When the Pittsburgh Steelers visit the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday, they will attempt to snap two streaks. The first stretch started on Oct. 13, when the Eagles began an NFL-best nine-game winning streak.
The other also started in October but dates back decades.
The Steelers haven’t won in Philadelphia since a 20-14 victory on Oct. 24, 1965. Despite winning six Super Bowls in that span, the Steelers have lost 10 consecutive games against the Eagles in the City of Brotherly Love.
The Eagles’ dominance over the Steelers spans almost as many venues – from Penn’s Franklin Field to Veterans Stadium to Lincoln Financial Field – as it does Steelers coaches: Bill Austin, Chuck Noll, Bill Cowher and Mike Tomlin. No wonder Tomlin billed it the Pennsylvania state championship, saying the Steelers were representing the WPIAL and joked that they should play this game in Breezewood.
“They’re really good football team,” Tomlin said. “No endorsement (needed) from me. They’re two winners of nine straight. When you look at the tape, man, you see exactly why.”
As a Western Pennsylvania native, Teryl Austin knows all about the bad blood between the Steelers and Eagles and how their intrastate NFL rivalry is lopsided in Philly’s favor. What Austin didn’t realize is that the last time Steelers beat the Eagles in Philadelphia is the year he was born.
“I saw that and was like, ‘Dang, that’s my age. That’s a long time. That’s old,’” said Austin, 59, a Sharon native. “It blew my mind. I would have never thought that.”
The Steelers (10-3) hope to end that trend when they visit the Eagles (11-2) at 4:25 p.m. Sunday at Lincoln Financial Field, even though they will be without starters in leading receiver George Pickens, defensive tackle Larry Ogunjobi and strong safety DeShon Elliott.
The Eagles haven’t lost since a 33-16 defeat at Tampa Bay on Sept. 29, just before their bye. In succession, they have beaten the Cleveland Browns, New York Giants, Cincinnati Bengals, Jacksonville Jaguars, Dallas Cowboys, Washington Commanders, Los Angeles Rams, Baltimore Ravens and Carolina Panthers.
Granted, those teams have a combined record of 45-73, as the Browns (3-10), Giants (2-11), Jaguars (3-10) and Panthers (3-10) all have double digits in the loss column. But the Eagles also beat three eight-win teams – the Commanders, Rams and Ravens – in a row.
The Steelers know to snap that streak, they will have to stop an Eagles offense that features NFL rushing leader Saquon Barkley, dual-threat quarterback Jalen Hurts and wide receiver A.J. Brown, who had six catches for 156 yards and three touchdowns in a 35-13 win on Oct. 30, 2022, the most recent meeting in Philadelphia.
The Eagles lead the all-time series, 49-29-3, in a rivalry that started in 1933 – save for one season, when the teams merged to become the Steagles in 1943 amid World War II – but wasn’t played on a frequent basis. The former NFL Eastern Division foes went from playing twice a year to once every four (and once every eight years in each other’s stadiums) before the NFL switched to a 17-game schedule in 2021.
“I also know that we don’t play every year, so that’s one of those things,” Austin said. “But what makes it difficult, as in any opponent’s setting, they have a really good fan base, they’re loud, they make it hard for you – and they usually have pretty good teams. That’s the important thing: They usually have pretty good teams over there. That’s what really makes it difficult.”
Where the Steelers were blown out in their last two visits to Philadelphia – including a 34-3 loss in 2016 in which Darren Sproles rushed for 128 yards and Carson Wentz passed for 301 and two touchdowns – seven of the other eight games were decided by 10 points or fewer. That’s why Steelers defensive captain Cameron Heyward called winning key moments the difference in the outcomes at the Eagles.
“The last time we went there, they won some critical, key-situation plays,” Heyward said. “But every game is different. I don’t really like to play into trends of what’s happened in the past. We’ve got to go up there and answer the call. I’m looking forward to the matchup.”
Although Eagles fans have a reputation for being rowdy – they infamously threw snowballs at Santa Claus in a December 1968 loss to the Minnesota Vikings – Heyward was downright dismissive that playing in Philadelphia is worse than any other NFL city.
“Man, we’re in the AFC North. It’s always hostile,” Heyward said. “That’s never a factor because we’re used to playing in hostile environments, but Philly has a lot of really good players.”
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Steelers rookie nickel back Beanie Bishop Jr. said their concentration is not so much on snapping the Eagles’ winning streak or their losing streak in Philadelphia but merely finding a way to win against a team that has its sights set on the same destination.
“We’re not talking about that stuff,” Bishop said. “We’re looking to win the next football game. Obviously, they’re hot right now and we want to put the fire out. Honestly, it’s just another step closer towards going to the playoffs, winning the division and things like that. Ultimately, we want to win the Super Bowl. It’s just the next team.”