Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Russell Wilson (3) running with the ball during the second quarter against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field. (Photo by Bill Streicher/Imagn Images)
After the Pittsburgh Steelers fell 27-13 to the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday, head coach Mike Tomlin made it clear he wouldn’t let the loss define the team’s December.
“It’s a loss,” Tomlin said at the postgame press conference, shaking his head at suggestions of an impending collapse. “Let’s not be dramatic.”
Playoff Spot Secured, But Issues Remain
Despite the defeat, the Steelers secured a postseason spot thanks to losses by the Miami Dolphins and Indianapolis Colts. However, how the Steelers respond in the coming weeks will determine if they can make a deep playoff run or face another early exit.
“If you have to learn a lesson, a quick lesson, in a December football game against a different conference, sometimes it could be a benefit,” linebacker Elandon Roberts said. “I’ve been on the other side of that, and at the end of the year I still was holding what we all wanted to hold. “I’m not using that for any type of pat on the back, but I’m using it as a reason to move forward in the right direction, but we need to fix what we need to fix quickly.”
The Steelers’ upcoming schedule doesn’t leave much room for error. They face the Baltimore Ravens on Saturday and host the Kansas City Chiefs on Christmas Day, giving them little time to address the issues exposed in Philadelphia.
Learning from Past Mistakes
Pittsburgh has faced late-season struggles before. In 2020, the team started 11-0 but spiraled after a Week 15 loss to Washington, dropping four of their last five regular-season games and suffering a first-round playoff exit.
This year, the Steelers are determined to avoid a similar fate. “We will have to determine how great we can be,” quarterback Russell Wilson said, asked if the Steelers are a good team or a great team. “There’s a lot more football left, and I think we have the right guys. I think that the biggest thing is that any great team has to respond. You’re going to have adversity, you’re going to have ups and downs. … We can’t flinch.”
Missed Opportunities Against Eagles
The loss to the Eagles wasn’t without bright spots. The Steelers clawed back from a 17-3 deficit with 10 unanswered points, including a third-down touchdown from Wilson to tight end Pat Freiermuth. Wilson also connected with Calvin Austin III for a 31-yard flea-flicker in the second half that briefly energized the offense.
However, the momentum didn’t last. Running back Najee Harris fumbled on a pitch play shortly after the flea-flicker, halting the Steelers’ progress. Plagued by penalties and poor execution, Pittsburgh finished with just 163 total yards—their lowest since 2010.
“They played way better than us,” Wilson said. “It’s unacceptable how we played. I think we feel like we got to be sharper. And so we just got to stay the course and know that obviously we got a big week coming up, we got to respond, we got to get ready to go and that’s where our focus has to be.”
Defensive Highlights and Concerns
On defense, the Steelers held MVP candidate Saquon Barkley to under 70 rushing yards, well below his season average. But they struggled against Eagles receivers, allowing A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith to combine for 18 catches, 200+ yards, and two touchdowns.
The Eagles also dominated possession, converting 10 of 17 third downs and nearly doubling the Steelers’ time of possession.
“It’s not anything mystical,” Tomlin said of the defense’s struggles. “It’s very fundamental. We got to play discipline, we got to secure the ball, we got to tackle. We didn’t do some of those fundamental things well enough tonight to secure victory. Although it sucks, man, we learned and we proceed and move forward.”
Watt’s Injury Adds to Challenges
Adding to the Steelers’ concerns is T.J. Watt’s injury. The star pass rusher left the game in the fourth quarter with a “low-ankle” sprain. X-rays came back negative, and Tomlin expressed optimism about Watt’s availability for the Ravens game.
A Path Forward
Despite the loss, veteran defensive lineman Cam Heyward remains confident in the Steelers’ potential.
“There’s bigger fish to fry,” Heyward said of clinching the playoffs. “We’re not just trying to squeak into the playoffs, but it’s nice to know that we don’t have to wait until Week 18 to figure out if we’re in the playoffs or not. We have a playoff team. We’ve known that before this game. We played a quality playoff opponent. Didn’t have our best showing, but there’s a lot of ball in front of us.”
The Steelers have a short window to regroup before their critical matchup against the Ravens, but their focus remains on ensuring this December doesn’t echo past late-season collapses.
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This report used information from ESPN.
