There was a lot wrong with how the Pittsburgh Steelers played against the Philadelphia Eagles Sunday. Their defense has problems with missed tackles and allowing chunk plays, but overall that unit wasn’t terrible. Their offense, on the other hand, was abysmal. There might be some concern that unit can’t succeed without George Pickens. However, former NFL wide receiver James Jones believes Pickens wouldn’t have made a real difference against the Eagles.
“They are elite on defense,” Jones said of the Eagles Monday on FS1’s The Facility. “They get after the passer. They are sound. They are smart. If you watch the back end, they are on a string. They are elite on the defensive side of the ball. They made it hard on the Pittsburgh Steelers all game long. Even with George [Pickens] out there, this game would’ve been rough. They got beat up in the trenches.”
It’s tough to say whether Jones is right. Unless they meet in the Super Bowl, the Steelers won’t play the Eagles again this season, so there won’t be a definitive answer to this question. Pickens is the Steelers’ greatest offensive weapon. With him, they’re dynamic. Without him, they’re flat.
Maybe the presence of Pickens would’ve allowed Russell Wilson to play better. The two of them have formed a solid connection, and Pickens has been able to provide the Steelers with sparks. Against the Eagles, Wilson only threw for 128 yards on 14 completions. Pickens being healthy likely would’ve changed that.
However, Pickens probably wouldn’t have made a big enough difference to change the final outcome. The Eagles’ defense did a solid job of taking away Wilson’s deep ball. Vic Fangio, their defensive coordinator, has a long history playing against Wilson, and he’s gotten the better of him recently. There’s no guarantee the addition of Pickens would’ve given the Steelers’ offense life.
Jones makes a solid point about the Eagles beating the Steelers up. Wilson was only sacked twice, but he faced consistent pressure. He had several balls batted down at the line of scrimmage. The Steelers’ run game was non-existent, with a fumble by Najee Harris basically sealing their fate.
The Steelers might need to find a way to get their offense going without Pickens as it’s still unclear if he’ll be healthy for their next game. With the Baltimore Ravens as their next opponent, they can’t be as disappointing as they were against the Eagles. Someone may have to step up.
