The Pittsburgh Steelers have been good against the run this season. They’ve given up just 1,190 rushing yards on the year, the fourth-fewest in the NFL. The Steelers have been able to contain some quality backs, such as Derrick Henry, Breece Hall, and Bijan Robinson, and came out victorious against all three. However, on Sunday, Pittsburgh’s facing the most talented back in the NFL, Saquon Barkley.
The Philadelphia Eagles have been dominant this year and still have a chance to land the first seed in the NFC. With that said, they haven’t been perfect offensively. They’ve had to lean on Barkley, who is putting together one of the most impressive seasons we’ve seen from a running back in recent memory.
If the Steelers want to come away with a rare win in Philadelphia, they’ll have to limit Barkley somehow. To do that, everyone on the defense must come to play and do their job. Steelers’ linebacker Patrick Queen echoed that sentiment in his media availability on Wednesday.
“Everybody gotta do their job,” Queen said regarding Saquon Barkley. “That’s really all it comes to. I think some teams are just unaware of how good Saquon is. I think that’s gotta be your focus, especially playing a guy like that, a team like that. With all the pieces they got, a good O-line, good running backs, good quarterbacks, good receivers. Everybody gotta just do their job.”
Queen is right, it will take a total team effort to contain the Eagles offense on Sunday. Although the passing game isn’t completely clicking at the moment, there’s a ton of talent there. It hasn’t mattered much, as Barkley has taken the game into his own hands several times this season. Over the Eagles’ last four games, Barkley has 741 scrimmage yards combined, with 103 touches. The Eagles have won three of those games by just one possession, proving how vital Barkley has been to the team’s success.
Up until now, the Steelers’ defense has answered the call against tough challenges. Pittsburgh’s contained the better running backs they’ve played, and it’s been a direct factor in some of their victories. They haven’t faced a back as talented as Saquon Barkley, though. Sunday’s game will show us a lot about the Steelers’ run defense and the team as a whole.
