After a week of rest and evaluation, the Eagles are back at the NovaCare Complex, preparing for a Week 8 matchup against in-state rival Pittsburgh.
Jersey Shore native Kenny Pickett will return home to face one of the NFL’s stingiest defenses. He’ll be under immense pressure after Philadelphia added Robert Quinn via trade with the Chicago Bears.
With both teams having their final practice of the week before a Saturday walkthrough, here are the expert picks for Sunday’s matchup.
(AP Photo/Keith Srakocic)
All of USA Today’s experts are picking Philadelphia to remain undefeated.
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All three Inquirer writers are picking Philadelphia.
The 2-5 Steelers are having, in many ways, a predictable season following Ben Roethlisberger’s retirement. They have already benched veteran quarterback Mitch Trubisky for rookie Kenny Pickett and are experiencing expected struggles for a rebuilding team. They have talent at various spots on both sides of the ball, but their best player — and maybe the best defensive player in the NFL — TJ Watt has been out since tearing a pectoral muscle in Week 1. Pittsburgh opened the edge rusher’s 21-day practice window on Monday, but Watt isn’t expected back just yet.
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All but one of The Athletic’s writers are picking Philadelphia at home.
The Steelers are in a tough spot. With a rookie quarterback running the show, they’re putting forth one of the NFL’s worst offenses, which has continuously come up short every week. But the Steelers do already have two upset wins on the season, and if there’s a chance for them to steal another on Sunday, they’ll likely have a chance to do so during the second half of Sunday’s game. Philly’s averaging less than six second-half points per game through Week 7 and has shown it’ll get complacent while playing with leads. Pittsburgh might have something there if it can hang around.
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Out of eight ESPN experts, only Jeremy Fowler is picking Pittsburgh for the upset.
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All of the experts at CBS Sports are rolling with the Eagles.
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Five of seven Bleacher Report experts are rolling with the Eagles.
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All five experts at Sports Illustrated are picking Philadelphia.
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The Sporting News is rolling with Philadelphia.
They should play this matchup more often. The home team has won the last four meetings, and Philadelphia has a bye week to prepare for the Steelers’ defense, which has been generous to receivers. Jalen Hurts will exploit that, and Kenny Pickett will help the Eagles pad their NFL-best +12 turnover differential.
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The Eagles are the pick for Pro Football Talk.
Florio’s take: Kenny Pickett needs more reps to work toward his ceiling. He’s got a long way to go to get there.
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