The Pittsburgh Steelers travel to Philadelphia for a late season showdown with their in-state rivals the Eagles. Here’s everything you need to know about this week 15 matchup!
What: Pittsburgh Steelers 10-3 at Philadelphia Eagles 11-2
Where: Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, PA
When: Sunday December 15th, 2024 425pmET
Weather: 46 degrees and cloudy at kickoff. Winds around 9mph.
Surface: Natural Grass
Wagering Information: Eagles -5.5 O/U 42.5
Last Week: The Eagles struggled to put away the Carolina Panthers before winning 22-16 while the Steelers knocked off the Browns in Pittsburgh 27-14.
TV: FOX Kevin Burkhardt (play-by-play), Tom Brady (analysis), Erin Andrews (field reporter), Tom Rinaldi (field reporter)
TV Coverage in Your Area (courtesy 506sports.com): Steelers coverage is in RED.
Radio: Steelers Nation Radio/WDVE Rob King (play-by-play), Craig Wolfley (analysis). Max Starks (field reporter)
ESPN Radio: Steve Levy (play-by-play), Sal Paolantonio (analysis), Courtney Cronin (field reporter)
Head Official: Alan Eck. He’s a tax manager from Bloomsburg State. He’s in just his second year as a head official. His last Steelers game was in October when the team defeated the Raiders in Las Vegas. There were 11 accepted penalties in that game. Of the crew’s 153 accepted penalties this season, 37 have been holding calls. That’s about 1/4 of all of their calls.
Key Injuries/Game Status (courtesy steelers.com) PIT: No. 14 WR George Pickens (Hamstring) – Out, No. 25 S DeShon Elliott (Hamstring) – Out, ** No. 57 DT Montravius Adams (Knee) – Questionable, No. 67 OL Calvin Anderson (Groin) – Questionable
No. 99 DT Larry Ogunjobi (Groin) – Out PHI: No. 18 WR Britain Convey (Neck) – Out
**21-day window to return from IR.
Injury Notes: The Steelers are missing key pieces on both sides of the ball. Pickens being out is huge but don’t dismiss Elliott and Ogunjobi… The Eagles are incredibly healthy for this time of year, guys on IR notwithstanding.
2024 NFL Ranks:
Total Offense: PIT 10th PHI 8th
Passing Offense: PIT 23rd PHI 31st
Rushing Offense: PIT 9th PHI 1st
Total Defense: PIT 5th PHI 2nd
Passing Defense: PIT 17th PHI 2nd
Rushing Defense: PIT 4th PHI 8th
AFC North Standings:
Pittsburgh 10-3
Baltimore 8-5
Cincinnati 5-8
Cleveland 3-10
This Week in the AFC North: Baltimore at NY Giants 1pmET, Kansas City at Cleveland 1pmET, Cincinnati at Tennessee 1pmET
What You Need to Know: The Steelers have not won in Philly since October of 1965… They’ve lost their last ten games there…Teams that opened the season 10-3 reached the playoffs 100.0% (78 of 78), won their division 76.9% (60 of 78) and won the Super Bowl 10.3% (8 of 78) of the time since 1990… The Steelers are 8-1 when scoring first this season… They are 8-0 when holding opponents to 19 points or less.
Tomlin Time: Coach Tomlin is 2-3 all-time versus the Eagles… Nick Sirianni is 1-0 against the Steelers… Coach T is now tied with Tom Landry (183) for 8th with the most wins for a head coach since 1970… Tomlin is 49-25-1 all-time versus the NFC… Tomlin is 8th all-time in road victories with 81… Tomlin has won 10 or more games in a season 11 times.
Philadelphia Eagles Names to Know: QB Jalen Hurts, QB Kenny Pickett, RB Saquan Barkley, DT Jordan Davis, WR DeVonta Smith, DT Jalen Carter, LB Nakobe Dean, K Jake Elliott, TE Dallas Goedert, CB Darius Slay, Jr.
