Honestly, if you were watching the Steelers vs Eagles game on December 15, 2024, you probably realized pretty quickly that history doesn't care about your parlay. Most folks went into that Sunday thinking the Steelers’ defense would turn Jalen Hurts into a human pretzel. Instead, we got a clinic in Philadelphia. It was a 27-13 statement that basically told the rest of the league the Eagles aren't just "lucky" on those Brotherly Shoves. They’re just better right now.
Pittsburgh hasn't won a football game in Philadelphia since 1965. Think about that for a second. LBJ was in the White House. The Beatles were playing Shea Stadium. Mike Tomlin wasn't even born. There is something about that trip across the Pennsylvania Turnpike that just drains the life out of the black and gold.
The Passing Game That No One Saw Coming
Everyone talked about Saquon Barkley leading up to kickoff. Why wouldn't they? He's been a monster. But the Steelers actually did a decent job on him, holding him to 65 yards on 19 carries. Minkah Fitzpatrick even knocked him out for a bit in the second quarter. If you told a Steelers fan on Saturday that they’d neutralize Barkley, they’d have started planning the victory parade.
But Jalen Hurts had other ideas.
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He was surgical. He finished 25 of 32 for 290 yards. More importantly, he targeted A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith like he was playing Madden on rookie mode. Both of those guys cleared 100 yards. When you have two receivers playing like that, it doesn't matter how good your pass rush is.
Why the Steelers couldn't keep up
- No George Pickens: Missing your WR1 against a secondary like Philly’s is basically a death sentence. Russell Wilson looked lost at times without his favorite jump-ball target.
- Time of Possession: This was the quiet killer. The Eagles held the ball for nearly 40 minutes. 40! The Steelers' defense was gassed by the middle of the third quarter.
- The Fumble: That botched pitch between Wilson and Najee Harris in the third quarter was the "game over" moment. You can’t give Hurts a short field when you're already struggling to breathe.
That Ridiculous 21-Play Drive
You don't see this often in the modern NFL. Most teams want to score fast. The Eagles? They wanted to take the Steelers' soul. In the fourth quarter, Philadelphia embarked on a 21-play drive that chewed up over 10 minutes of clock. They started at their own 3-yard line. By the time the drive ended, there was basically no hope left for Pittsburgh.
It was old-school, smash-mouth football hidden inside a modern offense. They converted four different third or fourth downs on that drive alone. Honestly, it was kind of embarrassing for a Pittsburgh defense that prides itself on being the "Steel Curtain."
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T.J. Watt and the Injury Scare
The atmosphere at Lincoln Financial Field got real quiet for a different reason in the fourth quarter. T.J. Watt went down. He was chasing Hurts on a non-contact play and just... crumpled. Seeing him helped off the field is enough to give any Pittsburgher a heart attack.
Watt later said it was a rolled ankle and he's in "wait-and-see" mode, but the impact was immediate. Without him, the Steelers' pass rush loses its teeth. If he’s out for any significant time, that AFC North race gets a lot scarier for the folks in the 412.
What This Means for the "Steagle" Legacy
People forget these two teams were once literally the same team. Back in 1943, because of the war, they merged to become the "Steagles." They went 5-4-1 that year. It’s one of the weirdest footnotes in sports history.
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But since the merger in 1970, they only play every four years or so. This lack of familiarity usually leads to weird, sloppy games. Not this time. This was a professional dismantling. The Eagles moved to 12-2, cementing themselves as the heavyweight favorites in the NFC alongside Detroit.
Meanwhile, Russell Wilson’s perfect 6-0 career record against the Eagles finally evaporated. He looked every bit like a veteran quarterback who was missing his weapons and running for his life.
Actionable Takeaways for the Rest of the Season
If you're following these teams into the playoffs, here’s what you need to watch:
- Watch the Injury Reports: The Steelers live and die by T.J. Watt. If that ankle is worse than they’re letting on, their postseason run will be short.
- Monitor the Eagles' WR Chemistry: Brown and Smith both complained about targets the week before. Hurts responded by feeding them 23 targets. That's a scary precedent for defensive coordinators.
- Betting the Under? Think Again: When the Eagles' passing game clicks like this, the "low-scoring defensive battle" narrative goes out the window.
- The "Turnpike" Factor: Don't ignore historical trends. Some venues just own certain teams. Pittsburgh’s hex in Philadelphia is real.
The Steelers have to go to Baltimore next, which is basically jumping from a frying pan into a volcano. For the Eagles, they’re heading to Washington with a chance to lock up the NFC East.
Pennsylvania might be a "swing state" in politics, but in the NFL right now, the power has swung decidedly toward the East.