(Photo: Athlon Sports)
Intriguing Game- NFL, Week 15
Pittsburgh Steelers at Philadelphia Eagles
Steelers: It’s another year and Mike Tomlin still hasn’t recorded a losing season, tell me where you’ve heard that before. Entering the season, the Baltimore Ravens and Cincinnati Bengals were two of the favorites to win this division. At this point, I think Mike is perfectly content with being under the radar and just playing football which is the best way to be if you ask me. This is the third-best team in the AFC right now and the only two I’m taking over them is the Buffalo Bills and Kansas City Chiefs. After their win against the Baltimore Ravens, I stated that although I’ve seen much of Mike Tomlin over the years, this has been his best job as the Steelers’ Head Coach. He’s started two different Quarterbacks, doesn’t necessarily have many superstars on the team and he simply works with what he has around him and brings the best out of them. Most importantly, he’s a leader of men. After their game on Sunday against the Cleveland Browns, Tony Romo stated that this group has no weaknesses and they should be considered a favorite to get to the Super Bowl and represent the AFC just as Buffalo and Kansas City are. I respect you Tony, but I respectfully disagree because they do have a weakness and that’s red zone offense. Too many times, the Steelers get into the red area and come away empty-handed, and kicking field goals won’t beat teams like the Bills or Chiefs. Coming away with six points should always be the goal. I know they’ve won games solely on the foot of Chris Boswell twice this year, but that isn’t always going to cut it. On Sunday, they state in the state for a showdown with one of the hottest teams in the league.
Eagles: Nine. That is where the winning streak stands as we speak. At this point, they are running away with the NFC East and once again, we won’t have a repeat champion in the division for the first time in 20 years. What made me take them even more seriously was not just beating the Baltimore Ravens, but they beat them the way the Ravens defeat teams which is with a stingy defensive effort and they run the football. I’ve said this all year long when it comes to their offense and that’s what Derrick Henry is to Baltimore is exactly what Saquon Barkley is to Philadelphia and when you make sure he touches the football between 20 to 25 times per game, great things happen and they’re unbeatable. In that game against Baltimore, they gave them a taste of their own medicine and they could never recover. One thing the general football fan can do is look at a matchup on paper and automatically say that’s an easy matchup and I can almost guarantee that’s what happened when they saw the Carolina Panthers on their schedule. Let me always say what I’ve said for years and that’s there is no such thing as an easy game in the National Football League. The Panthers gave the Eagles all they could handle in week 14 and they still survived with a six-point victory. The only thing that concerns me is the situation between Jalen Hurts and A.J. Brown and one thing I’ve never been a fan of is teams airing out internal issues to the media. Also, the Eagles should know how to handle this because this happened with Donovan McNabb and Terrell Owens almost 20 years ago. This Sunday, they welcome an in-state team to the Linc.
Steelers X-Factor: Patrick Queen– He’s added more energy to this defense in Pittsburgh. You may not hear Patrick’s footsteps, but when you hear that collision, you know he got where he needed to be. He will always make his presence known. I love what Patrick brings to a defense. He’s quick, reactive, swarms to the football and he’s moving from sideline to sideline and making tackles. After he makes his play, Patrick will let you know about it. He’s also solid at ensuring the play doesn’t extend too far.
Eagles X-Factor: Zack Baun– He’s had a breakout year this season and fits in Vic Fangio’s scheme perfectly! I followed Zack during his college days with the Wisconsin Badgers and he’s been a key piece on one of the best defenses in the league this year. Watch the quickness he plays with and how he gets from point A to point b as he plays with fearlessness and relentlessness to get to the ball. I’ve even seen him block punts, so there’s a versatility factor within his game! He’s a strong pass rusher and has improved their pass rush this year compared to last year.
Final Thoughts: This will be the first meeting between Jalen Hurts and Russell Wilson. Both of these teams are playing their best football and this could be a collision course in South Philly on Sunday afternoon. The Steelers are always strong when it comes to stopping the run and this will be a test for Saquon and the Eagles’ ground attack which has been among one of the best in the league. However, we said the same thing about them when they faced the Ravens, and look how that panned out. The Eagles Offensive Line against this Steelers defensive front will be something to watch! Philly has the best duo of tackles and the Steelers have the best du of edge rushers, this calls for entertaining football. Another matchup to watch is A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith against the Steelers corners. Pittsburgh is ranked fourth against the run and if they bottle up Saquon, the Eagles passing attack must step up. I see Russell and Jalen matching pass for pass in this game and I’m also expecting this to be close. I see the Steelers getting home and rushing Jalen which could affect him. I like the Steelers here on the road to win an in-state battle.
Prediction: Steelers 26, Eagles 21