The Pittsburgh Steelers have their hands full this week with the Philadelphia Eagles. This is likely going to be one of their toughest games this season. The Eagles are one of the NFL’s best teams, and they might be one of the few squads that can match the Steelers’ physicality. They are a problem in the trenches. Because of that, former NFL head coach Jon Gruden believes the Eagles will steamroll the Steelers.
“The offensive line, this Mekhi Becton, playing right guard, he’s 350 pounds,” Gruden said Wednesday on the podcast Bussin’ with the Boys. “He almost killed an LA Ram on the second level. I really have Philadelphia getting the boot and sticking it up Pittsburgh’s ass in this game. They are physical on the line.”
The Eagles’ greatest strengths are, indeed, their offensive and defensive lines. As a reclamation project, Becton has been an absolute success. After being drafted in the first round of the 2020 draft by the New York Jets, Becton never really panned out as a tackle. With the Eagles, he’s blossomed at guard, giving them an absolute people-mover.
That kind of talent can be found at every position on their offensive line. Jordan Mailata, Landon Dickerson, Cam Jurgens, and Lane Johnson are incredibly tough players. Combined with running back Saquon Barkley, they’ve turned the Eagles’ offense into a battering ram.
Gruden seems to believe they’ll dominate the Steelers up front, but he might not want to count his chickens before they hatch. The Steelers’ defensive line might be the only unit that can match the Eagles’ physicality. T.J. Watt, Cam Heyward, Alex Highsmith, Nick Herbig, and Keeanu Benton are lethal and do not lack toughness.
They could be missing Larry Ogunjobi this week, which would be a significant blow, but they still have amazing top-end talent. That matchup will be fascinating to watch because both sides are talented.
The Steelers might need to worry about the other side of the trenches. The Eagles’ defensive line is just as good as their offensive line. Milton Williams, Jordan Davis, and Jalen Carter are intimidating defensive linemen. Josh Sweat is a talented pass rusher, too.
The Steelers’ young offensive line will be tested in this game. Although they lack experience, they aren’t pushovers. They’ll get a chance to prove they can hang with the big dogs. Gruden doesn’t have high hopes for the Steelers’ trench fans, but they can prove him wrong. They’ve been an unyielding bunch for most of this year. That can’t change this week, or the Steelers might be in for a long day.
Recommended for you