The 2-5 Pittsburgh Steelers traveled to Philadelphia to take on their in-state rivals in the undefeated Eagles. The Steelers didn’t put up much of a fight, falling 35-13 to drop to 2-6.
The Steelers opened the game with the ball after the Eagles deferred, and the opening kickoff was a touchback. Pittsburgh went three-and-out as OLB Hasson Reddick sacked QB Kenny Pickett on third down. P Pressley Harvin III’s punt traveled 55 yards and was returned five yards to the Philadelphia 32.
The Eagles picked up a first down on the drive and on 3rd and 7, QB Jalen Hurts found TE Dallas Goedert but he was tackled short of the sticks. Philadelphia kept their offense on the field, and on 4th and 2 Hurts went back to Goedert for a first down to extend the drive. Two plays later, Hurts went deep to WR A.J. Brown and Brown caught it for a 39-yard touchdown. Jake Elliot’s extra point put the Eagles up 7-0 with 9:23 left in the first quarter.
The Steelers got a first down on a 14-yard pass to WR Diontae Johnson and got another first down later in the drive thanks to a defensive holding against Eagles’ CB James Bradberry. On 2nd and 13, RB Jaylen Warren ran for 12 yards and Pickett converted the first down on a QB sneak. Two plays later, the Steelers hit an explosive play when Pickett threw to TE Pat Freiermuth over the middle of the field for 21 yards. An 11-yard scramble by Pickett on the ensuing first down gave Pittsburgh a 1st and Goal. On 3rd and Goal from the 2-yard line, Pickett’s pass was incomplete.
On 4th down, the Steelers brought out Nick Sciba, replacing the injured Chris Boswell, but the Eagles were called for delay of game and the Pittsburgh offense came back on the field. Pickett handed off to WR Chase Claypool on a jet, but Claypool threw it to FB Derek Watt and Watt caught the touchdown. Sciba’s extra-point tied things up at 7-7 with 1:57 left in the first quarter.
On the last play of the first quarter, DL Montravius Adams was flagged for offsides and Philadelphia got a first down on 3rd and 1. After a nine-yard pass to WR Devonta Smith, Hurts found Goedert for 16 yards and a first down. On 3rd and 8 from the Pittsburgh 27, Hurts went deep to Brown again and he caught a 27-yard touchdown. Elliott’s extra point gave Philadelphia a 14-7 lead with 12:48 left in the first half.
A ten-yard screen pass to Warren on 3rd and 19 was the Steelers only positive play of their next drive, and Harvin punted 46 yards. The Eagles began their next drive at their own 39, but lost 10 yards on the first play of the drive and would go three-and-out. The Steelers responded with a three-and-out of their own. Harvin’s punt was just a measly 38 yards and the Eagles would have good field position at their own 40 with 7:22 left in the first half.
On first down, Hurts connected with Goedert for a first down and on the next play he found Smith for a 14-yard gain and another first down. On the 3rd play., A.J. Brown caught his third touchdown of the game, this one from 29 yards, and the Eagles went up 21-7 with 6:13 left in the second quarter. On the ensuing drive, a 32-yard pass to Pickens was taken off the board due to offensive pass interference, and then a pass to Pickens on 2nd down looked like it was caught but it was ruled incomplete and Pittsburgh didn’t challenge. Pickett ran for 9 yards on third down, and on 4th and 1 he picked up the first on a QB sneak. Pittsburgh drove into the red zone largely on the strength of an 18-yard pass to Freiermuth, but they couldn’t punch it in and settled for a 38-yard Nick Sciba field goal that cut the Eagles lead to 21-10 with 1:02 left in the first half.
The Steelers sacked the Eagles twice on their next drive and got the ball back at their own 22 with 25 seconds left in the half, but they couldn’t get on the board. At the half, the Eagles led 21-10.
Philadelphia got the ball to open the second half, and on the second play of the drive RB Miles Sanders broke off a 20-yard run. Back-to-back 10-yard completions had the Eagles threatening at the Pittsburgh 34, and on the next play Hurts went over the top to WR Zac Pascal for a 34-yard touchdown. Elliot’s extra point was good, and Philadelphia had a commanding 28-10 lead.
The Steelers ran a fake punt with a direct snap to LB Marcus Allen on 4th and 2 and the Steelers picked up a first down. After a holding penalty took a three-yard reception off the board, Pickett threw to Claypool who dragged tacklers with him for a 25-yard gain. On 3rd and 3 from the Philadelphia 41, Pickett threw to Harris for no gain and they again went for it on fourth down, with Harris gaining nine yards on a reception. Pittsburgh had to settle for a field goal after Pickett was incomplete to Claypool on 3rd and 4, and Sciba nailed a 29-yard try to cut the Eagles lead to 28-13 with 5:55 left in the third quarter.
Sciba’s kickoff after the field goal went out of bounds, so Philadelphia started at their 40-yard line. On 3rd and 4, Goedert picked up seven yards and a first down. On 2nd and 19 after a hold against Jason Kelce, Cameron Heyward sacked Hurts to make it 3rd and 24. A 14-yard run by Sanders helped out Philadelphia in the field position game, but they would be forced to punt. Arryn Siposs’ punt was downed at one-yard line, so the Steelers would have to go 99 yards to get in the end zone.
On 3rd and 1, Pickett went deep to WR Diontae Johnson and was incomplete but CB James Bradberry was flagged for defensive pass interference. RB Najee Harris finally got going on the next play, an 18-yard carry to the Pittsburgh 42.
A 10-yard gain by Freiermuth on 2nd and 10 would be the last play of the third quarter and move Pittsburgh into Philadelphia territory at the 48 with a new set of downs. On 1st and 10 from the Philadelphis 36, Pickett was stripped by former Steelers DL Javon Hargrave and the fumble was recovered by CB Avonte Maddox. The Eagles took over at their own 46. After a 43-yard gain by Brown, Sanders ran in an 11-yard touchdown and the Eagles clinched the game and took a 35-13 lead with 12:35 left.
On 3rd and 5 from the Philadelphia 40, Pickett was sacked by Chauncey Gardner-Johnson and lost 11 yards. The Steelers had to punt, and Harvin’s 41-yard punt was fair caught at the Philadelphia 10.
With the game in hand, the Eagles sat Jalen Hurts and put in QB Gardner Minshew III. Philadelphia went three-and-out, and the Steelers took over at their own 49 after a 44-yard punt by Siposs. The Steelers were driving, but on 3rd and 7 from the Philadelphia 20, Pickett’s pass was tipped and picked off by Gardner-Johnson.
A 23-yard completion to Pascal gave the Eagles a first down, and then they ran the ball on back-to-back plays for two yards and one yard. On 3rd and 7, Boston Scott ran for 9 yards and a Minshew kneel would end it. The Eagles improved to 7-0 with a 35-13 win.
The loss drops Pittsburgh to 2-6 as they head into their bye week.
