Steelers vs. Eagles: Philly controls 2nd half for 27-13 win over in-state foe

The Steelers punted the ball back to the Eagles with 10:29 remaining, trailing 27-13. They never saw the ball again. Philadelphia went on a 21-play, 88-yard drive that spanned the remainder of the game, moving the ball from its own 3-yard line before getting to the Steelers 8-yard line. They had four third- and fourth-down conversions over that drive to help run the clock out. 

Steelers star edge rusher T.J. Watt left with an apparent lower left leg injury in the fourth quarter. With the Steelers trailing 27-13, Watt rushed and tried to take down Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts on a second-and-12 play. However, Watt went down without making any contact, reaching for his lower left leg as he rolled around in pain. 

Watt eventually made his way to the Steelers' bench, where he was seen pointing toward his left ankle when he spoke with a Steelers staffer.

After an evaluation on the sideline, Watt gingerly walked back to the locker room.

Ben Arthur: That Eagles drive was emblematic of what the Eagles have been this season as a rushing team — more so than any other today. With four carries, Saquon Barkley was the most involved he's been in an Eagles possession all day. Barkley's presence opened up Jalen Hurts' 23-yard run up the middle early in the series. There was the tush-push TD for Hurts to boot, too (though it took more work than the Eagles would've liked). 

Philadelphia made Pittsburgh pay for the turnover on the previous possession, going on a six-plus-minute drive that gave it a 27-13 lead less than a minute into the fourth quarter.

The Steelers' first drive of the second half ended on a bad note, but an impressive throw from Russell Wilson helped them move the ball deep into Eagles territory. A flea flicker allowed Wilson to find Calvin Austin for a 31-yard gain, with the quarterback hitting the receiver in stride.

Wilson's pass earned him some high praise from Tom Brady.

"He's been so good at it since he came into the league," Brady said of Wilson's ability to throw deep passes. "He's a really unique passer in terms of his ability to put arc and pace. … One of the great deep passers that I've ever seen. He's still productive over a long time doing it."

Ben Arthur: A costly mistake from the Steelers, as running back Najee Harris fumbled a toss from Russell Wilson just outside the red zone. It was recovered by the Eagles. 

For Pittsburgh, it blew an opportunity to tie up the game. Not the start to the second half that the Steelers wanted offensively. The Eagles are fifth in the league in time of possession, so it only shrinks the margin of error for the Steelers as they gave them the ball back with 5:50 remaining in the third quarter.

The Eagles took a methodical approach to moving the ball down the field on the first drive of the second half. They used up over seven minutes of game clock to gain 47 yards on 13 plays, setting up Jake Elliott to make a 41-yard field goal that put the Eagles up 20-13. 

Ben Arthur: The Eagles lead the Steelers 17-13 at halftime.

In many ways, that was the kind of half that Philadelphia's offense needed. It was a reminder of how dynamic it can be in the passing game, despite its heavy emphasis on running the ball this year. With Saquon Barkley on the sidelines since early in the second quarter, and his status for the rest of the contest unclear, the passing game will need to be leaned on to win this matchup.

But the Steelers have kept this game close, despite trailing by 14 midway through the second quarter. Superstar edge rusher T.J. Watt has been a big reason why — already with two sacks, a forced fumble (which led to a takeaway) and five tackles leading a defense that has started to settle down, buying Russell Wilson and the offense time to get into a rhythm. The Steelers ended the first half with 10 unanswered points.

These teams are at their best in the second half, so it should come to the wire. Both the Steelers and Eagles rank in the top six in point differential in the third quarter, and in the top 13 in the final period.

After finding the end zone for the first time in Sunday's game, the Steelers were able to add three more before the break. A poor punt by the Eagles, followed by Russell Wilson's two completions to Pat Freiermuth for a total gain of 19 yards, was enough to get them in field goal range. Chris Boswell drained a 49-yard field goal that cut the Eagles' lead to 17-13 with 37 seconds remaining.

The Steelers got an 8-yard sack on the first play of the Eagles' next drive, causing Philadelphia to run the clock out and take the game into halftime. 

Ben Arthur: The Steelers finally show some life offensively, putting together their first touchdown drive to bring their deficit back to within a score, 17-10, with 2:34 remaining in the first half. That was a helluva touchdown grab by tight end Pat Freiermuth, who needs to come up big with George Pickens sidelined. 

But Pittsburgh got a little bit of everything on that possession. There was a chunk pass play to kick it off. A designed run for Justin Fields. Some penalty help. 36-year-old Russell Wilson showed that he still has some mobility, too. The Steelers had 70 net yards on that touchdown drive — after having minus-19 on the five previous combined.

Tom Brady also predicted the touchdown grab for Freiermuth before it happened, noting the advantage the Steelers tight end had with the coverage the Eagles were showing. 

