Steelers Defense Could be Good Matchup for Wentz, Eagles

By Dan Ketler, Sports Talk Philly editor 

The past two weeks, Carson Wentz and the Philadelphia Eagles have surprised the entire NFL with consistent play on back-to-back weeks.

After two weeks of play, the Birds are 2-0 and heading into what seems to be their first big test of the season. On Sunday afternoon, the Pittsburgh Steelers will travel to Lincoln Financial Field to compete in a battle between Pennsylvania’s two undefeated football teams.

The last time Philly and Pittsburgh squared off in regular season play was back in 2012, and the Steelers bested the Eagles by just two points. So far on the season, the Steelers are off to a great start offensively. With Ben Roethlisberger at the helm, and one of the most dangerous wide receivers in the game at his disposal, the Eagles will face one of the most potent offenses in the league this Sunday.

On the defensive side of the ball, the Steelers secondary is not off to a great start. After two games, the Steelers are ranked 31st in the league against the pass. This is good news for Philly considering Wentz has been exceptional in the pocket so far.

In the two games Wentz has started, he has thrown for a respectable 468 yards and three touchdowns. The impressive part about his play has been his ability to stay in the pocket and complete his passes. Wentz has completed 60 percent of his passes so far.

This Sunday’s matchup is sure to be a huge test for the Eagles, however as good as the Steelers offense has been, the Eagles defense surely has the ability to defend their pass game. As for Pittsburgh’s run game, which currently ranks sixth in the NFL, the Birds dominant front seven need to be aware of DeAngelo Williams play-making abilities.

It's hard to argue what Wentz has done in terms of the eye test, but the fact remains that the Eagles have played the Cleveland Browns and Chicago Bears in their two games this season, not exactly a huge test in the eyes of NFL pundits.

A test or lack thereof nonetheless, the Eagles are playing great football to this point in the season. If the wide receivers continue to take advantage of the great precision Wentz is displaying on his throws, Philadelphia can absolutely pass this test.

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