Jalen Hurts and AJ Brown shut down all the fake news in Philly while the Eagles showed they're real contenders and can win in different ways while continuing their defensive dominance. While it was a close game for a decent amount of the first half, the Eagles took over in the second half and controlled the rest of the game, ending it with a 10:29 drive that consisted of 21 plays that went 88 yards. The Eagles' other two possessions in the first half resulted in a field goal and a touchdown, while the Steelers' two second-half drives ended in a fumble and a punt. Philly had the ball for almost twice as long as the Steelers and led the entire game.
The Eagles Can Win How They Want
"So that's what y'all wanted to see, huh?" The words Jalen Hurts as he sat down for his post-game press conference after throwing for 290 yards and two touchdowns. He also added 45 yards and another score using his legs, accounting for all three of the Birds' touchdowns. All this came just a week after everyone said that AJ Brown was throwing shade at his quarterback and that people claimed that Jalen Hurts couldn't throw a football. The Eagles saw criticism in the media and formulated a game plan to both win and shut everybody up, which is exactly what they did. Skinny and Swole Batman both had 10+ targets, 100+ yards, and a TD, while Saquon Barkley ran for just 65 yards on 19 attempts and had two receptions for nine yards.
The last time Hurts threw for over 200 yards was a month and a day before the Steelers game, and in those games, Saquon Barkley ran for 255, 107, and 124 yards. The Eagles offense has relied on the run game almost all season but faced a top 5 rushing defense this week that held Barkley to under 70 yards for just the third time this season. Jalen Hurts stepped up and completed 25 of his 32 passing attempts (78%). After this game, the Eagles have shown that they can win close games, blowouts, shootouts, on the ground, through the air, and they can even win when the offense isn't performing due to how strong the defense has been.
Defensive Dominance
This Philly defense has been the most substantial part of this team all season. SIX straight games have now held opposing offenses to 20 or fewer points. The Steelers had nine offensive drives; five ended in punts, one in a turnover, and three Pittsburgh scored. Only one of those scored was a touchdown, though, their only scoring drive being an 11-play 70-yard drive that ended in a Pat Freiermuth TD. That one drive accounted for almost half of Pittsburgh's total yards, finishing the game with 163.
They held Russell Wilson to his lowest passing yards of the season with just 128 on 22 attempts, completing 63% of his passes. It's just the fourth time he threw one or fewer touchdowns this season, and he had his third-lowest rating in a game this season. The Birds' defense held Pittsburgh to 56 rushing yards as a team, Najee Harris being their leading rusher with a whopping 14 yards. Russell Wilson, Justin Fields, Jaylen Warren, and Cordarrelle Patterson were the other Steelers to record rushing yards. Nolan Smith and Josh Sweat recorded the teams' two sacks; both also recorded a TFL alongside CJ Gardner Johnson; Nolan Smith was the only player with multiple..
Best Team in the NFC???
The Birds are the only team in the NFL to rank in the top six in offensive and defensive yards per game. To highlight how good this defense is, they haven't allowed the offense to score more than 20 points in a game during the win streak. That's the longest streak in the NFL this season and the longest since the Ravens did it five years ago; for the Eagles themselves, they haven't done it in 23 years. After the Bills win over the Lions, the Eagles are now tied for the best record in the NFC at 12-2, tied with the Lions and Vikings, but Philly remains the two seed for now. The Eagles get three straight NFC East games to close out the season; they are already 3-0 against the division this year, outscoring the Commanders, Giants, and Cowboys 88-27.
Final Score: Eagles 27, Steelers 13
Dixon's Three Stars
1st Star- Jalen Hurts (335 Total Yards, 3 Total TDs, 78% Completion Percentage)
2nd Star- AJ Brown & DeVonta Smith (19 Receptions, 219 Yards, 2 TDs)
3rd Star- Nolan Smith Jr. (4 Tackles, 2 TFLs, 1 Sack, 1 PD)
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