4 Keys to a Philadelphia Eagles win versus Pittsburgh in Week 5

4. The Philadelphia Eagles need another strong game plan from Jim Schwartz.

Steelers’ running back James Conner is coming off of back-to-back games with 100 rushing yards. With this linebacker core, it would be smart for defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz to stack the box for a decent amount of plays. Pittsburgh’s offensive line is dominant in the run game and just as good in pass protection. Philly has to make it difficult on them and limit the amount of room Conner has to run.

It’ll also help to have extra bodies in the middle of the field to keep the Steelers’ pass game in check. Their offense has a plethora of weapons. As usual, the wide receiver factory is churning out more talent. Juju Smith-Schuster will likely be limited versus Darius Slay but that’s only one problem taken care of. Philly still has to worry about Diontae Johnson, James Washington, and Chase Claypool who can do plenty of damage of their own. Not to mention, Eric Ebron is starting to get in a groove with this Steelers’ offense and will be playing against an Eagles’ defense that tends to struggle versus tight ends. Vance McDonald is a also great second option at tight end and James Conner is used in the passing game from time to time.

With all of this said, stacking the box every play is not the one and only answer. Offenses will adjust and figure out how to attack with time. Thankfully, Schwartz started disguising his looks a bit more in recent weeks as well as generating some pressure on quarterbacks via stunts and blitzes. Any extra time that Ben Roethlisberger needs to think to recognize the coverage could lead to a sack with how well this defensive line has been playing. Schwartz needs to keep coming with disguised looks to help with that.

Pittsburgh is one of the best teams in the league in terms of winning the time-of-possession battle. On drives that have ended in a score, their average time of possession per drive is four minutes and 24 seconds. They will be looking to wear down Philly’s defense but if Schwartz can force a few three-and-outs early in this game, Philly will be in a great spot for the rest of this game.