Tom Brady predicts Steelers TE Pat Freiermuth TD vs. Eagles

Jalen Hurts wore some extra protection on his non-throwing hand in Sunday's game as he was listed on the injury report with a finger issue. There were reports that said Hurts' finger was broken, but the Eagles wouldn't confirm if that was the case when FOX Sports' Erin Andrews asked.

Hurts went into the blue medical tent at one point late in the first half of Sunday's game. He returned to action when the Eagles got the ball back after the Steelers scored to make it a 17-10 game. 

Ben Arthur: The Eagles are doing whatever they want in the pass game early against the Steelers. It's one area where opponents can exploit Pittsburgh, which entered this week ranked 17th in pass defense, and Philadelphia has taken full advantage (even as it has had its own issues with passing this year). 

With Saquon Barkley on the sideline, Jalen Hurts found DeVonta Smith in the end zone for his second passing touchdown of the game. 

Philadelphia already has 193 net yards of offense, 146 of which have come through the air.

Ben Arthur: The Steelers are certainly missing leading receiver George Pickens, who's missing his second straight game due to injury. Their leading pass catcher as the second quarter gets underway is running back Najee Harris, who has 7 receiving yards. 

But slow starts to games have been a trend for Pittsburgh all season. The Steelers entered this week -27 in the first quarter, which ranks 25th in the league, according to Sportradar. They're a team that has a proven ability to heat up as games wear on, but the Eagles are a different caliber of opponent.

Ben Arthur: So much for speculation of a rocky relationship between Jalen Hurts and A.J. Brown, huh? The two connected for three receptions for 41 yards on the Eagles' touchdown drive, including the 5-yard score. 

Tom Brady reacts to Eagles' Jalen Hurts and A.J. Brown connecting on a TD – 'Tough offense to stop' | NFL Highlights

The Pro Bowl receiver already has four catches for 48 yards in the opening period. This is a great development for Philadelphia, as Saquon Barkley has yet to be unleashed.

Ben Arthur: The Steelers are showing the NFL world why they entered this week leading the NFL with 28 takeaways. They have two in the first quarter. The first came on defense, with T.J. Watt punching the ball out of Jalen Hurts' grasp on a tackle. Then, after a quick three-and-out by Pittsburgh's offense, it got another as linebacker Mark Robinson forced a fumble on a punt return by Cooper DeJean.

The Steelers offense hasn't held their part of their bargain to this point, though. Their 28th-ranked red zone offense was evident after the special teams takeaway. They have just three points to show for it late in the first quarter.

Not helping matters? Pittsburgh was pushed back 15 yards for unnecessary roughness after this fight:

Tom Brady talked about how Russell Wilson has revived his career in Pittsburgh this year and how Mike Tomlin is a big reason for that.

"[Tomlin] has such a unique way of connecting with his players. Russell gets there, he challenges Russ, he knows kind of the right thing to say at the right time," Brady said on the broadcast.

"That’s very rare in the NFL, when you’re not treated just like one of 53. It makes you go out there and play harder. You feel the love, you feel the caring, and then you want to go out there and never let your coach down."
 

Ben Arthur: The Eagles entered Week 15 with their passing game under fire. They ranked 31st in passing yards per game. A.J. Brown last week was frustrated with his lack of involvement in the game early and the overall woes of the passing attack. 

So it seems fitting that the pass was such a big part of Philadelphia's opening script, with four passes from Hurts on the Eagles' seven-play, 54-yard opening field goal drive. The run-pass balance will be one to watch throughout the game, as Philly will certainly want to get Saquon Barkley his touches early as well.

Ben Arthur: Sunday’s Eagles-Steelers matchup pits two historic, Pennsylvania-based franchises and playoff-caliber teams against each other in one of the highest-profile games of the weekend.

Philadelphia, despite speculation of a fractured relationship between Jalen Hurts and A.J. Brown on top of a less than encouraging showing against 3-10 Carolina last week, rides the NFL’s second-longest winning streak — nine games — into this one. It’s led by Saquon Barkley, who in his first season with the Eagles has already broken the franchise’s single-season rushing record with four games remaining. He’s a strong candidate to become the first running back to win MVP since 2012.

On the other side, Russell Wilson has rejuvenated his career with the Steelers, giving the AFC North leaders a dynamic passing attack for the first time in years. But Pittsburgh will be without leading receiver George Pickens for a second straight game due to a hamstring injury.

The Eagles can clinch the NFC East with a victory and a Commanders loss or tie against the Saints, or with a tie against the Steelers with a Washington loss. The Steelers, meanwhile, can secure a playoff berth with a win or tie or a Dolphins loss or tie at the Texans plus a Colts loss or tie at the Broncos.

The Steelers enter Sunday’s game riding a 10-game losing streak to the Eagles in Philadelphia.

Mike Tomlin reflects on his love for coaching the Steelers | FOX NFL Sunday