By Patrick Del Gaone, Sports Talk Philly staff writer
In the marquee matchup of Week 3, the Philadelphia Eagles will host Ben Roethlisberger and the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday afternoon in a battle for Keystone State supremacy. Vegas oddsmakers have settled on Pittsburgh as a 3.5-point favorite, and so far about 75 percent of wagers have been made on the Steelers, according to VegasInsider.com.
Following Friday's press conferences, we have a better idea of which injured players will be available on Sunday, so let’s take a look at how the teams match up.
Steelers Offense vs. Eagles Defense
While the Steelers defense led the team to victory over rival Cincinnati in a Week 2 slugfest, it was the high-powered offense which propelled Pittsburgh to victory over the Redskins in the season opener. Superstar wideout Antonio Brown led the team with eight receptions for 126 yards and two scores in the nation’s capital.
Todd Haley, Pittsburgh’s offensive coordinator, likes to move the versatile speedster around in order to create mismatches against the second or third cornerback. With the Eagles top corner Leodis McKelvin sidelined, Haley will undoubtedly look to get Brown matched up against Philadelphia’s promising but inexperienced rookie, Jalen Mills.
Last week, the Eagles combated the absence of McKelvin with plenty of help over-the-top against Alshon Jeffery. Jeffery made just one big play against the Eagles secondary, when he compelled Mills to bite on a double-move for a 49-yard reception.
With featured tailback Le’Veon Bell suspended, veteran DeAngelo Williams is taking full advantage of his opportunity to carry the torch.
The former Carolina Panther has three touchdowns already, and is the top rusher in the NFL with 237 yards. The Eagles robust defensive line will face their first formidable test of the season against Pittsburgh’s smashmouth hog-mollies led by perennial Pro Bowl center Maurkice Pouncey.
Haley’s offense is very effective at converting on third down using crossing patterns and 'rub' routes out of stacked receiver sets. Roethlisberger is sure to attempt to pick on Mills because of the extreme difficulty these intermediate route combinations cause for man coverage.
For the Philadelphia defense to continue their tremendous success this Sunday, they’ll need to contain Roethlisberger, a mountainous quarterback who is magnificent at extending plays and making defenders pay for vacating their responsibilities down the field.
Eagles Offense vs. Steelers Defense
On the opening drive against Chicago, Carson Wentz was calling audibles, sliding the protection or calling for a "hot" route prior to seemingly every snap. He finished the drive 8-of-9 passing, and although the Eagles didn’t finish with a touchdown, they came away with three points and the confidence that Wentz’s command of the offense would allow them to churn out first downs throughout the night.
Pittsburgh’s defense has allowed only 16 points in each of their first two games, but both the Redskins and Bengals were able to gain plenty of yards through the air. Through two weeks, the Steelers rank 31st in the league with a whopping 695 passing yards allowed, although they’ve been very stout against the run, yielding just 101 yards.
Through two weeks, Tomlin’s unit has performed similarly to the Jim Johnson led Eagles defenses of years past, with a "bend but don’t break" mentality and a relentless dedication to stuffing the run.
Expect Philadelphia to use a fair share of empty backfield in this game, as Wentz has looked most comfortable when his targets are maximized and the defense is subsequently spread out. Moreover, Cincinnati quarterback Andy Dalton didn’t begin to shred the Steelers secondary until they went to four-wide and empty sets from the shotgun.
As always, the Steelers 3-4 defense is spearheaded by their exceptional linebackers: Jarvis Jones, Lawrence Timmons, James Harrison and Ryan Shazier. All four are menacing tacklers with a propensity for thunderous collisions.
It’s unlikely that the Eagles will be able to effectively run the ball against Pittsburgh, so they’ll need their prized quarterback to once again establish a rhythm in the early going. If the Philadelphia lineman can keep Wentz upright against a pass rush eager to hit the North Dakota State product as often as possible, they’ll have a solid chance to earn bragging rights as the top team in Pennsylvania.
Player of the Game: Eli Rogers
Prediction: Steelers win 20-13