Traveling to Philadelphia to play the Eagles this week, the Pittsburgh Steelers have a chance to erase a smudge on their franchise’s record. The Steelers have lost their last 10 games in Philadelphia, with their last win coming in 1965. For one of the NFL’s greatest franchises, that’s almost an unreal statistic. However, that could all change with a win this weekend. According to analyst Brian Baldinger, it sounds like the Steelers aren’t intimidated by their poor record in Philadelphia.
“Here’s a stat I think that’s interesting,” Baldinger said recently on the Audacy Sports YouTube channel. “It’s got nothing to do with this game, but it’s a Philly-Pittsburgh stat. The last time the Steelers came to Philadelphia and won a game was 1965.
“Chuck Noll wasn’t anywhere near the Steelers. 1965, it was at Franklin Field, right there on the University of Pennsylvania. They’ve lost 10 in a row in Philadelphia. I texted that to a friend of mine who’s in the personnel department in Pittsburgh. He texted me back pretty quickly and said, ‘It’s about time.'”
Historically, the Steelers have had a rough time when they play the Eagles. In the regular season, the Eagles are 48-29-3 against the Steelers. In Philadelphia, their record against the Steelers is 29-9-2. History does not favor the Steelers in this matchup. Luckily, it sounds like they’re leaving history in the past.
The last time the Steelers played in Philadelphia was in 2022, and things went poorly. The Eagles won 35-13, with wide receiver A.J. Brown recording six catches for 156 yards and three touchdowns. It was a low point for the Steelers. The Eagles have a similar team, but the Steelers have made several improvements since then. Hopefully, that leads to different results.
The Eagles are one of the best teams in the NFL this year, though, so nothing about this game will likely be easy. Running back Saquon Barkley has been sensational, looking like an MVP candidate. The Eagles’ defense is full of bruisers, too. The Steelers will have to be at their best if they want to win.
Unfortunately, they’re going to be down some of their best players. George Pickens will miss his second game with a hamstring injury, which will probably limit the Steelers’ offense. Larry Ogunjobi, a key piece of their defensive line, and DeShon Elliott, maybe the Steelers’ best tackler, will also be out. This is not a game where they want to be shorthanded.
Thankfully, the Steelers still have plenty of talent, and it sounds like they want to be the team that bucks the trend in Philadelphia. The Eagles are dealing with some dysfunction of their own at the moment, which could open the door for the Steelers to steal victory. They’ve beaten the odds for most of this season. Maybe they’ll do it again.
