PITTSBURGH — Two years ago at Lincoln Financial Field, Pittsburgh Steelers running back Najee Harris slumped over in his locker, defeated and disgruntled.
The Steelers had just been routed by the Philadelphia Eagles, 35-13, in a game so lopsided that quarterback Jalen Hurts spent the final two series on the bench after throwing four touchdown passes, still tied for his career high. The Steelers’ offense, quarterbacked by Kenny Pickett, went just 1-for-12 on third downs, committed a pair of turnovers and scored its only touchdown on a trick-play pass by receiver Chase Claypool.
“That was a terrible game,” left tackle Dan Moore Jr. said. “I remember at one point in the game just wanting it to be over. I felt like we were in a really bad situation going into that game. Just in general, our overall record, the team morale, the confidence.”
In a game full of disappointing moments and troubling stats, perhaps the worst came in the run game. Harris carried the ball eight times for just 32 yards, as the offensive line failed to open holes for the power back to hit. That included four rushes for 0 yards in the first half.
The Eagles didn’t just beat the Steelers that day, Oct. 30, 2022 — they bullied Pittsburgh.
“I’ve never had a stat like that before,” Harris said after the game. “I can’t make a hole. I can’t do everything.”
On Sunday, a much different Steelers team — one that has won seven of its last eight games — will roll into Philadelphia. The matchup kicks off a gauntlet of three Steelers games in 11 days against some of the NFL’s best teams. It starts with the 11-2 Eagles, who sit second in the NFC, followed by the 8-5 Baltimore Ravens and AFC-leading Kansas City Chiefs, who are 12-1.
This stretch has been circled on the calendar since the schedule was released in May. Now with the Steelers (10-3) atop the AFC North, two games ahead of the Ravens, this three-game stint will be an obvious measuring stick for how they stand up to a trio of Super Bowl contenders.
“If we want to win games in the playoffs, we got to start it now,” tight end Pat Freiermuth said. “Man, what an opportunity for us to play three big-time games.”
Beyond the caliber of competition, given the playing styles of the opponents — two of the NFL’s most physical teams, followed by the two-time reigning Super Bowl champions — this will also test how close the Steelers are to achieving the identity they’ve been trying to create.
Over the last two years, the Steelers have invested heavily in the trenches and the defensive front seven, aiming to become an organization that wins the line of scrimmage in December. Coincidentally, former Eagles front-office man Andy Weidl has had a hand in this process, seemingly following a similar blueprint to roster construction.
“We want to be big. We want to be physical. We want to be tough,” Weidl said after the 2023 NFL Draft. “We want to be able to impose our will on teams. That’s the Pittsburgh Steelers, right? You go break the other team’s sword in the second half of a game. Go be able to win on the road. That’s what we’re building.”
What better test of how far the Steelers have come than on the road against what has for years been one of the NFL’s baddest bullies?
The Steelers began the transformation ahead of the 2023 season by signing former Eagles guard Isaac Seumalo in free agency. Then, they spent first-round picks in back-to-back years on offensive tackles Broderick Jones and Troy Fautanu. They continued to fortify the trenches with 2023 second-round defensive lineman Keeanu Benton, third-round tight end Darnell Washington, 2024 second-round center Zach Frazier and 2024 fourth-round guard Mason McCormick.
Add in the free-agent signings of linebacker Elandon Roberts (whom coach Mike Tomlin affectionately calls a “tooth chipper”), physical safety DeShon Elliott and do-everything inside linebacker Patrick Queen, and you can see the evolution and a clear vision for where this team is headed.
A Very Good Read by @Roberts_52 📖 #ProBowlVote
📺: #PITvsPHI 12/15 at 4:25 PM ET on FOX pic.twitter.com/vvn1g54X1U
— Pittsburgh Steelers (@steelers) December 11, 2024
Then, this offseason, the Steelers doubled down on ground-and-pound when they hired Arthur Smith, an offensive coordinator known for presiding over dominant rushing attacks. Smith preached from Day 1 that he wanted the Steelers to have the most physical offense in the NFL.
“Every game we go out there, we’re trying to play our style physically,” said Frazier, who spent time studying the Eagles’ offensive line in college at West Virginia. “We bring that every game by running the ball, finishing plays, stuff like that. I think it’s definitely an emphasis this week to be able to run the ball.”
The results of this process and the challenges that lie ahead are clear in the statistics. In many departments, the two teams on opposite sides of Pennsylvania are mirror images.
Offensively, the Steelers rank ninth in rushing yards per game (132) and second in attempts (438). The only team that runs the ball more? The Eagles, who have carried the ball a league-high 473 times for an NFL-best 190.5 yards per game.
“The acquisition of Saquon Barkley has got to be the most significant acquisition in the NFL in 2024,” Tomlin said. “That’s what the tape looks like. He’s been dominant, eye-opening at times. Highlight-reel caliber plays, long runs, touchdowns, etc. It starts there for us.”
Defensively, the Steelers have the fifth-stingiest defense, allowing just 18.3 points per game thanks in part to the NFL’s fourth-best rushing defense (91.5 yards per game). They face an Eagles defense tied for second in points allowed (18.0) and eighth in rush defense (105.8).
“You can’t talk about Philadelphia without talking about their front,” Tomlin said. “Their offensive line has been stellar for a number of years. They’re not talked about enough for obvious reasons.
“You get an opportunity to talk about the dynamic playmaking of guys like Saquon and see highlight-reel plays like him jumping people backwards that oftentimes you miss the brilliance of a guy like Landon Dickerson or Lane Johnson. We recognize that the game is played up front. They usually provide the wave that the little men ride.”
On Sunday, the Steelers will find out how much the changes to the roster, the front office and the coaching staff have closed the gap — and how well they’re able to create a wave for Harris to ride.
(Photo of Najee Harris: Andy Lyons / Getty Images)
