Pittsburgh (10-3) at Philadelphia (11-2)
Sunday, 4:25 p.m., FOX
BetMGM NFL odds: Eagles by 4 1/2
Against the spread: Pittsburgh 10-3; Philadelphia 8-5
Series record: Eagles lead 48-29-3.
Last meeting: On Oct. 30, 2022 in Philadelphia, Jalen Hurts passed for 285 yards and four touchdowns to lead the Eagles to a 35-13 win.
Last week: Steelers defeated the Browns 27-14 in Pittsburgh; Eagles edged Carolina 22-16 at home.
Steelers offense: overall (17), rush (9), pass (23), scoring (10).
Steelers defense: overall (7), rush (4), pass (17), scoring (5).
Eagles offense: overall (7), rush (1), pass (31), scoring (8).
Eagles defense: overall (1), rush (8), pass (2), scoring (T-2).
Turnover differential: Steelers: plus-17; Eagles: plus-4.
Steelers player to watch
QB Russell Wilson has been spreading the ball around the past two weeks, connecting with eight receivers in last week’s win over the Browns a week after finding 10 targets in a win over the Bengals. Wilson will have to figure out how to continue his effectiveness against the top-ranked overall defense and second-ranked passing unit. And it’s likely that Pittsburgh’s quarterback will be without his top option, wide receiver George Pickens (55 catches, 850 receiving yards), who likely will miss his second straight game with a hamstring injury, according to coach Mike Tomlin.
Eagles player to watch
WR A.J. Brown was targeted just four times in last week’s win over Carolina, catching all four passes for 43 yards. Brown, apparently, wasn’t happy with such lack of production, bemoaning the passing game during a postgame interview. A day later, Eagles defensive end Brandon Graham, who is out for the season with a triceps injury, hinted at issues with the relationship between Brown and quarterback Jalen Hurts. It will be interesting to watch how many targets Brown gets this week and whether Hurts and coach Nick Sirianni choose to utilize the passing game more. Brown downplayed Graham’s comments, indicating no issues with his relationship with Hurts, at Wednesday’s interview session with reporters.
Key matchup
Pittsburgh’s rushing defense vs. Saquon Barkley. The Steelers rank fourth in the NFL, holding opponents to 91.5 yards per game. They lead the NFL with a plus-17 turnover margin. But Pittsburgh will be tested against Barkley, who already set the Eagles’ single-season rushing record and has Eric Dickerson’s NFL mark in sight. Barkley leads the NFL with 1,623 rushing yards and eclipsed LeSean McCoy’s franchise record of 1,607, set in 2013, last week. Dickerson ran for 2,105 in 1984, and how the Steelers defend Barkley this week will go a long way to determining whether Philadelphia’s running back can break that mark.
Key injuries
In addition to Pickens, DT Larry Ogunjobi (groin) is banged up. Ogunjobi left in the second quarter against the Browns last week and did not practice on Wednesday. … DT Montravius Adams (knee) hasn’t played since October but could return against Philadelphia. … He was a full participant at Wednesday’s practice. … Eagles DB C.J. Gardner-Johnson was evaluated for a concussion against Carolina and did not participate in Wednesday’s walkthrough practice.
Series notes
The Steelers have lost 10 consecutive games in Philadelphia, where they haven’t won since a 20-14 victory on Oct. 24, 1965. … The Eagles defeated Pittsburgh 21-0 in the only playoff matchup between the teams on Dec. 21, 1947, to advance to the NFL championship game.
Stats and stuff
Pittsburgh is seventh overall in defense, allowing 310.2 yards per game. The Steelers lead the league with a plus-17 turnover margin. … Pittsburgh’s schedule gets tougher this week, as six of its 10 wins have come versus teams currently with losing records. … K Chris Boswell leads the NFL with 137 points and has made 36 of 39 field goals this season. … The Steelers have reached at least 10 wins in 11 of Mike Tomlin’s 18 seasons. … While Pittsburgh hasn’t clinched a playoff spot, the Steelers have a 99 percent chance of making the playoffs, according to NFL.com. … Philadelphia has clinched a playoff spot and has a three-game advantage over Washington in the NFC East. Beginning last week, the Eagles play four of their final five regular-season games at home. … Barkley needs 257 yards to top McCoy’s franchise record of 2,146 yards from scrimmage, set in 2013. While Barkley and the running game have been clicking, Philadelphia ranks 31st in the league in passing (180.6 yards per game). They have fewer than 225 passing yards in nine straight games, and Hurts has averaged 135 yards through the air in his past three games. … Hurts’ 29 total touchdowns are fifth in the NFL. … WR DeVonta Smith entered the season with consecutive 1,000-yard passing reception campaigns but has yet to break 100 yards in a game this season. He had four catches for 37 yards and a TD against the Panthers last week when Hurts was sacked four times. … LB Nakobe Dean had a team-best 12 tackles against Carolina. LB Zack Baun leads the Eagles and is third in the NFL with 128 tackles. … Philadelphia’s offense has started slow all season, failing to score a touchdown on an opening drive in any game. The Eagles average 10.7 points in the first half. … Usually reliable kicker Jake Elliott missed a 52-yarder last week, falling to 0 for 5 on attempts of 50-plus yards this season.
Fantasy tip
While it might be tempting for fantasy owners to sit A.J. Brown with all of the noise around the Eagles and his lower-than-usual production of late, it might not be the best move. Brown still leads the NFL with an average of 17.4 yards per catch for receivers who have caught at least 40 passes. QB Jalen Hurts and coach Nick Sirianni know the Eagles will need Brown to be successful for the Eagles to reach their goals, so it would make sense to be sure that the standout receiver is targeted early and often against the Steelers.
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