The Philadelphia Eagles bounced back from a pair of rough passing games to bully a Pittsburgh Steelers team that lost star pass rusher TJ Watt to an ankle injury.
The Eagles took an early lead despite multiple turnovers and never trailed in a 27-13 win, their 10th win in a row.
Philadelphia improved to 12-2 and tied the Detroit Lions for the best record in the NFC. The Steelers, falling to 10-4, still lead the Baltimore Ravens by one game in the AFC North and clinched a playoff berth despite the loss as a result of losses to the Indianapolis Colts and Miami Dolphins. If Pittsburgh wins in Baltimore next week, the Steelers will clinch the division.
The Steelers hope their offense can better support their defense and special teams by then. And they’ll be hoping that Watt, whose two Sunday sacks improved him to 11.5 on the year, will be healthy enough to face the Ravens after suffering an apparent non-contact injury on a pass rush in the fourth quarter.
After the game, head coach Mike Tomlin said: “It can be described as a low ankle [injury] at this time.” Watt later confirmed it.
Pittsburgh managed just 163 total offensive yards to the Eagles’ 401.
In the unofficial battle of Pennsylvania between teams with double-digit wins, the Eagles quickly quelled the friction between quarterback and receivers, while the Steelers showed how much they needed their top receiver George Pickens, who missed the game with a hamstring injury.
Never mind that AJ Brown had publicly expressed his dissatisfaction with the passing game a week earlier. Hurts found Brown on the second play of the game for seven yards and again later in the first quarter on a 24-yard, back-shoulder fade that cornerback Joey Porter Jr. couldn’t follow.
Brown also found the end zone first in the game – only his second time in the last seven games – capping off a varied drive that featured a Jalen Hurts 7-yard scramble, a 22-yard, well-cut Saquon Barkley carry and a fake transfer that ultimately freed Brown.
The Steelers’ defense and special teams came out strong.
Watt stripped Hurts on a scramble, and linebacker Mark Robinson’s hit led to a Cooper DeJean fumble. But the Steelers struggled to capitalize on the gifted possessions. An anemic offense that was missing Pickens needed more than 20 minutes of playing time before it managed to earn its first defeat.
Hurts would shoot to DeVonta Smith for a two-yard touchdown before the Steelers managed to sustain a drive. Philadelphia outscored Pittsburgh 148 yards to 2 in the first quarter.
Then Pittsburgh began to settle into its Pickens-less rhythm. Russell Wilson hit tight end Ben Skowronek for a 17-yard catch-and-run to start a drive that would ultimately be determined by quarterback keepers. Backup quarterback Justin Fields gained one first down on a penalty during a scramble, with Wilson moving the chains with his legs two more times. On third-and-goal, Wilson put his most reliable target in the end zone: tight end Pat Freiermuth caught the trafficky pass for a 9-yard score, Freiermuth’s team-high sixth receiving touchdown of the season.
A Watt sack that Hurts didn’t see coming quickly got the ball back to Pittsburgh, but the Steelers couldn’t recover from a Nolan Smith sack that set them back ten yards. As the second quarter waned, Chris Boswell’s 49-yard field goal cut Philadelphia’s lead to 17–13.
Eagles pulled away in the second half as Steelers squandered their chances
The Eagles came out of halftime with good news: Barkley, despite a red zone flip that sent him to the medical tent and an extended sideline visit in the second quarter, was healthy enough to return. Head coach Nick Sirianni told Fox sideline reporter Erin Andrews that Barkley’s stint in the second quarter was about Kenneth Gainwell’s two-minute ability rather than Barkley’s health (play-by-play analyst Kevin Burkhardt promptly disagreed).
Philadelphia ran out the clock on a 13-play drive to start the second half, expanding their possession after an unnecessary Steelers roughness penalty on Jake Elliott’s made 48-yard field goal gave the Eagles an automatic first down. Ultimately, Philadelphia couldn’t gain more points just to take more time. Five plays later, Elliott made a 41-yard field goal to extend Philadelphia’s lead to 20–17.
The Steelers came out with a bang and a flea flash. Wilson gave the floor to running back Jaylen Warren, who then threw back to Wilson… who sailed a 31-yard pass to Calvin Austin III. But three plays later, the Steelers were doomed to doom themselves. Running back Najee Harris made a coin toss after Wilson shouted “can, can” to change the play call. Eagles cornerback Darius Slay recovered the fumble.
With a lead and a powerful running game, Philadelphia leaned heavily on Barkley to wear down defenders with his own runs and create deception when Hurts eventually exploited an open 23-yard lane. Barkley, Gainwell and Hurts kept pounding until Hurts scored on a “Brotherly Shove.”
The Steelers failed to close the gap on the next drive, with Zach Frazier’s tripping penalty up the middle setting them back more than they would recoup. They kicked the ball – and soon after, the victory.
Hurts completed 25 of 32 passes for 290 yards and two touchdowns, in addition to 45 rushing yards and a score on 15 carries. Brown and Smith proved to be a deadly one-two punch, Brown catching eight passes for 110 yards and a touchdown, while Smith had 11 for 109 and a score.
Watt continued his disruptive streak with seven tackles, including two sacks and a forced fumble.
Wilson went 14 of 22 for just 128 yards and a score, while the Steelers managed just 56 rushing yards.
In total, the Eagles held the ball almost twice as long as the Steelers, 39:52 to 20:08.
