Eagles-Steelers Preview: Players To Watch And Final Score Prediction

The Philadelphia Eagles and Pittsburgh Steelers will meet in a matchup of two of the NFL's top team in Week 15.

Long snapper Rick Lovato (left) and kicker Jake Elliott get ready to practice during Week 15. / Ed Kracz/Eagles on SI

PHILADELPHIA – Having already defeated the Browns, Bengals, and Raven, the Eagles can sweep the AFC North with a win over the Pittsburgh Steelers at Lincoln Financial Field on Sunday (4:25 p.m./FOX).

Here’s a preview:

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Jalen Hurts. Does it matter if the Eagles run or pass? All they have done with Hurts is win - 45 times in 64 games as a starter. He can become just the fifth quarterback since 1950 with at least three career-winning streaks of at least 10 games, joining John Elway, Peyton Manning, Tom Brady, and Patrick Mahomes.

Jake Elliott. The Eagles continue to express confidence in their struggling kicker who has failed five times in trying to make a field goal of 50-plus yards this season. The Steelers counter with Chris Boswell, who leads the league in scoring and gives Pittsburgh the decided advantage in the kicking game.

A.J. Brown. He wants to make an impact. The receiver had four targets in last week’s win over the. Panthers and six in the victory over the Ravens. He will get at least 10 in this one.

Saquon Barkley. His march to 2,000 yards continues after he set the Eagles’ single-season record for rushing yards last week, putting him at 1,623 this season. You know the Steelers will be geared up to stop him, just as they did rival Derrick Henry and Nick Chubb twice.

Russell Wilson. The Steelers quarterback has never lost to the Eagles, going 6-0 in his career, including one playoff win. All those games with the Seahawks. Since taking over for Justin Fields, he has helped the Steelers win six of seven games.

T.J. Watt and Cameron Heyward. These two are some of the best in the biz. Watt has 9.5 sacks, Heyward 8. If the Eagles don’t block them, it will be a long day.

Nov 24, 2024; Inglewood, California, USA; Philadelphia Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni reacts on the sidelines during the first half against the Los Angeles Rams at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Alex Gallardo-Imagn Images / Alex Gallardo-Imagn Images

QUESTIONS

-Can the Eagles prevent Steelers from winning time of possession? Pittsburgh leads the league in controlling the clock, average more than 32 minutes per game with the ball. The Eagles aren’t far behind with more than 31 minutes per game.

-Will Nick Sirianni continue his winning ways? The Eagles coach has the sixth-best winning percentage (minimum 60 games) at .703 (45-19). The three big names ahead of him are John Madden, who is second behind Guy Chamberlin, Vince Lombardi, who is third, ahead of Ray Flaherty, and George Allen.

-Can The Eagles protect the ball against the top takeaway team in the league? The Steelers have 15 interceptions and 13 fumble recoveries. By comparison, the Eagles have eight and seven.

PREDICTION

The Eagles passing game gets on track, and Jalen Hurts throws for more than 200 yards after averaging just 166 in the last five games.

Eagles 24, Steelers 20

Season record: 7-6

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