If there was one guaranteed loss on the Steelers' 2024 schedule before the season started, it would be this one. When the schedule dropped back in May, I made my game-by-game predictions and chalked this up as an 'L' for Pittsburgh. After George Pickens' injury, I'm not feeling any better about this game.
On Thursday last week, Pickens sustained a hamstring injury that made him a limited participant in Friday's practice and ultimately held him out of action in Week 14 against the Browns. During Mike Tomlin's Week 15 press conference, the Steelers head coach offered an update on Pickens' status.
Tomlin confirmed that Pickens' hamstring injury showed up in the MRI and he's already listed as doubtful for Sunday's contest against the Eagles. This Grade 2 hamstring pull is often a 4-6 week injury, and Pickens could miss multiple games with the ailment.
Against the Browns last week, the Steelers scored just three points in the first quarter as their passing game hardly took off. Russell Wilson finished the contest completing 15 of 26 passes for 158 yards while capping off two drives with passing touchdowns.
But the Eagles aren't a bottom-dwelling football team and the passing game is going to matter this week.
Steelers have an impossible uphill battle vs. Eagles
The Pittsburgh Steelers found a way to put up 27 points this past week without George Pickens in the lineup. However, this was a one-game sample size against a now 3-10 football team. The passing offense wasn't good in Week 14, but Wilson and company found a way to capitalize off defensive takeaways and turn them into points.
This week is going to look much different.
The Steelers are 2-3 against the Eagles since Mike Tomlin became the head coach, but both of their wins have come when his team is hosting. In contrast, Pittsburgh hasn't won a game in Philadelphia since 1965 and their all-time record against the Eagles is 29-49-3.
The more you dissect this matchup, the more daunting it looks for the Steelers.
The Eagles are 11-2 on the season with a +108 point differential — good for third-best in the NFL behind the Lions and Bills. In addition to averaging 26.3 points per game, the Eagles are tied with the second-best scoring defense, allowing just 18.0 points per contest this season.
Philadelphia's overall DVOA ranking suggests they are a top-five team in the NFL this season, as does their offensive and defensive EPA. The raw numbers and advanced analytics point to the same thing: this is an excellent football team.
There's always a chance the Steelers could pull off the upset. Russell Wilson has brought new life to this franchise in his old age and the Eagles have struggled to put teams away in recent weeks (though you would never know it when you look at their nine-game winning streak).
Now the Steelers will have to find a way to erase history without their best offensive weapon. Pittsburgh needs to prove their offense can still be threatening without George Pickens to have a shot in this contest.
This was already the hardest road game on the Steelers' 2024 schedule, and Pickens' absence will make grounding the high-flying Eagles a nearly impossible task in Week 15.