Depot Roundtable: Week 15 Steelers Vs. Eagles Preview

The last time the Pittsburgh Steelers made the trek across the state to take on the Philadelphia Eagles, the Eagles blew out Pittsburgh in embarrassing fashion in 2022.

That shouldn’t happen this time, though, as the Steelers are a much better team than that version and have the quarterback to keep them in games. As Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin stated, it’ll be the Pennsylvania State Championship Game, and it’ll be one that has the eyes of the nation on it as the premier matchup at 4:25 p.m. on Sunday.

Here at Steelers Depot, we’re doing something new this season. While Alex Kozora and Dave Bryan give their in-depth breakdown and preview of the game weekly on The Terrible Podcast, Joe Clark, Ross McCorkle, Scott Brown, Troy Montgomery, and I are doing a weekly roundtable, answering key questions ahead of each game.

Today, we examine the Steelers’ Week 15 matchup at Acrisure Stadium against the Eagles.

QUESTION 1: WHO IS THE STEELERS’ X FACTOR AGAINST THE EAGLES?

Josh Carney: CB Joey Porter Jr. All week the Eagles have found themselves in quite a bit of drama regarding the Jalen Hurts and A.J. Brown situation. Brown stated last Sunday the passing game needed to improve. So, with my tinfoil hat on, it seems like the passing game might be more of an emphasis this week for the Eagles to get Brown involved early.

Enter Joey Porter Jr. It’s been a rocky second season for the young cornerback, who has shown flashes of brilliance but has struggled mightily with penalties, just two weeks ago against the Cincinnati Bengals, seeing six flags thrown against him in that shootout win. He was better against the Browns, but he’ll have his hands full against the likes of Brown and DeVonta Smith at receiver for the Eagles.

With the Steelers banged up in the secondary, with DeShon Elliott dealing with a hamstring issue and Donte Jackson dealing with issues over the last few weeks that have caused him to miss some time in games, Porter needs to be at his best Sunday against the Eagles.

Joe Clark:  TE Pat Freiermuth. Freiermuth has functioned as the de facto No. 2 pass catcher in Pittsburgh’s offense for most of the season, and he’s broke out over the last two games, with nine receptions for 116 yards and two touchdowns, and the Steelers are going to need to look to him to help bolster their passing attack. If they can get Freiermuth going early, things will be a lot easier without Pickens.

Ross McCorkle: WR Scotty Miller. He has been inactive a handful of times this season but managed to log over 30 snaps and lead all WRs in yards for the Steelers last week with 90 minutes to prepare himself for the game. Now, he has a full week of practice. He has made some plays for the Steelers in a limited role, and I think that can continue. There won’t be a ton of attention his way, and Miller is capable of catching defensive backs off guard in man-to-man situations. Russell Wilson is always praising Scotty Miller in his media availability. It’s time to show off that connection that they seem to have.

Scott Brown: LB Patrick Queen. Grounding otherworldly Eagles RB Saquon Barkley won’t be a one-man job, but this feels like a showcase game for Queen. He is more athletic than Elandon Roberts and more experienced than rookie Payton Wilson. And there is a reason why the Steelers made him the highest-paid outside free agent in franchise history.

We haven’t quite seen the return on that investment yet. Sunday would be a good time for Queen to flex. All he has to do is help contain a player who can leap tall buildings in a single bound (backward) while keeping tabs on a mobile QB who already has 13 rushing TDs this season. Godspeed.

Troy Montgomery: WR Mike Williams. With George Pickens out, this feels like an easy pick. No one on the Steelers’ roster can replicate what Pickens does, but Williams provides the most similar skill set. His huge frame and contested catch abilities were on display last week. He’s probably going to continue receiving those opportunities with Pickens not healthy.

Those deep shots might be tougher to hit in this game, though. The Eagles’ defense is loaded with talent. Darius Slay and Quinyon Mitchell have been studs at corner for the Eagles. Williams probably isn’t going to have much room to work with. Winning those tight battles is going to be key for the Steelers.