What’s at Stake: The Steelers can lock up a postseason berth with a win or tie OR a Miami loss/tie and an Indianapolis loss/tie… Cam Heyward has played in 207 games for the Steelers. That’s the most by any defensive player in team history…Teams that opened the season 10-3 reached the playoffs 100.0% (78 of 78), won their division 76.9% (60 of 78) and won the Super Bowl 10.3% (8 of 78) of the time since 1990.
All-Time Series: Eagles lead 48-29-3, Eagles lead in Philly, 29-10-2
Last Meeting: October 2022 in Philadelphia. Eagles 35 Steelers 13
Postseason History: Eagles lead 1-0
Steelers Game Highs vs PHI:
PASSING: 294 yards Kordell Stewart 11/23/1997
RUSHING: 218 yards John Fuqua 12/20/1970
RECEIVING: 171 yards Louis Lipps 11/13/1988
SACKS: 1.5 Stephon Tuitt 10/11/2020, Larry Foote 9/21/2008
INTERCEPTIONS: 3 Jim Bradshaw 10/24/1965, Johnny Sample 10/8/1961
Check out the latest Steel City Blitz Steelers Podcast for more on the Steelers.
Three Things We Need to See for a Steelers’ Victory:
1. Stopping Saquan (and Hurts). The Philadelphia running game is the best in the NFL and it all starts up front with a tremendous offensive line. In order to limit Saquan Barkley, the Steelers front seven must be disciplined. Allowing lanes to open or giving up the edge will give Barkley way too much room to operate. If that happens then Jalen Hurts becomes a threat in both the running and passing games. Alex Highsmith and T.J. Watt will be challenged not to crash down too quickly on the running back. If they do, Hurts will keep it and pick up positive yardage. Success by Barkley also means the play-action passing game opens up and that’s never good for a defense regardless of how talented. Bottom line? Limit the run and force Hurts to be a drop back passer.
2. Find and Keep the Balance. The Steelers are 9-2 this year when they possess the ball for 30 minutes or more. Against one of the top defenses in the NFL, Arthur Smith must rely on balance. He cannot get caught up with constantly running the ball on first down. He can’t abandon the run altogether either should the Steelers fall behind. Let Russell Wilson get comfortable with what he’s seeing from the Eagles and then take it from there. The usage of Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren will be important as will contributions from the tight ends. If the offense is unbalanced it’s going to be a long afternoon.
3. Break the Jinx. In 1965, a dozen eggs cost .53 cents. A gallon of gas cost .31 cents and a postage stamp would run you all of .5 cents. This year is also the last time the Pittsburgh Steelers won in Philadelphia. Ten straight losses in the City of Brotherly Love later and the Steelers desperately need to break this jinx. The best way to do it is to get out front early and put pressure on the Eagles’ offense. They won’t totally abandon Saquan Barkley but forcing Jalen Hurts to drop back and throw isn’t a bad thing. While this dubious streak matters little to the players today, it means something to many who follow both teams.
The ‘X’ Factor: Each week I will select a player from each team who I believe will need to play above and beyond in order for his team to win.
X-Factor Steelers: The Wide Receivers. Without George Pickens again, the Steelers’ wide receivers have to make plays. Scotty Miller and Mike Williams both made big catches last Sunday. Calvin Austin III needs to add to that. The Eagles don’t have the number one defense by chance, they are very talented and experienced, but that doesn’t mean the receiving corps won’t make plays. In fact, they to because running the ball will be difficult as well.
X-Factor Eagles: The Georgia Duo. Defensive tackles Jordan Davis and Jalen Carter both played their college ball at Georgia and both were top picks of the Eagles. Their presence is a factor both against the run and the pass. The Steelers interior line features two rookies in Zach Frazier and Mason McCormick and they will be challenged on every single snap. Whoever is winning these battles consistently will likely win the game.
Prediction: The Steelers are 5-0 this year straight up in games when they are the underdog. Russell Wilson is 6-0 all-time versus the Eagles. The Steelers haven’t won in Philly since 1965. At the end of the day, trends don’t really matter. It’s the guys on the field. My biggest concern is the Steelers’ offense. The Philly D is really, really good and I just don’t have enough faith that we can routinely move the ball enough. Therefore…
Eagles 20 Steelers 17
Season Prediction Record: 7-6
