The Steelers have the daunting task of facing off against the Eagles this week. Despite both teams having good records with some question marks surrounding their offense, Philadelphia seems like the better unit overall. Add in the history of how bad Pittsburgh has been when playing this matchup as the away team and you really have to hate their odds.
Getting a win this week will be tough, and it will take an entire team effort to win. The offense needs to be prepared for another shootout against a far superior Eagles defense. Their own defense has to put some water on a high-octane offense to boot. Every unit has to come together to pull out this win.
For a key player, there are a few names that stand out. Russell Wilson will need to have another sound game through the air. The offense and defensive lines face off against two of the better overall units there as well. Heck, Miles Killibrew almost made the cut as a key special teams block may be just what this team needs to sneak out a win. That said, I think this key player will be the difference-maker this week.
A huge discussion point this upcoming offseason will be what to do with Minkah Fitzpatrick. In a deflated safety market with one of the higher contracts for the position, it could be hard to justify keeping him around at his cost. If this was the dynamic playmaker from a few years ago this wouldn’t be a question. That said, the turnovers have been barren the past few years, and while he is still a good defender, the price tag is getting harder to justify.
This week though, we need to see Fitzpatrick at the top of his game. I’ve accepted that turnovers aren’t going to come by the masses (although an interception this week would be lovely), and by most accounts that is a flimsy statistic to base everything on. What Fitzpatrick has to do is take away the big plays and limit the long runs as the last line of defense.
In the past, even without turnovers, this has been an excellent element of Fitzpatrick’s game. A few times this year though he has been out of position or messed up coverage, which allowed a big play. For an Eagles team that thrives on huge plays, Fitzpatrick has to put a stop to that if this team wants to win.
Look, there is no chance that this defense completely shuts down this offense. What they need to do is limit them the best that they can. Don’t allow the huge play, and even if the score gets higher than you would like, bank on the offense keeping up like they did a few weeks ago.
If Fitzpatrick falters and the big passes and run reign down, this team has no shot. The offense needs to come out prepared, but I doubt they can replicate what they did against a hapless Bengals defense when they take on a stout Eagles defense. If Fitzpatrick can eliminate the big play, this team will have a chance (any turnovers would be a bonus). If he can’t, don’t expect pretty results from this team.