QUESTION 2: WHAT IS THE MATCHUP TO WATCH IN STEELERS-EAGLES?

Josh Carney: Eagles’ DL Jalen Carter vs. Steelers’ interior OL. I am kind of cheating here by listing a position group for the Steelers, but the Eagles do a nice job of moving Jalen Carter around along the defensive line in search of matchups.

Primarily, Carter will find himself matched up against Steelers’ LG Isaac Seumalo and C Zach Frazier, which makes for a very juicy matchup in the trenches in Sunday’s big-time showdown. Carter has wrecked games this season for the Eagles, generating a ton of pressure on the interior with 48 on the season. Dynamic run defender, too, with 23 run stops on the season. The Steelers will have their hands full on the interior.

Joe Clark: DL Cameron Heyward vs. Eagles’ interior OL. Like Josh, cheating by going with a broad position group rather than one player. But the Steelers need to stop Saquon Barkley, and Heyward is their best run defender on the defensive line. Especially with Larry Ogunjobi out, the Steelers will need Heyward to get some push up front. DeShon Elliott being out also hurts, and the Steelers will need to stop the run at the first and second level to mitigate his loss. Heyward is the key.

Ross McCorkle: ILB Patrick Queen vs. RB Saquon Barkley. With DeShon Elliott out of the game with an injury, the Steelers will need some excellent play at the second level to help keep Barkley bottled up. If he can turn five or 10-yard runs into explosive plays, then the Steelers will have a very hard time keeping up. Queen needs to play a smart, physical game and be a tackling machine from sideline to sideline if the Steelers hope to win.

Scott Brown: OLB T.J. Watt vs. RT Lane Johnson. Will the Eagles dare leave Johnson one-on-one against Watt most of the time at Lincoln Financial Field? It’s not a crazy notion. Browns RT Jack Conklin fared well against Watt in two games this season, and the athletic Lane is a five-time Pro Bowler who is still at the top of his game.

The Steelers don’t win Sunday if their edge rushers don’t get home. That starts with Watt. And he is due for the kind of monster game that wins Defensive Player of the Year awards and helps his team overcome injuries, history, and everything else that will be working against the Steelers on the other side of the state.

Troy Montgomery: QB Russell Wilson vs. DC Vic Fangio. This is not a one-on-one matchup you’ll see on the field, but its fingerprints will be all over this game. Wilson has been battling Fangio since he entered the league in 2012. During the early portions of his career, Wilson won most of his games against Fangio’s defenses. However, that has not been the case lately.

Last year, Fangio was the defensive coordinator of the Miami Dolphins, and that game ended in disaster for Wilson and the Denver Broncos, losing 70-20. Their matchup before that came in 2018, and Wilson didn’t fare much better. He was sacked six times and threw one interception.

Wilson also had a tough time facing Brandon Staley, a coach who worked closely under Fangio for several years. This scheme gives Wilson grief, and we’ll see if he can overcome it like he used to in his younger days.

QUESTION 3: WHAT IS THE BIGGEST KEY TO THE GAME FOR THE STEELERS?

Josh Carney: Be aggressive early, get a lead, and force the Eagles to throw the football. It’s easier to write than it is to do, but that’s the path to success Sunday for the Steelers. They must start fast against the Eagles on both sides of the football.

Offensively, without George Pickens, the Steelers cannot afford three-and-outs on four of the game’s first five possessions. Come out of the gates fast, score points, and put the Eagles into catch-up mode, which could play very well into the Steelers’ hands with the pass rush, keeping things out of Saquon Barkley’s hands.

Joe Clark:  Slow down Saquon Barkley. They won’t be able to stop him completely but limit what he can do on the ground. Holding him under 100 yards rushing would be huge, and even with an offense that might be limited without George Pickens, that will give them a chance to win.

