The Pittsburgh Steelers are facing one of the best offensive lines in the league in the Philadelphia Eagles Sunday. In the estimation of one former Steelers lineman, one much, much better than Pittsburgh’s, I might add. And accordingly, even the Steelers expect the Eagles to handle their elite pass rushers in ways other teams might not dare.
With the likes of Lane Johnson and Jordan Mailata, the Eagles are not afraid to leave their tackles alone. They will allow them to work one-on-one against the game’s elite rushers, and the Steelers expect the same treatment. That is a challenge to T.J. Watt, Alex Highsmith, Nick Herbig, and Preston Smith. They have to win their battles and get home quickly, or the Eagles will burn them.
“I expect them to play how they play,” Steelers DC Teryl Austin said, via team-provided transcript, when asked if he anticipates the Eagles leaving their tackles on an island. “We expect our guys to hold up in certain situations. I think they will do the same. Those two tackles are two of the best in the business, deservedly so. So I think they’re going to work, they’re going to trust them to get their job done and go about their business like they usually do.”
It’s a lot easier to do when you have Johnson and Mailata, of course. The Steelers certainly don’t do that with Dan Moore Jr. and Broderick Jones when they face Myles Garrett. And you are not going to see many teams do that when they face T.J. Watt. In fact, nobody is chipped more frequently than Watt—and it’s not close. But expect that number to go down somewhat after playing the Eagles.
It helps that the Eagles run the ball so much. They have the most imbalanced run-pass ratio in the NFL, relying heavily on RB Saquon Barkley, of course. It’s much easier for an offensive lineman to play aggressive in the run game, and you don’t need to chip. But there will be times in true pass sets, and the Steelers’ pass rushers must win those moments.
Because if the Steelers consistently allow the Eagles to line up five eligibles and give QB Jalen Hurts enough time to find them, it’s going to be a very long day. There is a reason Philadelphia has won nine straight games, even if all is not perfect.
If they beat the Eagles, the Steelers will clinch a postseason berth with three games to play. They could still manage the same if the Dolphins and Colts lose, but you want to advance through your own efforts.
In order for the Steelers’ pass rush to get home, though, the secondary also has to keep the passing game in front of it. And the front seven is going to have to limit the damage Saquon Barkley can do. In other words, it’s going to be a challenging day at the office, even if Watt and company should see more one-on-one opportunities.
