When the Eagles (11-2) face the Pittsburgh Steelers (10-3) at the Linc on Sunday for the 82nd time in Keystone State history, a remarkable streak will be on the line: The Steelers haven’t won in Philly since 1965. What’s the story behind this rivalry? Also: Go Birds.
📜 Brief History
The NFL was founded in 1920, and both teams joined the league in 1933. At the time, Art Rooney owned the Steelers, originally the Pirates, and Bart Bell and Lud Wray co-owned the Eagles.
In 1943, with many players off serving in World War II, the Eagles and Steelers merged – forming what became known as the “Steagles” – in order to field a full roster.
By 1954, the rivalry reached its peak. On the night of Oct. 23, at a sold-out Forbes Field in Pittsburgh, the Steelers won 17-7 to tie the Eagles for first place in the division.
While the Birds own their head-to-head record (49-29-3), the Steelers have had far more post-season success. The Eagles have played in the Super Bowl four times, winning once in 2017, while the Steelers have won six in eight appearances. The Steelers are also the only team in NFL history to win back-to-back Super Bowls twice, which is actually infuriating.
📝 Current State of the Teams
The Eagles and the Steelers haven’t faced off since Oct. 30, 2022, a game in which the Eagles came out on top, 35-15.
There’s plenty at stake in Sunday’s game, given that both teams are in first place in their respective conferences. Things to watch: Quarterback Jalen Hurts has a minor finger injury, and the Steelers' offense could be a bit shorthanded as top wide receiver George Pickens has been sidelined with a hamstring injury.
Gov. Josh Shapiro, big Eagles fan, and Lt. Gov. Austin Davis, big Steelers fan, have a friendly bet on this game. If the Eagles win, Shapiro and his team will get lunch from "all the best" Pittsburgh’s restaurants. But if the Steelers win, Davis’ office will be enjoying some classic Philly cheesesteaks. Let the rivalry – and the Battle for Pennsylvania – begin!
🏈 Overtime Facts
- When they were first playing against one another, the teams agreed to meet at neutral locations to make games “more fair."
- In the first 45 years of this rivalry, the teams had winning records at the same time only in three seasons: 1947, 1949, and 1959.
- Drama alert! There’s chatter that wide receiver A.J. Brown and Hurts are butting heads. Could he end up on the Steelers next season?!?
