December 13, 2024
The Eagles and Steelers will face off this Sunday, both at the top of their respective divisions and battling after the best playoff-seeding possible as the regular season comes down the home stretch.
The Eagles held on to beat the Panthers last week, but not in a showing without its drama as Jalen Hurts struggled to get the ball out in a passing performance that noticeably stagnated, and in the immediate aftermath, frustrated.
Still, nine straight wins is hard to argue with, or be mad about, and the Eagles have the defense and the rushing attack still to make it 10 – provided the passing attack doesn't rebound quickly.
The Steelers are another tough challenge though.
Mike Tomlin's team thrives behind its pass rush and run defense, and can get the ball moving, too, if Russell Wilson and the offense are in sync.
How's Week 15 back at the Linc going to go? Here's how our writers are feeling...
TV: FOX (Kevin Burkhardt, Tom Brady, Erin Andrews, Tom Rinaldi)
RADIO: 94.1 WIP (Merrill Reese, Mike Quick)
| Sportsbook | Spread | Money Line | Total O/U |
| DraftKings | PHI -4.5 | PIT +190 PHI -230 | 42.5 |
| FanDuel | PHI -5.5 | PIT +198 PHI -240 | 42.5 |
| BetRivers | PHI -5.5 | PIT +200 PHI -250 | 43 |
| BetMGM | PHI -5 | PIT +185 PHI -225 | 42.5 |
| bet365 | PHI -4.5 | PIT +185 PHI -225 | 42.5 |
Meanwhile, the Eagles' passing attack has had its issues for most of the season, and particularly over the last month or so. Both teams' passing attacks are not what they could/should be in this matchup, for differing reasons.
The Eagles and Steelers are the two most run-heavy teams in the NFL.
| Team | Run percentage |
| Eagles | 56.5% |
| Steelers | 51.6% |
| Packers | 50.8% |
| Ravens | 50.5% |
| Lions | 50.3% |
But the Eagles do it better. Najee Harris is the Steelers' lead back, and he's a load at a listed height and weight of 6'1, 242. However, his numbers aren't super impressive. He has carried 223 times for 877 yards (3.9 YPC) and 5 TDs. By comparison, he has just 43 fewer carries than Saquon Barkley, but 746 fewer yards.
| RB | Rush | Yards | YPC | TD |
| Saquon Barkley | 266 | 1623 | 6.1 | 11 |
| Najee Harris | 223 | 877 | 3.9 | 5 |
The Eagles' defense held another big (and much more talented) back in the Ravens' Derrick Henry to 82 yards on 19 carries. They were also able to run it effectively against the Ravens' defense, which at the time was the No. 1 run defense in the NFL.
One other note: This Steelers team thrives on turnovers, as they lead the NFL with a +17 turnover differential. Say what you will about Jalen Hurts and the lack of punch in the passing game, but at least they aren't turning it over. I think this is yet another game where the Eagles simply outlast their opponent.
MORE: Jimmy's Week 15 picks
Two weeks ago, I picked the Ravens to beat the Eagles, and I was wrong — for the first time in two months. This week, however, I don't expect to be wrong.
I think on paper Philly is better than Pittsburgh, and I think the Eagles' passing game is in a lull, not in a place of panic. But I just can't see the Eagles entering the postseason — this flawed Eagles team — riding a 13-game winning streak and a 15-2 record.
I think they're going to have relatively easy wins in the final three weeks of the season (at least against the Cowboys and then the Giants both at home), and so this is the loss that this team needs to get them a little more battle-tested ahead of the postseason. I expect to see a defensive struggle and a Jalen Hurts turnover lead to a Steelers one-score win.
The Steelers muck everything up and make their games sludgy, disgusting affairs. It's been a winning formula for them for decades. It's why Mike Tomlin remains an excellent coach. That'll happen at the Linc on Sunday. The Steelers' defense is quite good, but the Birds are just a bit better, so I'll lean Eagles here. A day where the offense will look bad and people will lose their minds, but the team will improve to 12-2 and win the division? That's the perfect Philadelphia storm.
MORE: Eagles-Steelers Week 15 injury report, with analysis
Part of me is clinging to that optimism that Jalen Hurts and A.J Brown will both bounce back big immediately and just dunk on the Steelers' secondary, but the reality I'm bracing for is the most frustratingly Pittsburgh Steelers type of game Philadelphia has seen in a good while.
My bet is that the Steelers are going to stack the box and dare Hurts to throw, and I'm just not confident he can make the read quick enough right now, especially when T.J. Watt is the guy storming off the edge and after him.
Saquon Barkley and the run game have been stellar, getting the Eagles by for weeks, and to all of Hurts' credit, he isn't turning the football over, which is great.
But if the Eagles start slow and fall behind again, I have a feeling that the Steelers are going to be the team that can keep them down and hold on to a narrow lead.
I've been hanging on this thought all week: The run is great, really great, and clearly a winning strategy on offense. But when the chips are down and the stakes are high against the very best teams, which at one point or another are coming, 108 passing yards isn't going to save you.
MORE: Eagles Week 15 playoff-clinching/seeding scenarios
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