Eagles Vs. Steelers: What To Know Ahead Of The Battle Of Pennsylvania

PHILADELPHIA, PA — Two of the best squads in the National Football League will meet for a rare interstate matchup in south Philadelphia on Sunday afternoon.

The Eagles do play the Pittsburgh Steelers every few years, but it's been quite some time since both teams were this good, adding fuel to the fire of a rivalry that has been muffled by a lack of intersecting interests.

But while this will never be a Penn State vs. Pitt, Flyers vs. Penguins type rivalry, there's plenty on the line for both teams outside of bragging rights and ownership of the Turnpike. Here's what to know ahead of Week 15:

Time, odds, standings, and more

Kickoff is at 4:25 p.m. at Lincoln Financial Field in South Philadelphia.

The 10-3 Steelers are in first place in the AFC North and currently sit as the second seed in the AFC. The 11-2 Eagles are in first place in the NFC East and also are the second seed in the NFC. Both squads are in line for a first round bye in the playoffs, if the season ended today.

The Eagles are 5.5 point favorites to win, according to DraftKings Sportsbook.

The rivalry

The history between these two franchises at opposite ends of the Pennsylvania Turnpike runs back almost a century. Since their first matchup in 1933, the Eagles have a commanding 49-29-3 advantage. Since 2000, the Birds are 4-3, and they won the most recent meeting in 2022.

During World War II, a player shortage led the two teams to briefly unite into a single "Phil-Pitt Combine" that was more widely and unofficially known as the Steagles.

The air attack drama

After a close call against a struggling Carolina Panthers squad last week, critics resurfaced the most common complaint about the Birds this season: either they do not pass enough, or Jalen Hurts is being exposed as a one-dimensional quarterback who cannot pass enough to take advantage of skilled receiver corps.

Solely relying on Saquon Barkley will not be enough to beat the teams they need to beat to return to the Super Bowl, some have argued.

But while Hurts's passing yards have been paltry in recent weeks, he's fully capable of an offensive explosion. Nick Sirianni knows it, and so does A.J. Brown, who expressed his frustrations with the lack of chances he's gotten recently after last week's win over Carolina.

Brown clarified later to reporters, including ESPN, that he was not frustrated with Hurts specifically, and that their friendship remains very strong.

"Me and Jalen are good," he said.

Regardless of how comments made in the locker room were construed or misconstrued, the reality remains that Hurts has thrown for less than 180 yards, and no more than 22 attempts, for three consecutive weeks now. How Hurts and Brown face in the air against the Pittsburgh defense will shape the narrative about the Eagles for weeks to come.

Saquon's record

Part of the reason the Eagles haven't been hitting the passing attack in recent weeks: they haven't needed to. Saquon Barkley is in the midst of a historic stretch, and has rushed for more than 100 yards in 7 of the past 8 games, blowing past LeSean McCoy's single season Eagles franchise rushing record.

Barkley now needs just 483 yards in his final four games to get the NFL's all time single season rushing record, which was set by Eric Dickerson when he ran for 2,105 yards in 1984 with the Los Angeles Rams.

Barkley will need to average about 121 yards in each of his last four games to get there. It certainly won't be easy, but it's well within the realm of possibility for one of the greatest running backs the city has ever seen. A big performance on Sunday would go a long way toward getting Barkley past Dickerson.

Avoiding the ghosts of 2023

While this year's Birds look a whole lot better via the eye test than last year's squad, they also look mighty similar on paper, too.

The Birds began folding in on themselves earlier in the season last year, but they were exposed in the most obvious ways when they squeaked by with lucky wins against struggling teams. It was difficult to not feel shades of 2023 in the narrow win over Carolina in Week 14. While the Birds have had their share of big statement wins already this year, including dominant performances against Los Angeles and Washington, they can put the doubters to rest for good with a win against a team that is getting dark horse Super Bowl love in Pittsburgh.