Ross McCorkle: Who says the Steelers can’t be explosive? Go deep! Russell Wilson can’t stop what makes him special just because Pickens is out. They need to live the “next man up” mentality and put guys like Mike Williams and Calvin Austin III in positions to win deep. I know the Eagles have been pretty good at stopping explosive passing plays, but they haven’t really faced a quarterback like Wilson. He should be able to take advantage of some of that youth on the back end. If they can’t find the explosive plays, it will be tough to keep up.

Scott Brown: Make it a low-scoring game. It’s hard to see the Steelers keeping pace in a shootout without WR George Pickens. And you can bet that the Eagles will dare them to pass rather than allow the Steelers to shorten the game with steady, effective doses of Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren.

Let defense and special teams keep the game close and give Russell Wilson and Company a chance to win it late in the fourth quarter. Oh, the irony if that plays out with Kenny Pickett watching from the other sideline.

Troy Montgomery: Let the Eagles beat themselves. This might be one of the few games this year where the Steelers are outmatched. The Eagles have an extremely talented roster, and they’ve been on a tear lately. However, they have cracks in their armor.

This entire week, the Eagles have had to deal with deafening outside noise about the issues in their locker room. Star wide receiver A.J. Brown seems to be unhappy with quarterback Jalen Hurts. If the Eagles change their game plan to smooth over those issues, the Steelers should not hesitate to take advantage.

Just as well, if the Eagles get frustrated early on, the Steelers should keep adding fuel to that fire. The Steelers have had more than their fair share of locker-room issues. Sometimes, that noise can be a big enough distraction to cause a team to lose focus. That could actually benefit the Steelers for once.

QUESTION 4: WHAT IS YOUR PREDICTION FOR STEELERS AT EAGLES?

Josh Carney: When the schedule first dropped, I never felt good about this matchup because of how good the Eagles are on both sides of the football and the firepower they have. Plus, I still haven’t lost the bad taste from the last time the Steelers went to Philadelphia and had a mud-hole stomped in them.

No George Pickens this week for the Steelers makes it even more worrisome for Pittsburgh. The Steelers have to get off to a fast start and force Jalen Hurts to throw the ball 40+ times in this one. I have very little faith that can be accomplished though. I don’t see it being anywhere near how it was last time, though. Eagles 26, Steelers 16.

Joe Clark:  Playing the Eagles in Philadelphia has been a dreadful experience for the Steelers. While the game won’t be as lopsided as it has been in the past, I think the Eagles just have too much talent, and down three starters, it’ll be tough for the Steelers to win this. Eagles 24, Steelers 21

Ross McCorkle: It’s hard to imagine the Steelers winning on the road in Philadelphia for the first time since 1965 against a team on a nine-win streak without Pickens, Elliott, or Ogunjobi, but sometimes long streaks are made to be broken. Too much weight tends to be placed on these types of streaks, and the Eagles’ lack of deep passing should play right into the Steelers’ personality on defense. If they can bend and not break and force this into a field goal game, give me Chris Boswell all day. Steelers 23, Eagles 20

Scott Brown: Everything is pointing toward another Steelers loss in Philadelphia. Maybe a big one. I’ll zag with many zigging since it is the NFL and since the Steelers are going to be up to the task of limiting the Fightin’ Mr. Barkleys. Steelers 23, Eagles 20.

Troy Montgomery: The Steelers haven’t won in Philadelphia in decades. I don’t think that’s going to change this week. Yes, the Eagles are starting to resemble the 2010s Steelers with all their drama, but they’re still immensely talented. Specifically, I feel like their defensive line is really going to wreck the game for the Steelers.

It’s not like the Steelers can’t win this game. If it was in Pittsburgh, I might feel better about their chances. However, Philadelphia is one of the toughest venues in which to play. That rowdy crowd and the Eagles’ fantastic roster do not give me confidence in the Steelers this week. Eagles 30, Steelers 24.