I was laid up with illness, so most of my plans were disrupted. But nothing was going to prevent me from watching the Steelers play in Philadelphia. I watched this game from our living room couch. I had no voice, but I still had my Terrible Towel handy.
Eagles Receive Unneeded Help
The Eagles did not need help winning this game. They were more physical, and their game plan on both sides of the ball appeared superior to the Steelers’. A couple of splash plays by the defense and special teams kept it close at halftime. I was feeling good about their chances. But the turning point of this game was Najee Harris fumbling a pitch that ended a potential game-tying drive—a costly mistake when an errorless performance was required.
The Eagles dominated afterward, including a 10:29 possession that finished the game.
But the Eagles got some unneeded outside help from terrible officiating. The first was the set of unnecessary roughness calls against Darnell Washington and Calvin Austin on the first play, following Nick Herbig recovering the fumble forced by Mark Robinson on a punt returner. NFL referee Alan Eck claims that there was no evidence of an Eagle throwing punches when video footage clearly contradicts him. The Steelers scored a field goal, but this pushed them away from first and ten at the 11 to second and 18 at the 19. That’s a potential four points erased by a bad call.
More Blatant Bad Calls
The next blatant bad call came at the start of the second half. The Eagles kicked a field goal. But Montravius Adams was flagged for encroaching into the long snapper’s lane. Adams rushed the gap at the guard, who blocked him into the long snapper. How officials could not see that is baffling. It only extended their drive and did not cost points, but it was very aggravating to me.
Then there was Jalen Carter slapping Connor Heyward in the helmet when the Steelers punted in the fourth quarter. Officials explained the penalty and said it was a 15-yard penalty and a Steelers’ first down. The broadcast went to a commercial break. When the broadcast resumed, the Eagles had the ball at the three-yard line. The video of that play shows that the penalty occurred during the punt, not after the play was concluded. This prevented a Steelers scoring opportunity to tighten the 27-13 Philadelphia lead.
Again, this did not ultimately win the game for Philadelphia, but it certainly further tipped the scales in their favor.
Game Review Resources
I read some regular Steelers Depot articles before and after games. If you want more blow-by-blow accounts or details about the game, check these out:
Depot Roundtable Steelers versus Eagles Preview
Steelers Five Keys to Victory
Steelers versus Eagles Prediction
Steelers versus Eagles Winners and Losers
Tom’s Ten Takes on Steelers versus Eagles
Kozora Reaction to Steelers versus Eagles
Stats of the Weird Steelers versus Eagles
Positional Grades Steelers versus Eagles
YOUR HOT TAKES DURING THE GAME
Thank you, Ross McCorkle, for keeping us updated on the game’s Live Update and Discussion Threads. Steelers Depot respondents contributed 1,402 first-half comments. Respondents added 1,263 more second-half comments. Here are the top three comments from each half. I don’t know the algorithm used by Disqus, but here is how they stacked it up:
The top first-half comments:
- BigDickSwangin optimistic coming out of first half: “Way to end the half strong…,we’re still in this fight fellas”
- Dee Evolution wanted to optimize the skills of players available: “With Miller, Austin, Skowronek and Warren, you have speed and shiftiness. We should be running quick passes like the old Pats with Welker, Edelman and Faulk.”
- But Agustin-ARG believes the game outcome determined by one factor: “outcoached chapter 100.”
The top second-half comments:
- The top comment of the second half from Raymo115 prefers a different defensive coordinator: “Should of kept Flores and let Austin go”
- But johnnypudding identified the play that changed the momentum of the game: “Fumble changed everything.”
- Finally, before the fumble Steely McBeam identified what needed to happen with score 20-13: “Need to answer to tie it up.“
We easily met the 1,000 comment standard in both halves. I wish the Steelers did the same.
CONCLUSION
The Steelers’ brutal 10-day stretch of playing Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Kansas City started badly. They entered the game missing George Pickens, DeShon Elliott, and Larry Ogunjobi. But a poor game plan, faulty tackling, and a critical fumble contributed to the loss to a more talented Eagles team. It was a bruising game that did not need the interference of substandard officiating. Saquon Barkley was limping along with A.J. Brown and other Eagles. But the Steelers lost Donte Jackson, T.J. Watt, and Justin Fields to injury during the game.
Mike Tomlin already gave his press conference on Monday afternoon. The critical game is the Saturday visit to Baltimore. Pittsburgh has won their last four games in Baltimore. However, past performance does not guarantee future success. The Ravens will be itching to break the streak. If Pittsburgh wins, they win the AFC North regardless of other results. But the Ravens were able to watch Philadelphia dismantle Pittsburgh since they played the early game. The Steelers organization must focus and get ready for another physical matchup. Are they up to the task? Here we go.
Your Song Selection
I always like to include a bit of music. The Steelers played late Sunday afternoon. They flew home late that night but no time to rest. They got to get up and get ready to roll. A trip to Baltimore coming early this week. Here is Gotta Get Up, performed by Harry Nilsson.
