The Philadelphia Eagles were crowned the unofficial Pennsylvania State champions with their 27-13 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 15. The Steelers were without their top offensive weapon, George Pickens, and it showed how valuable the young wideout is to the offense’s success.
The Eagles jumped to an early lead and pulled away in the fourth quarter despite a Steelers comeback. Quarterback Jalen Hurts scored on a tush push touchdown on the second play of the final quarter, and Philadelphia’s defense forced the Steelers to punt after a seven-play, 24-yard drive. The Eagles’ offense got the ball back with 10:29 remaining in the game and held the ball until the final whistle. Here are six takeaways from the Eagles in-state win over the Steelers:
Headlines were made in Philadelphia, and nationally after Eagles long-time defensive end Brandon Graham publicly commented about Hurts’ and star wide receiver A.J. Brown’s relationship. Graham’s comments added fuel to the fire after Brown and fellow receiver DeVonta Smith voiced their frustration with the passing game after the narrow Week 14 win over the three-win Carolina Panthers.
Hurts and Brown cleared the air about their relationship and the drama surrounding it leading up to the Week 15 matchup with the Steelers. It was almost certain that Hurts and offensive coordinator Kellen Moore would make it a point of emphasis to get the ball to Brown and the other receivers early and often to quiet the outside noise.
Hurts targeted Brown 11 times, and the star wideout reeled in eight targets for 110 yards and a touchdown. Not only did Brown have a big game, but Smith also joined the party. The 2020 Heisman Trophy winner caught a career-high 11 passes on 12 targets for 109 yards and a touchdown. Hurts finished the game 25/32, passing for 290 yards and two touchdowns through the air.
Saquon Barkley, the NFL’s rushing leader, had a quiet game in Week 15. The Steelers have one of the best defenses in the league, including a top run defense, so it was going to be a tough matchup for Barkley, no matter what.
Barkley rushed for 65 yards on 19 carries. He averaged just 3.4 yards per carry, well below what he usually averages. The odds were stacked against Barkley in Week 15. With the drama surrounding the passing game and facing an above-average run defense, the Eagles were likely to rely more on the pass rather than the run. It also didn’t help that Barkley was on the sidelines for the majority of the second quarter after being shaken up on a play prior.
The superstar running back has 1,688 rushing yards in 2024. He needs 418 yards to pass Hall of Fame running back Eric Dickerson as the NFL’s all-time single-season rushing leader. Barkley will face the Washington Commanders, Dallas Cowboys, and New York Giants in the final three weeks of the season.
The Eagles’ defense has been elite since coming out of their Week 5 bye week. The Steelers were without their top wideout, and the falloff in production by the weapons behind him is significant. Veteran quarterback Russell Wilson and the Steelers’ offense had a tough time getting anything going against the Eagles’ defense.
The Steelers punted the ball four times in their first five possessions of the game. They ran 16 plays for -19 yards in that span. They were able to put together one sustained drive all game that resulted in an 11-play, 70-yard touchdown drive in the second quarter.
The Steelers had only 10 first downs compared to the Eagles 26. They ran 36 fewer plays than the Eagles and held the ball for almost 20 minutes less. The Eagles defense held the Steelers offense to 163 total yards. Their leading rusher, Najee Harris, had only 14 yards on six carries.
Hurts has been able to protect the football, which has been a significant reason for the team’s success since the bye week. He lost a fumble on the Eagles’ second possession of the game, setting up the Steelers’ offense in Eagles territory. The turnover wasn’t costly as the Eagles’ defense forced a punt after a three-play, -11-yard drive.
Eagles rookie Cooper DeJean was back to return the punt but fumbled, and the Steelers recovered at the Eagles’ 11-yard line. The defense came up big again, holding the Steelers to a field goal after a four-play, -8-yard drive.
The Eagles got a big win, but multiple notable players got banged up in the process. Safety Sydney Brown was injured on the game’s opening kickoff and didn’t return with a concussion. Left guard Landon Dickerson left the game with a knee injury and didn’t return. Cornerback Darius Slay, right tackle Lane Johnson, right guard Mekhi Becton, A.J. Brown, and Barkley all got banged up during the game.
The Eagles have broken a few records in 2024, including one in Week 15 against the Steelers. The 14-point win against their in-state rivals was their tenth in a row, setting a new franchise record. The Eagles started the season slow and sloppy but have looked like a completely different team since the bye week. The Eagles are 12-2 and can earn the No. 1 seed in the NFC after the Detroit Lions lost a shootout to the Buffalo Bills on Sunday.
Philadelphia is riding high heading into the final three weeks of the regular season. They’ll head to Landover, Maryland, to face the Commanders in Week 16, their final road game of the season. The Eagles can clinch the NFC East with a win.
The Eagles will host the Cowboys in Week 17 and the Giants in Week 18 to wrap up the regular season and a three-game divisional stretch.
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