Labriola on the loss to the Eagles

Let’s start with this: the Philadelphia Eagles are good. Very good. A legitimate Super Bowl contender. Right now, the best team in the NFC and quite possibly the best team in the NFL.

With that out of the way, the Steelers’ performance in their 35-13 loss to the Eagles on Sunday at Lincoln Financial Field was embarrassing, the second time in the last four games where that description is appropriate. Some of it was confounding, some of it was annoying, and all of it was frustrating.

After back-to-back games where the Steelers defense seemed to be coming around, at least to the degree where it was stingy in allowing points, the bottom dropped out. One week after doing a representative job against the Miami RPOs triggered by Tua Tagovailoa, the Eagles’ version operated by Jalen Hurts did what it wanted when it wanted. One week after keeping a lid on the combination of Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle, the Steelers were barely a speedbump for A.J. Brown and Zach Pascal, both of whom averaged over 25 yards per catch.

The offense was back to doing, and not doing, the things that has made it one of the worst performing units from a statistical standpoint in the league so far in 2022. After the Eagles won the toss and elected to defer, the Steelers got the ball first. Their opening series then followed the same disturbing pattern – run (by Najee Harris for no gain), run (by Kenny Pickett to escape the pass rush for 1 yard), pass (attempt by Pickett only to be sacked), punt. It was the fourth time in their eight regular season games that the Steelers went three-and-out on their opening possession.

Their play along the lines of scrimmage in Philadelphia can be summarized by two plays, one on each of the game’s first two series. On first-and-10 from the 25-yard line on the game’s first play, Harris had to fight to get back to the line of scrimmage for no gain. On third-and-1 from their 41-yard line on the Eagles’ third play of their opening possession, Miles Sanders ran for 5…