The 10-3 Pittsburgh Steelers will travel east to face the 11-2 Philadelphia Eagles this Sunday in the battle of the Keystone State. It starts the toughest stretch of the Steelers ‘schedule, one in which they’ll play three games in just 11 days. Mike Tomlin and the Steelers have already secured another winning record, but their aspirations are much higher, starting with winning the AFC North for the first time since 2020.
“Mike Tomlin is a damn great coach,” Eagles CB Darius Slay said Tuesday on his Big Play Slay podcast. “I think he’s a top-three coach ever. I know in my era, Bill Belichick, Mike Tomlin, and Andy Reid. Those are the three best coaches in my era since I’ve been playing football.”
That’s some high praise from Slay. Placing Tomlin in the same category as Belichick and Reid shows how players throughout the league view him. He’s universally respected by players whether they’ve actually played for him or not. He’s realistically not in the same conversation as Belichick and Reid who have won six and three Super Bowls, respectively, but Slay’s comment just proves how much NFL players admire Tomlin.
“I know they’re going to come in here being a gritty team, they’ll be a team that’s going to compete, offense is playing amazing,” said Slay. “George Pickens is one of the best young, talented receivers coming out right now. Russell [Wilson’s] playing lights out right now. He can read coverages, throw the ball. It’s a Russell show for sure right now.”
While Pickens is likely to miss the Week 15 showdown due to a hamstring injury, the Steelers proved they can score points without him. Russell Wilson has been a revelation for the Pittsburgh offense, and offensive coordinator Arthur Smith loves to spread the ball around to different receivers regardless of Pickens being on the field or not.
While Saquon Barkley and Jalen Hurts get most of the media love, the underrated element of the Eagles’ nine-game winning streak has been their dominant defense. They’ve held nine-straight opponents to 20 points or less. They’ve haven’t allowed a quarterback to throw for more than 225 yards during that stretch. First-round cornerback Quinyon Mitchell might win the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year award as he continues to shut down top receivers. And Darius Slay is a great veteran cornerback himself.
If Pickens misses the game the Steelers will need their supporting cast to step up big time. Mike Tomlin is 0-3 on the road against the Eagles. It’s time for the Steelers to end some Philadelphia streaks.
