Eagles vs. Steelers predictions: Our writers make their picks for the Week 15 matchup

The Eagles (11-2), who are riding a franchise record-tying nine-game winning streak, will host their in-state rivals the Pittsburgh Steelers (10-3) on Sunday at Lincoln Financial Field (4:25 p.m.). Here are our writers’ predictions for Week 15.

The Eagles offensive line vs. the Steelers defensive line is the marquee matchup of this interstate showdown. It’s strength against strength and should be the toughest test yet for O-line coach Jeff Stoutland’s unit. Edge T.J. Watt is the Steelers’ headliner, but they have talent across their front. He lines up almost exclusively on the left and will face off mostly against Lane Johnson, who is used to being an island. Watt hasn’t posted his usual pass rush numbers, but he’s always a threat. Alex Highsmith and Nick Herbig rotate on the other side. Both have missed time due to injury, but are healthy now. They like to power rush, but left tackle Jordan Mailata will be hard to bull over.

The Eagles need their tackles to keep quarterback Jalen Hurts from edge pressure, but Pittsburgh defensive tackle Cameron Heyward can still bring it inside even at the age of 35. He has five sacks in his last five games. Heyward’s forte has typically been in run defending and he anchors a unit that is stout on the ground although not invincible. The Baltimore Ravens, Cincinnati Bengals, and New York Giants each were able to average more than 6 yards a rush vs. the Steelers. Pittsburgh has been able to offset what they may lack in their back seven by getting turnovers. They lead the league with 28 takeaways – 15 interceptions and 13 forced fumbles.

I see a defensive affair. The Steelers like to ugly it up and I’m not sure the Eagles offense is capable of opening it up in light of their recent performances. They need to build up Hurts’ confidence again, but this may not be the week. Pittsburgh’s defense is that dangerous. Its offense, though, isn’t that scary, especially without George Pickens. The Eagles have more talent on paper, but I think they’re due a loss and it might not be the worst thing with the NFC No. 1 seed unlikely. I guess it all depends on how it looks, and how they respond. I’ve picked against the Eagles a few times during their nine-game winning streak, so my prediction might be embraced by their fans. It’s all just words anyway.

Prediction: Steelers 20, Eagles 17

Pittsburgh has been more beatable through the air than on the ground, though the same could’ve been said for Baltimore a few weeks ago. The Eagles have a run game that’s unlike anything most of their opponents have seen. Since they figured out how to run the ball vs. the Ravens, there’s no reason to think they won’t find success on the ground vs. the Steelers.

The question is, though, will the drama from this week infect how Kellen Moore calls the game? Will the Eagles look to get their receivers A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith more involved at the risk of getting away from their biggest strengths?

It’s a pretty average Steelers offense going up against one of the NFL’s best defenses, and it’s a game Jalen Carter has a decent chance of making a big impact in. There isn’t a whole lot to fear for the Eagles, especially with Pickens likely out. The Steelers have a potent run game, but the Eagles haven’t been an easy team to beat on the ground.

» READ MORE: Why Jake Elliott and the Eagles believe ‘the sky is not falling’ despite the kicker’s recent struggles

It’s a game that’s going to likely come down to how the Eagles execute offensively. There will be a handful of plays where the Eagles need to beat the Steelers through the air. Will the passing game click when it needs to?

I’m banking on the offense doing just enough to bump the Eagles to 12-2 and the winning streak to 10 games.

Prediction: Eagles 24, Steelers 18

This is a strong run defense that doesn’t miss many tackles (No. 3 in the league in rushing yards over expected), likely giving Saquon Barkley a harder time on the ground than the Panthers did.

That doesn’t mean the Eagles shouldn’t try to impose their will in the run game. The Steelers defense aligns in single-high safety looks at the second-highest rate in the league this season per Next Gen Stats. Barkley has averaged the most yards per carry against single-high looks of any running back this season since 2016.

But if the runs aren’t there early, the timing in the passing game needs to compensate. Manufacture some touches for Brown and Smith. When Brown wins his one-on-one matchups, Hurts needs to be ready to throw it his way. The quarterback has done a great job of protecting the ball since the bye week, which will be important against the third-ranked defense in interceptions.

On the other side of the ball, the Eagles could potentially catch a break with Pickens considered doubtful to play due to a hamstring injury. Wilson, who leads the league in completion percentage on deep passes this season per Next Gen Stats, has connected with Pickens on half of those shots this season.

