Tomorrow, the Pittsburgh Steelers have the arduous task of beating the 11-2 Philadelphia Eagles without WR George Pickens, SS DeShon Elliott, and DE Larry Ogunjobi. However, games are played on the field, not on paper, and the Steelers absolutely have a chance to upset the Eagles and win in Philadelphia for the first time since 1965.
While most are picking the Eagles to win, there are some outliers. One person who is picking the Steelers is CBS Sports’ Garrett Podell, who, in his bold predictions column, gave a few reasons why he thinks Pittsburgh will end its 10-game losing streak in Philadelphia.
“One [reason] being Russell Wilson’s efficient play: he’s thrown for 12 touchdowns to just three interceptions this season, which is why the Steelers are 6-1 in his seven starts in 2024,” wrote Podell. “Another is Pittsburgh’s fifth-ranked scoring defense (18.3 points per game allowed). The Steelers’ strength is defending the run as they allow just 91.5 rushing yards per game, the fourth-fewest in the NFL. That’s exactly what’s necessary to derail the 2024 rushing yards leader in Eagles running back Saquon Barkley and Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts. Making Hurts throw after stopping the run is the exact recipe to beat this Eagles bunch because he is averaging just 200.2 passing yards per game this season, which ranks 24th among qualified quarterbacks, and that figure would be his fewest in a season since becoming a full-time starting quarterback in 2021…Pittsburgh jumps all over that weakness on Sunday to earn a generational road win against their in-state foe. The Steelers will celebrate in Philadelphia like it’s 1965. ”
Not only has Steelers QB Russell Wilson been a revelation for Pittsburgh, but he is also historically good against the Eagles. Wilson is 6-0 against Philadelphia in his career, and Wilson is playing some great football right now. That doesn’t mean the Steelers will win, but the quarterback play for Pittsburgh right now is miles better than in 2022 when QB Kenny Pickett walked into Lincoln Financial Field and lost 35-13. If Wilson can take care of the football and make big plays like he has all season, the Steelers should be in a good place tomorrow.
Due to Pittsburgh missing Pickens, Wilson must spread the ball around. Without Pickens, it will also be harder to run the ball, as the Eagles won’t have to double any of Pittsburgh’s receivers. This means Wilson will have even more on his plate, as a stacked box will limit running backs Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren. Encouragingly, Wilson has proved he can spread the ball around effectively in the Week 13 win over the Cincinnati Bengals, where he threw for 414 yards and found ten different receivers on the day.
While the Steelers’ offensive performance will be important, the key is stopping Eagles RB Saquon Barkley. Barkley is having an incredible season, as he has rushed for 1,623 yards, scored 11 rushing touchdowns, and is averaging 6.1 yards per carry. The good news is that the Steelers have been good at stopping the run this year. Pittsburgh is ranked fourth in the NFL in run defense, allowing only 91.5 rushing yards per game.
If Pittsburgh can stop the run, they should be a good place. Of course, the Steelers also have to contain the Eagles’ passing attack, which torched Pittsburgh in the 2022 loss. But this year, the Eagles’ passing game has been out of sorts, and this week, there has been discontent in the Philadelphia locker room regarding their lackluster passing game.
Hopefully, Podell is right, and Pittsburgh will clinch a playoff berth while celebrating their first win in Philadelphia since the Lyndon Johnson administration.
