The Philadelphia Eagles earned their tenth consecutive victory, 27-13, over their intrastate rivals, the Pittsburgh Steelers. While that lengthy streak is already impressive, other NFL teams could learn from how they clinched the victory in the final quarter.
The situation favored the Steelers because they pinned the Eagles in their three-yard line after a punt. However, the Eagles executed a 21-play drive to retain possession for the remaining 10:29, even if Pittsburgh had three timeouts.
On third-and-six from the Eagles’ seven, Jalen Hurts found A.J. Brown for a 21-yard gain. That play indicates that their passing attack is clicking, unlike in the previous weeks. That catch helped Brown finish with eight catches for 110 yards and a touchdown.
Hurts evaded the Pittsburgh pass rush in the succeeding second down before throwing a short pass to Saquon Barkley. The NFL’s leading rusher fought for additional yards before getting tackled. Barkley tallied 74 yards from scrimmage (65 rushing) in the victory.
With 6:15 left and the Eagles facing second-and-14, Hurts found DeVonta Smith in the middle of the field for a 22-yard pickup. Smith finished with 11 receptions for 109 yards and a touchdown. That output includes a 12-yard gain on third-and-13 with 4:46 left.
Finally, Kenneth Gainwell got the final ten yards that sealed Philadelphia’s win. The running back from Memphis did it with runs of one, seven, and two yards. After Gainwell’s runs that resulted in a first down, Hurts knelt four times to close the game.
The Eagles managed the clock to perfection to seal a Week 15 win @progressive pic.twitter.com/WkrROaPk2j
— NFL (@NFL) December 16, 2024
While the Eagles have clinched their postseason ticket, they haven’t claimed the NFC East title. Philadelphia can earn that distinction with a Week 16 victory over the Washington Commanders.
-Lance Fernandez