As a result, the Steelers fall to 2-1 and now face a critical early-season
AFC North matchup next Monday night against the Baltimore Ravens, who
improved to 2-0 Sunday with a 28-10 win over Cleveland.
The victory was costly for the Eagles (2-1).
Pro Bowl running back Brian Westbrook suffered a sprained ankle in the
first half and did not return. Quarterback Donovan McNabb was also banged
up, suffering a rib injury in the first half that kept him in the locker
room until Philadelphia’s second possession of the third quarter.
But while Philadelphia’s offense struggled after a strong start – McNabb
completed his first 15 passes for 141 yards – it was the Eagles defense
that stole the show. McNabb finished 24 of 35 for 196 yards, one touchdown
and one interception.
After the Steelers drive 56 yards on their opening possession of the game
to take a 3-0 lead, they gained just 124 yards the rest of the game, 51 of
which came on their final series with the Eagles playing a prevent
defense.
Roethlisberger, who entered the game as the NFL’s top-rated passer,
completed 13 of 25 passes for 131 yards and one interception, but was hit
more than a dozen times in addition to the eight sacks he took.
He left with just over three minutes remaining in the fourth quarter with
an injury to his right hand after being sacked and stripped of the ball by
safety Brian Dawkins.
Without Westbrook, however, the Eagles couldn’t get a lot of offense
going, either.
Westbrook was injured on the first play of the second quarter and did not
return.
The Eagles finished off that possession with their only touchdown of the
game, a 20-yard pass from McNabb to Correll Buckhalter, but struggled
moving the ball after that.
The Eagles defenders seemed to respond to the loss of their top offensive
weapon by turning up the pressure. After failing to get to Roethlisberger
in the first quarter, Philadelphia recorded six sacks in the second, with
the third one setting up a 31-yard David Akers field goal.
On third-and-three from the Philadelphia 49, Roethlisberger was taken down
by Juqua Parker and lost the ball. Broderick Bunkley recovered and the
Eagles drove to the Pittsburgh 13 before settling for a 10-3 lead.
Bryant McFadden’s interception of McNabb at the Philadelphia 49 set up a
53-yard Jeff Reed field goal – his career long – late in the first half as
the Steelers trailed just 10-6 despite Philadelphia’s second quarter
onslaught.
That’s the way the game stayed until the Steelers were pinned deep in
their own territory by a 54-yard punt by Sav Rocca.
After back-to-back carries by Willie Parker – who gained just 20 yards on
13 carries – and Carey Davis netted a loss of one yard, Roethlisberger
dropped back to pass on third down from his own 5.
Defensive end Trent Cole chased Roethlisberger to his left and dove on the
quarterback’s legs. Roethlisberger attempted to throw the ball out of his
end zone while going down, but was penalized for intentional grounding,
giving the Eagles a safety.
Tomlin attempted to argue that there was a receiver in the area
Roethlisberger threw to, but replays showed the quarterback’s knee touched
the ground before he released the ball, so the safety would have been
recorded either way.
Dawkins’ sack and forced fumble gave Philadelphia the ball back at the
Pittsburgh 18 on the Steelers’ next possession and Akers booted a 31-yard
field goal to put the game out of reach.
Byron Leftwich replaced Roethlisberger on Pittsburgh’s final possession
and moved the Steelers to the Philadelphia 13 before the drive stalled and
they turned the ball over on downs.