke, with one of the all-time great deep ball throwers leading an offense loaded with speedy pass-catchers, and, if they were at full strength, this would unquestionably be a battle worthy of marquee status, but unfortunately, that just isn't the case, with Adam Schefter dashing any optimism that George Pickens would miraculously make it back in time for Week 15.
“It doesn't look good right now.”He didn't practice again [on Thursday],” Schefter said on NFL Live via Steelers Nation. “Mike Tomlin himself has already called George Pickens doubtful for Sunday's game, and when a head coach is calling his player doubtful during the week, and he doesn't practice Wednesday or on Thursday, that tells you the overwhelming chances are he's not going to be in uniform on Sunday.”
Now granted, the Steelers aren't out of players by any means who can attack a defense with their receiving prowess, with the team wisely securing Mike Williams' services from the New York Jets before the NFL trade deadline to pair with players like Calvin Austin, Scotty Miller, and Van Jefferson. But outside of maybe Roman Wilson, who was looking very good before landing on IR, Pickens is without a doubt Pittsburgh's best receiver, and in a game where the Steelers need all hands on deck to stress Fangio's defense to the point of breaking, being without Pickens and Wilson will be an incredibly tough hill to overcome.
2. Jalen Hurts attacks the Steelers through the air early and often
After spending the week listening to take after take from all over the sporting world, it's safe to assume Jalen Hurts will be coming out of the gate ready to rock with a concerted plan through the air.
Need proof? Well check to offensive coordinator Kellen Moore's comments on getting Philadelphia back into a groove from his Week 15 media session, pointing out that the Eagles have all the tools they could need to make an impact moving forward, they just need to put it all together on the field.
“I think every season takes its own ebbs and flows. I don’t think any season you look at and you say it necessarily has to be like the previous season. I think this has been an awesome opportunity for me just to grow and learn. I think what is awesome about our run game is the ability to run the quarterback. Jalen’s really, really special at it. Our ability to use the movements in the action game has been really, really good,” Moore told reporters.
“Obviously we’ve got some players outside who do an exceptional job in the isolation game, and they’ve done a really, really good job there. We’re trying to put ourselves in whatever best situation we can to be successful. I think, when you look at this from a wider lens, I think our guys have done a really, really good job.”
Theoretically, the Eagles throwing the ball more often in Week 15 is good news for the Steelers, as that means fewer rushing attempts by Saquon Barkley, but when you consider AJ Brown also has plenty to prove, and he'll likely be lined up opposite Joey Porter Jr. for much of the contest, this has the potential to be a get right game for Philadelphia at Pittsburgh's expense. Why? Because Brown might just draw a half-dozen pass interference penalties on the way to a 100-plus yard explosion.
3. Saquon Barkley runs Philly to another win.
If there's one player the Steelers can't allow to beat them in Week 15, it has to be Barkley.
Hurts throws for 300-plus yards? Sure. Philly's defense pulls a Pittsburgh and secures multiple takeaways? That would stink, but that happens. But Barkley gashing the defensive line for another triple-digit game? No way; the Steelers need to make sure that doesn't happen no matter what, as such an outcome would be disastrous for the team's overall winning chances.
And yet, whether they go up against a good rushing defense, a bad rushing defense, or something in between – the Steelers currently rank fourth in rushing defense – the Eagles have gotten great production out of Barkley, with the PSU rusher going for 100+ yards in nine of the 13 games he's appeared in and has turned in some all-time great performances in an offense built to win on the ground.
Now granted, maybe the Steelers figure out a way to slow him down. Maybe they have a spy shadow Barkley all game long or have their front seven sell out to slow down the run instead of trying to rush the passer to their usual standards. But one way or another, Barkley will likely finish out the game with at least 100 yards in the game, as he's got the potential to rip off a 50-yard run at any point in any game he appears in, and Week 15 is no exception. If Barkley performs up to his usual standards and Hurts doesn't give those yards back through the air, the Eagles will probably pull this one out.
