Everyone who thought the Steelers were 'due' for a win in Philadelphia got humbled this past week. Pittsburgh hasn't won a game in that city for 59 years. Expect that to be a trend that pushes further down the line past the next time these two face off. For one reason or another, Pittsburgh struggles to overcome their cross-state rivals, but this time it was clear who the better team was.
The Eagles are a top group in the NFC but don't make the mistake of saying Mike Tomlin's team is overrated. They are a respectable AFC contender, but they are not at the level Philadelphia is currently at. A hostile environment with a poor matchup only highlighted this loss for the away club. It was an ugly day at the office for the Steelers, but it shouldn't be seen as the end of the world.
Steelers offense report card grade: F
It is hard to give the offense a passing grade coming out of their Week 15 performance. They were able to take advantage of some quality situations in the first half, but they got dominated in the second part of the contest. It wasn't all their fault, but missing George Pickens continues to be an issue. They showed they could overcome that loss against poor teams, but not against the Eagles.
Russell Wilson wasn't terrible, but the offense was just stale. They didn't get many opportunities in the second half to try and come back to win, but they also failed to sustain drives. The running game was non-existent, which many knew would likely happen against a quality Philadelphia front. They just couldn't find a quality enough attack to give themselves a shot at winning the ball game.
READ MORE: Steelers find a lone bright spot in tough Week 15 loss to Eagles
Steelers defense report card grade: D
There were a couple of tough situations that played out for the Steelers' defense. Pittsburgh was going up against a quality offense without a couple of their starters to begin the game. They followed that up by losing a few more starters throughout the battle. That depleted group showed their warts throughout, and that led to the Eagles dominating the second half of the game.
The main focus coming out of this matchup will be the health of T.J. Watt, and initial reports on his injury are positive.
Pittsburgh's defense caused some havoc that allowed their team to stay in the game during the first half which was a good sign. Everything went downhill after that, and Philadelphia destroyed any hope they instilled during their second-half lashing. It was pure dominance over a banged-up Steelers defense.
Steelers special teams report card grade: B+
Another week proved to be another quality outing for the Steelers' third phase of football. Their special teamers had some good plays on both kick and punt coverage. It was a nice bounce-back performance after last week where they allowed a big return. Pittsburgh didn't allow the Eagles to have any giant impacts when it came to field positioning.
Chris Boswell remains the best kicker in the NFL this season. He has been money all year and he kept that going in Philadelphia where he went two for two on field goal attempts and sunk his lone extra point try. Corliss Waitman might not have had his best performance for Pittsburgh in Week 15, but he has been one of the biggest surprises of the season after Cameron Johnston was lost to injury.