The Steelers took advantage of their chance for retribution against the Browns. Now they are 10-3 and in a premium spot to clinch the division with plenty of time before the playoffs.
Pittsburgh has now won 21-straight home regular season games against the Browns. It didn’t take a close game to get by them either. It was a complete team effort with Pittsburgh controlling the game, which is what you should see against a 3-9 team.
After a long offseason with uncertainties at quarterback and concerns if Pittsburgh could make the playoffs again, it is fair to say that the Steelers have exceeded expectations. The Steelers have all but clinched a playoff spot and are two games ahead in the division with four games remaining.
Now the Steelers have a big three game stretch that will decide how easy their path will be in the postseason. They have road games at Philadelphia and Baltimore, then they get their chance to beat the Chiefs at home on Christmas.
The Steelers are tied with the #2 seed Bills and are two games behind Kansas City for the coveted #1 seed. If Pittsburgh can beat Baltimore on Dec. 21, they will have clinched the AFC North no matter what happens with the rest of the schedule.
The Eagles come first though, they are 11-2 and maybe the toughest team the Steelers have played so far. This in-state rivalry is always interesting to watch considering they don’t play each other very often.
Overall, the Eagles offense plays the type of physical style that the Steelers seem to love to play against. Who better to play in this game than former Penn St star running back Saquon Barkley? Barkley has really hit his stride with the Eagles after not really ever reaching his potential in six seasons with the Giants. He leads the NFL in rushing yards with 1,623 as well as yards per carry with 6.1.
The Eagles lead the NFL in rushing but are second to last in passing. Jalen Hurts has 2,602 yards with 16 touchdowns to 5 interceptions this season. Hurts also has 544 rushing yards and is tied with Derrick Henry for the league lead in rushing touchdowns with 13. His top target is A.J. Brown, who has 48 receptions for 836 yards and 4 touchdowns.
Philadelphia can also boast the top defense in the NFL. They are 2nd against the pass and 8th against the run. Their front seven will present some tough challenges for the Steeler offense. They are 7th in the NFL in sacks, but it comes from the entire front seven instead of one or two guys piling up big sack totals.
Defensive tackle Jalen Carter has 12 tackles for loss while linebacker Nakobe Dean has 9. Linebacker Zack Baun is leading the team in tackles with 129. Baun also has nine tackles for loss and four forced fumbles.
The secondary has talent too. C.J. Gardner-Johnson leads the unit that is forcing teams to only 179 yards passing a game. Cornerbacks Cooper DeJean and Darious Slay Jr. are also key to the defense.
This is another game that will test Pittsburgh. Beating Washington and Baltimore were nice wins, but this would easily be their most impressive victory. Let’s see if they can rise to the occasion.