Wilson still has some formidable weapons even without Pickens, including Mike Williams, Pat Freiermuth, and Najee Harris. Still, the Eagles defense has proven that their turnaround this season is no accident. It’s time for the passing offense to step up in the aftermath of last weekend, and I think they can.

Prediction: Eagles 24, Steelers 21

The Eagles (11-2), who are riding a franchise record-tying nine-game winning streak, will host their in-state rivals the Pittsburgh Steelers (10-3) on Sunday at Lincoln Financial Field (4:25 p.m.). Here are our writers’ predictions for Week 15.

The Eagles offensive line vs. the Steelers defensive line is the marquee matchup of this interstate showdown. It’s strength against strength and should be the toughest test yet for O-line coach Jeff Stoutland’s unit. Edge T.J. Watt is the Steelers’ headliner, but they have talent across their front. He lines up almost exclusively on the left and will face off mostly against Lane Johnson, who is used to being an island. Watt hasn’t posted his usual pass rush numbers, but he’s always a threat. Alex Highsmith and Nick Herbig rotate on the other side. Both have missed time due to injury, but are healthy now. They like to power rush, but left tackle Jordan Mailata will be hard to bull over.

» READ MORE: Saquon Barkley relishes the challenge the Steelers defense presents as he chases Eric Dickerson’s rushing record

The Eagles need their tackles to keep quarterback Jalen Hurts from edge pressure, but Pittsburgh defensive tackle Cameron Heyward can still bring it inside even at the age of 35. He has five sacks in his last five games. Heyward’s forte has typically been in run defending and he anchors a unit that is stout on the ground although not invincible. The Baltimore Ravens, Cincinnati Bengals, and New York Giants each were able to average more than 6 yards a rush vs. the Steelers. Pittsburgh has been able to offset what they may lack in their back seven by getting turnovers. They lead the league with 28 takeaways – 15 interceptions and 13 forced fumbles.

Coordinator Teryl Austin’s defense has done well in keeping mobile quarterbacks from scrambling. Linebacker Patrick Queen doesn’t come off the field and will likely mark Hurts on third downs. Austin will blitz, but he favors sending extra rushers on early downs. He plays a lot of man coverage, so the Eagles will have to dip into their deep bag of rub route and mesh concepts this week. The Steelers favor single-high safety zones in Cover 3 or Cover 1 so there should be opportunities for Hurts to push the ball downfield. The Eagles’ pass offense has been struggling – you might have heard – but Hurts needs to get back to trusting receivers A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith. They’ll have advantages on the outside, especially if they can beat press man and Hurts can get to ball to them before safety Minkah Fitzpatrick comes over from the post.

Of course, Kellen Moore could just stick to the formula of feeding Saquon Barkley early and often, but his workload could depend on how Vic Fangio’s defense is performing against the Steelers offense. Pittsburgh will likely want to establish the run with running back Najee Harris rushing behind heavy sets. No team uses its three-tight-end package as much. Will Fangio match with his 5-man base? It’ll probably depend on the situation, but quarterback Russell Wilson will be under center and utilize play action a fair amount.

Wilson has hit on explosives at a high rate, but he’ll probably be without George Pickens – not only his best downfield receiver, but also his best overall. Calvin Austin has speed and Mike Williams can win in the air, but the receivers aren’t major threats. Wilson remains an effective thrower on the run when he has to improvise, but he gets sacked at a high rate (not as high as Hurts) and throws the ball away a lot (at a higher rate than Hurts). Fangio is always going to try and take away explosives. But his defenders need to tackle on underneath tosses and checkdowns. The Eagles’ tackling has improved since the Tampa Bay Bucs disaster, but it hasn’t been great over the last month. The Steelers are good after the catch and could make them pay if they miss too many. Getting to Wilson will naturally be pivotal for the Eagles front. I’d expect Jalen Carter to garner attention, but the Steelers aren’t strong on the flanks, and helping their tackles against Josh Sweat and the edge rushers could give Carter more 1-on-1s than he’s gotten recently.

I see a defensive affair. The Steelers like to ugly it up and I’m not sure the Eagles offense is capable of opening it up in light of their recent performances. They need to build up Hurts’ confidence again, but this may not be the week. Pittsburgh’s defense is that dangerous. Its offense, though, isn’t that scary, especially without Pickens. The Eagles have more talent on paper, but I think they’re due a loss and it might not be the worst thing with the NFC No. 1 seed unlikely. I guess it all depends on how it looks, and how they respond. I’ve picked against the Eagles a few times during their nine-game winning streak, so my prediction might be embraced by their fans. It’s all just words anyway.

