The Pittsburgh Steelers have a tough matchup ahead against the Philadelphia Eagles. Head Coach Mike Tomlin and his team will head to the eastern part of Pennsylvania for a crucial non-conference contest. Both franchises have bigger goals than simply winning on Sunday, but the end-of-season stretch run will be incredibly important for playoff seeding in both respective conferences. A combined record of 21-5 has earned the two organizations the national spotlight on Fox with Kevin Burkhardt and Tom Brady on the call. It should be an absolute showdown with each very talented defense ready to outperform the other.
The Eagles are first in the NFL, allowing just 284.2 yards per game, while the Steelers are seventh, giving up 310.2 yards per contest. That leads one to believe that it will be a defensive battle in the City of Brotherly Love. For Pittsburgh, Saquon Barkley will be the first order of business when it comes to containing a high-powered offense. If that's even possible in 2024 (which hasn't been to this point), talented wideouts AJ Brown and DeVonta Smith still have to be dealt with.
There have been some conversations in Philadelphia about Brown and Jalen Hurts not being no the same page, but regardless, the Steelers' defense, and specifically Joey Porter Jr., could have a unique advantage that's hidden in one specific penalty category that Pittsburgh's top corner just so happens to struggle with on a weekly basis.
Pittsburgh has been called for six defensive pass interference calls in 13 games while Philadelphia is at seven. The big advantage here, however, lies within the Eagles' wide receiving corps. Hurts isn't throwing the ball too often with Barkley getting the majority of the attention, but for whatever reason, Philadelphia's pass-catchers have only warranted 12 total yards in defensive pass interference calls, which is shocking, but great news for Porter and co.
One of the craziest stats of the Steelers' season may be that Porter has been guilty of all six defensive pass interference calls. That seems almost impossible, but it's the truth, and Porter also leads the team in penalties altogether with 10.
Brown in particular is an extremely physical wide receiver and even if the Eagles stick to a game plan of only throwing 20 times on Sunday, Porter and the secondary may be able to get away with a bit more, based on how officials seem to call Philadelphia games in 2024. It has never been a secret, dating back to Porter's days at Penn State, that the cornerback has a handsy style of play. That has come back to bite him a bit in his second professional season.
Fans shouldn't necessarily be surprised if Pittsburgh's defensive scheme moves Porter around all game and has Donte Jackson occasionally on Brown. If there is an area to be exploited, though, it is the receiving corps' inability to get flags thrown for interference. It could always change on the drop of a hat, but the Steelers are likely aware of information like this and will use it to their advantage.
The Eagles are a powerhouse in the NFC and a top Super Bowl favorite. If Pittsburgh can go on the road and come up with a victory as a five-point underdog, it really sends a message to the rest of the league that Tomlin and co. are certainly a group to be reckoned with. Coming with that is noticing and exploiting any possible advantage. If the Steelers' corners can be more aggressive and physical, it favors the defense over a Philadelphia offense that can't seem to get pass interference calls.