By Patrick Del Gaone, Sports Talk Philly staff writer 
Before the season, expectations were timid for Doug Pederson's first season as head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles.
Suddenly, after just two weeks, all eyes are on the soaring Eagles in a city desperate for a contender.
The opponent: the Pittsburgh Steelers, as Lincoln Financial Field plays host to the marquee game of the NFL weekend. Kickoff for the Keystone State battle is scheduled for 4:25 p.m.
Quarterbacks
| Pittsburgh Steelers (2-0) | Philadelphia Eagles (2-0) |
| 7 Ben Roethlisberger | 11 Carson Wentz |
| Stats: 559 YD, 6 TD, 3 INT | Stats: 468 YD, 3 TD, 0 INT |
Ben Roethisberger carved up the Washington Redskins in the 2016 premier of Monday Night Football two weeks ago, completing 27-of-37 passes for 300 yards and three touchdowns. "Big Ben" will get one of his favorite targets back on Sunday, Markus Wheaton, as he looks to continue the success against NFC East opponents.
Carson Wentz has been nothing like a rookie in his first two outings after being named the Eagles starting quarterback. After defeating the Bears on Monday night, he became the only rookie quarterback to ever start his career 2-0 without committing a turnover.
Running Backs
| Pittsburgh Steelers (2-0) | Philadelphia Eagles (2-0) |
| 34 DeAngelo Williams | 24 Ryan Mathews |
| Stats: 58 Att, 237 YD, 3 TD | Stats: 31 Att, 109 YD, 3 TD |
Filling in for suspended halfback Le'Veon Bell, 33-year-old DeAngelo Williams has shined as the featured runner in the Steelers offense. The veteran leads the NFL in rushing by a wide margin, and has earned the right to continue receiving carries even after Bell returns to the lineup.
Ryan Mathews and Darren Sproles provide a solid one-two punch for Pederson's offense as they look to groom their first-year quarterback. Mathews will look to improve upon a subpar performance last week in Chicago, gaining just 32 yards on nine carries.
Wide Receivers
| Pittsburgh Steelers (2-0) | Philadelphia Eagles (2-0) | ||
| 84 Antonio Brown | Stats: 12 Rec, 165 YD, 2 TD | 81 Jordan Matthews | Stats: 13 Rec, 185 YD, 1 TD |
| 14 Sammie Coates | Stats: 4 Rec, 153 YD, 0 TD | 17 Nelson Agholor | Stats: 8 Rec, 99 YD, 1 TD |
The Eagles will have their hands full with Antonio Brown, who has become the best receiver in the NFL over the past year. Compounding the issue, top cornerback Leodis McKelvin will not be in uniform for Philadelphia as he continues to recover from a hamstring injury.
Jordan Matthews has solidified his spot as the Eagles No. 1 receiver in his third season with the team. After two games, the rangy wideout is on pace for just under 1,500 yards. But drops continue to plague the Philly wideouts after leading the league last year, both Matthews and Nelson Agholor were unable to snatch what could've been touchdowns against the Bears.
Defense
| Pittsburgh Steelers (2-0) | Philadelphia Eagles (2-0) | ||
| 50 Ryan Shazier | Stats: 18 Tackles, 1 FF, 1 INT | 23 Rodney McLeod | Stats: 9 Tackles, 1 INT |
| 94 Lawrence Timmons | Stats: 15 Tackles | 53 Nigel Bradham | Stats: 6 Tackles, 1 INT |
| 92 James Harrison | Stats: 4 Tackles, 1 INT | 55 Brandon Graham | Stats: 7 Tackles, 2 Sacks, 1 FF |
Pittsburgh is led by their quartet of tenacious linebackers. The 3-4 defense has yet to produce much pressure on opposing quarterbacks despite holding both opponents to 16 points, accruing just one sack through two weeks. The Steelers have been dreadful against the pass, allowing 695 yards (31st in NFL), but are a fierce unit against the run, yielding only 101 yards (2nd in NFL)
Brandon Graham has come into his own under new defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz. The former Michigan Wolverine has wreaked havoc with his relentless effort in the early going, setting the tone in the Windy City with a backside tackle for loss on the first play of the game last week. Rodney McLeod has provided invaluable security in the Philadelphia secondary this season, and has a knack for reading misdirection plays.
Player to Watch
| Pittsburgh Steelers (2-0) | Philadelphia Eagles (2-0) |
| 84 Antonio Brown | 11 Carson Wentz |
| Stats: 12 Rec, 165 YD, 2 TD | Stats: 468 YD, 3 TD, 0 INT |
Some believe Wentz's early season success is "fool's gold." Former Baltimore Ravens linebacker Bart Scott made that statement this past week, calling the Browns and Bears the NFL's "JV". Wentz will get his chance to prove Scott and the rest of his critics wrong against a defense which hasn't allowed many points this year.
If the Eagles are to win this game, they'll need to keep Brown in check. "AB" is aided by his quarterback's ability to extend plays, and Brown's ability to understand leverage and adlib his route while "Big Ben" scrambles is second-to-none.
Injury Report
|
Pittsburgh Steelers (2-0) |
Philadelphia Eagles (2-0) |
||||
|
C/G Cody Wallace |
Knee |
Out |
TE Zach Ertz |
Rib |
Out |
|
CB Senquez Golson |
Foot |
Out |
G Isaac Seumalo |
Pectoral |
Out |
|
FB Roosevelt Nix |
Back |
Doubtful |
CB Leodis McKelvin |
Hamstring |
Out |
|
G Ramon Foster |
Elbow |
Questionable |
LB Mychal Kendricks |
Nose/Quad |
Questionable |
Game Notes
- The Eagles are 6-0 in 2016, including the preseason.
- 33-year-old DeAngelo Williams is the oldest running back in the NFL, just a couple of months older than Darren Sproles.
- Steelers tackle Alejandro Villanueva is a former Army Ranger who spent time on the Eagles practice squad during the Chip Kelly regime.
- Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger said this week that he contemplated retirement after being pummeled by the Eagles defense in 2008. The Brian Dawkins led defense sacked "Big Ben" and Byron Leftwich a combined nine times, and forced two fumbles in the 15-6 victory.
Where to Watch
TV: CBS (Jim Nantz, Phil Simms, Tracy Wolfson)
Radio: 94 Sportsradio WIP (Merrill Reese, Mike Quick, Howard Eskin)
National Radio: Compass Media (Chris Carrino, Brian Baldinger)