Prediction: Steelers 20, Eagles 17

The first play has to be an under-center play action deep shot to Brown, right? Just for the bit?

In all seriousness, after the week that was at the NovaCare Complex, the Pittsburgh Steelers offer an interesting opponent for a passing game that’s looking to get unlocked.

The Eagles have arguably the best tackle combination in the NFL, and Mailata and Johnson are going up against an elite edge rushing unit led by Watt, who has been one of the best rushers in football for a long time. Watt vs. Johnson is among the best individual one-on-one matchups the Eagles will have all season. Even if the Steelers move Watt around and have him rush from Mailata’s side, how they scheme up blocking Watt will go a long way in deciding who wins (and how often Brown gets the football).

» READ MORE: Why Jake Elliott and the Eagles believe ‘the sky is not falling’ despite the kicker’s recent struggles

It’s not just Watt, though. He’s joined by a cadre of edge rushers who are capable of making it an active afternoon for Hurts. Then there’s Heyward, who at 35 is still one of the best interior defensive linemen in football.

Pittsburgh has been more beatable through the air than on the ground, though the same could’ve been said for Baltimore a few weeks ago. The Eagles have a run game that’s unlike anything most of their opponents have seen. Since they figured out how to run the ball vs. the Ravens, there’s no reason to think they won’t find success on the ground vs. the Steelers.

The question is, though, will the drama from this week infect how Moore calls the game? Will the Eagles look to get their receivers more involved at the risk of getting away from their biggest strengths?

It’s a pretty average Steelers offense going up against one of the NFL’s best defenses, and it’s a game Carter has a decent chance of making a big impact in. There isn’t a whole lot to fear for the Eagles, especially with Pickens likely out. The Steelers have a potent run game, but the Eagles haven’t been an easy team to beat on the ground.

It’s a game that’s going to likely come down to how the Eagles execute offensively. There will be a handful of plays where the Eagles need to beat the Steelers through the air. Will the passing game click when it needs to?

I’m banking on the offense doing just enough to bump the Eagles to 12-2 and the winning streak to 10 games.

Prediction: Eagles 24, Steelers 18

The Eagles can beat the Steelers as long as they don’t beat themselves first.

Hurts summed up the passing game’s latest performance perfectly when he said the group lacked synchronization against the Carolina Panthers. There were far too many examples on film of Hurts getting the ball out late or turning down open receivers. But it wasn’t all on Hurts. Sometimes there were breakdowns in the protection. Sometimes the route concepts were too predictable.

If this is the case once again on Sunday, the Eagles minimize their chance at a victory considerably. This is a strong run defense that doesn’t miss many tackles (No. 3 in the league in rushing yards over expected), likely giving Saquon Barkley a harder time on the ground than the Panthers did.

That doesn’t mean the Eagles shouldn’t try to impose their will in the run game. The Steelers defense aligns in single-high safety looks at the second-highest rate in the league this season per Next Gen Stats. Barkley has averaged the most yards per carry against single-high looks of any running back this season since 2016.

But if the runs aren’t there early, the timing in the passing game needs to compensate. Manufacture some touches for Brown and Smith. When Brown wins his one-on-one matchups, Hurts needs to be ready to throw it his way. The quarterback has done a great job of protecting the ball since the bye week, which will be important against the third-ranked defense in interceptions.

On the other side of the ball, the Eagles could potentially catch a break with Pickens considered doubtful to play due to a hamstring injury. Wilson, who leads the league in completion percentage on deep passes this season per Next Gen Stats, has connected with Pickens on half of those shots this season.

Wilson still has some formidable weapons even without Pickens, including Williams, Pat Freiermuth, and Harris. Still, the Eagles defense has proven that their turnaround this season is no accident. It’s time for the passing offense to step up in the aftermath of last weekend, and I think they can.

Prediction: Eagles 24, Steelers 21

» READ MORE: A.J. Brown downplays speculation about a strained relationship with Jalen Hurts: ‘Me and Jalen are good’

The Eagles play in Week 15 against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Join Eagles beat reporters Olivia Reiner and EJ Smith as they dissect the hottest storylines surrounding the team on Gameday Central, live from Lincoln Financial Field.