Steelers frustrated by inability to contain big plays against Eagles
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PHILADELPHIA — Not unlike one of those old-fashioned cans with a spring-loaded snake inside, the Philadelphia Eagles sprung big plays on the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday.
“We’ve got to keep a lid on it,” coach Mike Tomlin said, referencing not the time-honored prank but the back end of his team’s defense. “If you don’t keep a lid on it in the NFL, you don’t give yourself a chance to play.
“We didn’t do that.”
Allowing big plays from the Eagles — especially star receiver A.J. Brown — proved too much for the underdog Steelers to overcome in a game at the NFL’s lone unbeaten. Philadelphia scored on touchdown passes of 39, 27, 29 and 34 yards, and its biggest play of the game was a 43-yard pass to Brown that set up Miles Sanders’ 11-yard score on the next play.
For perspective, consider that all five of the Eagles touchdowns Sunday were for more yardage than any of the Steelers’ offensive touchdowns scored this season.
“Shots and chunk plays are the easiest way to win the game,” Steelers cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon said, “and we didn’t win when we needed to.”
More on the Steelers’ loss to the Eagles:
• Hurts puts hurting on Steelers as woes in Philadelphia continue
• Kenny Pickett: Mental mistakes ‘need to get addressed’ before Steelers return from bye
• From fish market job to NFL game in 48 hours, Nick Sciba makes all kicks as Steelers fill-in
• Ahkello Witherspoon benched in return to Steelers lineup after 4-game absence
Three of Philadelphia’s first four possessions ended in Brown touchdowns. The first one, Brown caught his pass while in between Steelers starting safeties Minkah Fitzpatrick and Terrell Edmunds. On his second and third scores, Witherspoon was the closest man to Brown, with Fitzpatrick there in a last-ditch effort to help.
But, in totality, the big plays aren’t completely at the feet of the mere closest man in coverage. Consider how the Eagles’ fourth touchdown was a 34-yard, third-quarter catch by Zach Pascal that — judging by how open he was — seemed like a blown coverage.
“They just made some plays and we didn’t make the plays,” Edmunds said. “That’s really been the talk over the past couple weeks is we just got to make these plays. We’ve got to use this bye week to work on it.”
The five passing plays of more than 25 yards the Steelers allowed Sunday felt too much like the six the Buffalo Bills struck for during a 38-3 blowout of the Steelers on Oct. 9. That’s prominent in an October during which the Steelers defense permitted 18 passing plays of at least 25 yards.
For context, the Steelers offense managed just eight such plays in that time.
For more context, consider that Philadelphia gained 187 yards and scored 28 points on their five longest plays alone.
“We just have to make the plays that need to be made so that those plays aren’t made,” linebacker Alex Highsmith said. “Just eliminate them. Teams thrive off of big plays, and a team like that, the Eagles, it’s a good team. They make big plays and thrive off them, so we have to make sure teams don’t make those.”
Adding to the frustration was that — aside from the Pascal score — all the other quick long strikes were made despite a defender appearing to be in good position to make a play. Brown just made a better play on the ball.
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“‘Pretty good position’ doesn’t get the job done,” Witherspoon said. “That’s really what it is.”
Said Tomlin: “Position is just a component of play-making. The finish is equally as important as the positioning. We were in position, but their guy made a play. We didn’t.”
Fitzpatrick was visibly upset on the field, jumping up in disgust after Brown’s 39-yard touchdown just 5½ minutes and nine Philadelphia offensive snaps into the game. Fitzpatrick seemed to mistime his lunge for the Jalen Hurts-thrown ball, and Brown easily made the catch in the end zone for a 7-0 lead the Eagles never relinquished.
“You’ve got to make plays on the ball,” Fitzpatrick said. “They started the game off with a big play that I … could have made play on.
“I think it’s simple: We’ve got to make plays on the ball, and we’ve got to have our eyes in the right place.”
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