For as good as they’ve been under Mike Tomlin, it isn’t rare to see the Pittsburgh Steelers lose games to inferior competition. Often called trap games, the Steelers have had a tendency to fall flat on their faces against teams that aren’t as talented as they are. It is the NFL, though, so there are no real easy games. However, this week certainly isn’t a trap game for the Steelers, but the shoe could be on the other foot.
“I think this is a trap game for the Eagles, from this aspect,” former Steelers offensive lineman Willie Colon said Friday on FS1’s Breakfast Ball. “If they go away from running the ball and being who they are, and they force the ball down the field to A.J. Brown, that’s going to play into the hands of the Pittsburgh Steelers. They are first in takeaways, I think they’re eighth against the rush, and they’re 18th against the pass.”
Colon makes a good point for why the Steelers could be the trapper rather than the trapped. The Eagles have been dealing with some dysfunction recently. After their win last week over the Carolina Panthers, wide receiver A.J. Brown seemed to take a veiled shot at quarterback Jalen Hurts. Edge rusher Brandon Graham threw some fuel on that fire as well.
Although it seems like they’ve handled that problem among themselves, tempers could flare on gameday. If Brown doesn’t have the ball come his way much and the Eagles struggle, tensions could rise. Maybe the Eagles are planning some designed touches for Brown to head off that problem, but like Colon says, that isn’t really in their best interest.
The Steelers’ defense has been opportunistic all season. They’ll likely do their best to capitalize on any mistake the Eagles make. Hurts has only thrown five interceptions this year, but the Steelers could force that number to increase. The Eagles probably are better off running the ball.
RB Saquon Barkley has arguably been the best player in the NFL this season. Some plays he’s made have been unbelievable. The Eagles’ offense should run through him and their massive offensive line. Brown is incredibly talented, but Barkley is a different breed.
The Steelers are more than aware of the threat Barkley poses, which means they might try to force the Eagles to throw the ball more. In that case, the Eagles wouldn’t really be falling into a trap. They would just be facing a skilled opponent.
It’s also tough to say this is a trap game because the Steelers are one of the best teams in the NFL. There’s no trap to fall into. If the Eagles take the Steelers lightly, that’s their problem. It does seem like Colon’s point is that the Eagles could trap themselves more than anything.
Either way, the Steelers aren’t going to argue. All they can do is bring their best and do what they can to win. No matter how that happens, they’ll be happy if they secure victory. This game isn’t going to be a walk in the park. If the Eagles want to get in their own way, the Steelers should let them.
