The Steelers present a formidable front that will test an Eagles offense under the microscope

For those who like to pay close attention to the trenches, Sunday offers a showdown that will be tough to take your eyes off of.

T.J. Watt vs. Lane Johnson is as good as it gets when it comes to edge rusher vs. tackle battles in the NFL. The two All-Pro players are among the best to do it at their respective positions in this generation, and how that matchup plays out could swing the result of Sunday’s Eagles-Steelers game.

But while Watt, a three-time sack leader, is the marquee name leading a formidable Pittsburgh front, the Steelers offer plenty of additional problems for an offensive line on the edges and in the interior. Cam Heyward is still causing havoc in the middle. The 35-year-old has five sacks in his last five games. And beyond Watt, the Steelers have depth on the edge with Nick Herbig, Alex Highsmith, and Preston Smith accounting for a dozen sacks between the three of them.

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

The Steelers are powered by their defensive line. The Eagles are powered by their offensive line. Those truths would highlight any what-to-watch-for breakdown of Sunday’s intrastate showdown, but they’re even more magnified after a drama-filled week at the NovaCare Complex that put a sometimes stagnant Eagles passing attack under the microscope. The Eagles’ passing attack that had so much trouble finding a rhythm when it needed one during last week’s win over Carolina won’t be trying to get back on track against a cupcake (like Carolina should have been); it will try to do so against an elite defense.

Johnson and Jordan Mailata will be tasked as they normally are with keeping Jalen Hurts from feeling pressure on the edges, and the interior of the line will be charged with not allowing a nearly 300-pound force in Heyward to wreak havoc on the game. It will be easier said than done.

“It’s going to be a great game,” Mailata said. “It’s going to be a great matchup. The depth that they have, a credit to them for building that. We have depth, too. We have a great five up front. It’s going to be a battle for sure.”

The Steelers are somewhat like Baltimore as an elite defense that does much better against the run than the pass. In theory, you would expect the Eagles to come out throwing and look to get Hurts into a rhythm. But the Steelers have been beatable at times on the ground, and ask Saquon Barkley and the Eagles’ front if they were able to find success against the Ravens in Baltimore a few weeks ago.

Still, it’s hard to imagine this style of offense will be sustainable forever for the Eagles, who rank first in rushing yards per game and 31st in passing yards — a stat that is obviously skewed by the number of times the Eagles have built a big lead in the second half. Hurts is going to need to make throws to win the Eagles some games, and that might happen as soon as Sunday if Heyward is having his way clogging the running game.

“At the end of the day the goal is to win the game by whatever means necessary,” left guard Landon Dickerson said.

» READ MORE: It might be time for Mike Tomlin and the NFL’s competition committee to take another look at the Eagles

Hurts may also find it difficult to use his legs for positive yardage with linebacker Patrick Queen likely paying close attention to him. But the Steelers use a lot of man coverage and single-high safety zones, so there likely will be opportunities for Hurts to move the ball downfield. A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith will have advantages over Pittsburgh’s corners, and Minkah Fitzpatrick can’t provide safety help on both star receivers at the same time.

The Eagles have spent this week saying they’re not panicking about the passing game. What they’ve worked on will be put to the test Sunday.

“We’re trying to get better there,” Nick Sirianni said. “I don’t see it as broken. We have the right players in place. We have the right coaches in place.”

When asked about the struggling passing attack, Sirianni has pointed to the way Hurts has taken care of the football during the nine-game winning streak. He doesn’t think the team’s run-first focus has impacted the way his quarterback is operating in the passing game. Taking care of the ball is a big part of Sunday’s emphasis. The Steelers lead the NFL with 28 takeaways (15 interceptions and 13 fumble recoveries), and Hurts will need to have the internal clock working and protect the football with Watt and the rest of the pass rushers applying pressure.

“We talk about the ball each week,” Sirianni said. “The ball is completely on our minds. We know it’s important to them. It’s always been important to us. We know that’s going to be a big emphasis on both sides this week and a big determinant of who is going to win the game.”

» READ MORE: Football and Pennsylvania are inseparable. The Eagles-Steelers clash puts them both on full display.

Eagles receiver Britain Covey will miss Sunday’s game with a neck injury. The rest of the Eagles on the active roster are ready to go, according to the Friday injury report.

Rookie receiver Johnny Wilson did not practice Friday due to an illness. The rest of the roster fully participated in the final tune-up for the Steelers.

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.