The Eagles came into the game having won 9 in a row, and the Steelers 7. Pittsburgh’s quarterback, Russell Wilson, was 6–0 before this matchup. Something had to give. That ended up being the Steeler’s defense, and Pittsburgh will have to wait more time to see if they can end their losing streak in Philadelphia, which dates back to 1965.
The Eagles have the longest win streak in their franchise at ten games, and they won convincingly. The Eagles had 77 offensive plays compared to the Steelers 42. In a game where the Steelers recovered 2 Eagles fumbles in less than 60 seconds, it did not matter. This one never felt close. The turnovers only resulted in 3 points despite both occurring on the Eagle’s side of the field.
This was a glimpse into what Philadelphia can look like when the offense and defense play well. As impressive as this was, the Eagles have yet to play close to a perfect game, which should concern the other teams in the NFL.
Eagles Offense
The Eagle’s offense started their first drive with three successful pass plays before they attempted their first run. Jalen was a perfect 4/4 for 53 yards on the opening drive that ended with a Jake Elliott field goal to take the lead.
That drive set the tone for the game, and once they had the lead they dictated the tempo. The offense had 8 plays of 20 or more yards and QB Jalen Hurts targeted the Eagle’s dynamic duo at wide receiver 23 times. AJ Brown and DeVonta Smith were virtually unstoppable.
Kellen Moore got Jalen into a rhythm early, and the Eagles’ offense never looked back.
Jalen Hurts had a good game via the air and land. A broken ring finger on his left, non-throwing hand did not slow him down. Jalen threw for more passing yards than he did versus Carolina and Baltimore combined! Hurts once again demonstrated that last year’s woes against the blitz are a thing of the past by going 8 of 11 for 98 yards and two touchdowns when the Steelers did. Jalen started the game a perfect 8 of 8 and ended the first half with a perfect passer rating. After a week of the Eagles passing game being questioned, the offense made a big statement! Jalen Hurts, in his postgame interview, had this to say.
“Just because we don’t, doesn’t mean we can’t”
Saquon Barkley rushed for 65 yards on 19 carries. On a day when the running game was not clicking, and Saquon missed much of the first half due to an awkward fall from a Minkah Fitzpatrick tackle, they still outrushed their opponent by 75 yards. It was nice to see the offense win a game without the need to lean on Saquon.
Kenneth Gainwell had an impressive game. He returned two kickoffs for 63 yards, rushed for 20 more, and added three receptions for 40 more yards. He stepped up well in Saquon’s absence and had one of the best spin moves of the season!
A.J. Brown changed his X (Twitter) profile picture to the Joker this past week, but there was nothing funny about his performance for the Steelers DBs. He finished the day with an 8/110/1 stat line and one Kid-N-Play celly with Jalen Hurts. AJ proved, once again, that when his number is called, few receivers can take over a game as well as he does.
DeVonta Smith was Mr Reliable, hauling in 11 receptions on 12 targets, good for 109 yards and a touchdown. He has been amazing from the slot and has become Jalen’s favorite outlet. And though one of his nicknames is Skinny Batman, he plays big and fights for extra yards every time he needs to get the first down by putting his shoulders straight and his head down.
Grant Calcaterra started the game with the opening reception for 22 yards, but that was his only target.
Landon Dickerson left the game in the 3rd quarter with a knee injury and did not return.
Jake Elliott made three field goals even though the longest, a 48-yarder, was taken off due to a personal foul penalty by the Steelers. Jake finished the game by making two field goals and all three PATs. This is an encouraging sign, as they will need him playing well in the post-season.
Eagles Defense
Fangio’s defense suffocated the air out of the Steeler’s offense all game. The defense only allowed ten first downs on the day, and six came in one drive!
The Eagle’s defense allowed a minuscule 163 yards for the game, and the Steelers’ leading rusher had 14 yards! The defense has not allowed a 100-yard rusher all season. They also lead the league in holding their opponent under 200 total yards.
There are not a lot of defensive stats, as Pittsburgh only had the ball for 20 minutes, and only had two second-half possessions.
Josh Sweat was a force off the edge and is much faster and healthier than he was this time last season. He ended the game with one sack, one TFL, and a QB hit.
Nolan Smith had a huge sack with less than a minute left in the first half, forcing a long 49-yard field goal to bring the score to 17–14. He finished with four pressures and got a hand up to redirect a pass on a 3rd down during the Steeler’s second drive. He finished the day with four tackles, a sack, a pass defense, and two TFLs. Nolan disrupted the game.
Jalen Carter and Milton Williams did not light up the stat sheet. Sill, both played well, shutting down any plans the Steelers had of running inside, and they collapsed the pocket, allowing the edge rushers to get to Russell Wilson. They each had a tip-ball and two tackles.
Zack Baun had five tackles versus Pittsburgh and was active in shutting down the passing game. He stayed stride for stride with receivers, making it difficult for Russell Wilson to have any easy targets. It would be surprising if Zack Baun is not an all-pro this season.
Nakobe Dean led the team with ten tackles, a distinction that Baun and Dean keep passing back and forth. He played the run well and is reading what opposing offenses are doing quickly.
Darius Slay recovered a fumble inside the Eagle’s 30-yard line during the 3rd quarter, ending an impressive Steelers drive. He was targeted 3 times and only allowed one reception for 6 yards. Slay continues to play at a high level.
Chauncey Gardner-Johnson annoyed Steeler receivers all game long. Even when the stat sheet does not indicate his impact, watching does. He is around the ball on every play and brings a passion to the field that was missed last season.
Sydney Brown was concussed on the opening kickoff. He plays with such ferocity and little regard for his body. He will have to be more cautious so he can stay on the field and make an impact with the Eagles.
Quinyon Mitchell got in an altercation with a few Steelers players after taking exception to a penalty on BP Slay. That would be the most action Mitchell would see, as teams are not testing the rookie. This was his tenth straight game of allowing 30 yards or less in coverage. He should be the defensive rookie of the year.
Looking Ahead
Staying healthy could be the biggest obstacle the Eagles will face on their way to their second Super Bowl appearance in three years.
The 12-2 Philadelphia Eagles will take their 10-game-winning streak down to Landover, Maryland, to face the Commanders on Sunday at one.
As always, Thank you for reading.
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Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
