Coming hot off a 6-0 start, the Eagles hope to continue their success post-bye as they take on the struggling 2-5 Pittsburgh Steelers. While this is a game the Birds should win, the Steelers are impossible to overlook with a guy like Mike Tomlin at the helm, and that’s shown in their upset of the Buccaneers earlier this season. There’s more than meets the eye on this team, and we’ll analyze their strengths and weaknesses to find out just how the Birds can continue their bid for perfection.
Steelers’ Strengths
Young receivers
While this Steelers offense has been highly inconsistent, little of that should fall on the shoulders of the young playmakers on this squad. The wideout trio of Diontae Johnson, Chase Claypool, and Geroge Pickens is highly overlooked, partially because of the questionable quarterback play. However, these guys can be dangerous downfield and with the ball in their hands, and must be kept in check in order to prevent their pure skill from taking over the game. Also highly overlooked are the complementary pieces in Pat Frieirmuth and (maybe?) Najee Harris, the former of which seems on track to break out any week and the ladder having some major struggles in year 2. Either way, there’s a lot of talent here, and talent is very important when it comes to winning football games.
Defensive playmakers
The Steelers have been pretty good at limiting scoring this season, and a major part of that is their high-end defensive talent. Even without the dominating presence of TJ Watt, the defensive scheme remains effective, with Alex Highsmith producing at a high level off of the edge and Minkah Fitzpatrick showing why he’s considered a top tier safety on the back end. They’re banged up for sure, but you can never count out players like Cam Heyward and Myles Jack, who lead a team making up for a slow start to the year on D.
Coaching
There’s a reason Mike Tomlin has never had a losing season. While hope might seem lost for Steelers fans, you really can never overlook the power of a winning culture like the one Mike Tomlin has created. Especially after a tough loss, you can see the way players respond to the Steelers coaching, and they tend to make the game a high-effort slugfest whenever they can, as seen against Brady and the Bucs. You can trust that Tomlin has a good game plan for whatever the birds have shown him, and outcoaching him is key to gaining the upper hand and putting this game on an even playing field
Eagles’ Strengths
Offense
I only expect this Eagles offense to get better after the bye week, which seems like a hard thing to do for a unit that’s already so potent. The receiving trio of Goedert, Brown, and Smith is absolutely lethal, and the complimentary pieces in Watkins and Pascal could be much higher on the depth chart on other teams. The offensive line is still great and has significant depth, so even without a starter they can facilitate the league’s most efficient running game. With Hurts’ improvement, there’s little to be worried about here.
Defense
It’s crazy that the defense is as good, or if not better than this offense. The front four is very good, and should only get better with the addition of Robert Quinn. The linebackers are playing at an ultra high-level at a discount price, and the secondary continues to be so dominant that other teams have no idea where to pass the ball. Gannon has shown that his scheme works very well when it has elite talent to supplement it, and there’s little reason to think that can’t continue.
Steelers’ Weaknesses
Lackluster run game
One of the major reasons for the Steelers lack of offensive production is the absolute lack of running game. With the 26th ranked run blocking unit, there’s little to work with out of the gate – but things get even worse when Najee Harris, the presumed bell-cow back, can’t seem to hit open holes or break any tackles in the open field. It’s hard to pass when you don’t have to worry about the run, and the Steelers have given opponents very little reason to fear the ground game so far.
Quarterback
The OTHER major reason for the Steelers’ offensive woes are the inconsistencies at Quarterback. Pickett is a rookie, and it’s impossible to expect mistake free football, but he’s put the ball in harm’s way a significant amount, even if many of his interceptions weren’t necessarily his fault. Getting Pickett early is great for the birds, who can exploit his lack of experience and connection with his wideouts, and bait him into handing the defense even more opportunities to take the ball away. It’s really hard to utilize great weapons without an experienced QB, and that’s what the steelers seem to be finding out.
Trench Play
Outside of pass blocking, which has been strangely good, the Steelers rank near the bottom of the league in almost every category along the offensive and defensive line. The pass rush has been notably lackluster, as even with guys like Highsmith and Heyward, they haven’t seemed to get much push on opposing quarterbacks at all. The run defense is much of the same, with offenses having their way with a pretty squishy interior, which mirrors their offensive line’s struggles in run blocking. Football games are won in the trenches, and the Steelers have a distinct disadvantage in all components of trench warfare.
Eagles Weaknesses
Lane Johnson injury
We saw last week how important Lane Johnson is to the offensive line, and while the Steelers are far from the biggest threat when it comes to rushing the passer, him being out would still be a major loss.
Second-half woes
This weakness comes back, as we’ve continued to see opponents sneak back into games after the Eagles dominate the first and second quarters of football. Hopefully, this team has learned to adjust after the bye, and keep the foot on the pedal when teams adjust themselves after halftime. Eventually, these close calls will lead to a loss, unless the birds fix it now.
Keys to victory
Make Pickett uncomfortable
Whether it’s craft coverages or pressure looks, making the QB feel uncomfortable is a key to winning any game against a rookie. We’ve seen his tendency to put the ball in harm’s way, and Gannon should focus on exploiting it.
Establish the run
The Steelers defense is a major area of weakness in general, but dominating upfront is still a priority. Establishing the run early will keep the Steelers line even more on their toes than they already are, and provide Hurts with the opportunity to take shots downfield.
Score Prediction
While Mike Tomlin is a coach you can never count out, this game is over before it started on paper. The main concern here is keeping the Eagles momentum rolling coming out of an early bye, and continuing to prove that they’re a step above the rest in a very strong NFC east.
Score: 31-14 Eagles
Subscribe to our posts and bookmark these feeds:
* * *
Noah Berger is a featured writer at The Birds Blitz. For more from Noah, check out his archive and read through our Eagles articles for the latest news about the Birds.
