3 Takeaways from Eagles' Week 8 Win vs. Steelers
Coming out of their bye week, the Philadelphia Eagles showed no signs of rust as they continued their unblemished start to the 2022 NFL season on Sunday afternoon at Lincoln Financial Field.
The Eagles improved to 7-0 with a 35-13 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers, and they remain the only undefeated team in the league. Philadelphia's offense racked up 401 total yards and committed no turnovers, while quarterback Jalen Hurts threw four touchdown passes.
Miles Sanders' 11-yard TD run early in the fourth quarter put the game out of reach, as the Eagles led by 11 or more points for the entire second half. The Steelers never had a lead in the contest.
Here are three takeaways from Philadelphia's Week 8 victory.
Hurts, Brown Continue to Strengthen Their Connection
Many expected Jalen Hurts to take a big step forward in his third NFL season. In addition to the valuable experience that the 24-year-old quarterback had gained already, he also now had a true No. 1 wide receiver to throw to: A.J. Brown.
Brown, who came over in an offseason trade with the Tennessee Titans, has provided a giant boost to Philadelphia's receiving corps. And he just had his best showing yet.
Three of Hurts' four touchdown passes on Sunday went to the 25-year-old, who hauled in six passes for a season-high 156 yards. His trio of receiving TDs were also the Eagles' first three scores of the game, helping the team build a 21-7 lead by the second quarter.
"We're just having fun and playing for one another," Brown said of his connection with Hurts, per Dave Spadaro of the team's official site. "I'm pretty sure he knows that I've got his back and I know he's got mine, too. I think that's exactly what this is."
Hurts and Brown are playing very well together, and they've only been on the same team for seven games. So, it will be intriguing to see the types of numbers they put up as they get even more time to develop their football relationship.
Turnover Differential Remains a Key to Success
The Eagles' offense isn't turning the ball over often, and their defense is making big plays and taking the ball away from their opponents frequently. Combined, that's a great formula for success in the NFL.
Through seven games, Philadelphia has a plus-14 turnover margin, a mark that is by far the best in the league. No other team has a margin that's better than plus-six.
After Sunday's clean showing by the offense, the Eagles have still committed only two turnovers all year. Their defense had two takeaways against the Steelers, boosting Philadelphia's season total to 16. C.J. Gardner-Johnson recorded the team's 10th interception of 2022, which is tied for the most in the NFL.
“I thought today was one of our most complete games we’ve had all year," Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni said, per The Athletic's Zach Berman.
That's saying something, considering Philadelphia has been playing so well on both sides of the ball for the entire season to this point. The all-around efforts have been the primary key to its early success.
The Eagles May Stay Undefeated for Some Time
The 1972 Miami Dolphins don't have anything to worry about just yet. The Eagles still have a long way to go before they can become only the second team in NFL history to complete an undefeated season by winning a Super Bowl championship.
However, Philadelphia's first loss of the year may not be imminent. Not only are the Eagles playing well, but they also have a fairly light regular-season schedule, particularly over the coming weeks.
In November, all four of Philadelphia's opponents will be teams that are currently at .500 or worse: the Houston Texans (1-5-1), the Washington Commanders (4-4), the Indianapolis Colts (3-4-1) and the Green Bay Packers (3-5). And the Eagles already own a win over the Commanders, having defeated them 24-8 on the road in Week 3.
Of course, anything can happen in the NFL, and even the worst teams can sometimes topple the best. So just because Philadelphia is playing some struggling opponents doesn't necessarily mean it will win all of those upcoming matchups.
However, it could help the Eagles continue to roll. And the more positive momentum they build, the tougher they could become to beat.