Jalen Hurts Solid in Limited Action as Eagles Fall to Steelers in Preseason Clash

The Pittsburgh Steelers are now 2-0 in preseason play, and 2-0 against the NFC East. 

The Steelers beat the Philadelphia Eagles 24-16 on Thursday night, a week after knocking off the Dallas Cowboys in the Hall of Fame game. 

Anthony McFarland Jr. and Jaylen Samuels each registered rushing touchdowns for Pittsburgh, while Anthony Johnson wrangled a 22-yard touchdown reception from quarterback Dwayne Haskins. 

Quez Watkins scored the lone touchdown for the Eagles on a 79-yard catch-and-run after a screen pass. 

The Eagles raced out to a 13-0 lead in the second quarter before the Steelers roared back, buoyed by the strong play of Haskins under center. 

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Key Stats

Mason Rudolph, PIT: 8-of-9 for 77 yards

Dwayne Haskins, PIT: 16-of-22 for 161 yards and a score

Jaylen Samuels, PIT: 10 carries for 45 yards and a score; one catch for 17 yards

Jalen Hurts, PHI: 3-of-7 for 54 yards; one run for four yards

Alex Singleton, PHI: Seven tackles

Jake Elliott, PHI: 3-for-3 on field goals; 1-for-1 on extra points

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The Steelers Have a Backup QB Battle on their Hands

With Ben Roethlisberger sitting this one out, Rudolph got the start and looked solid, missing on just one pass, though he didn't lead the Steelers to any scoring plays in his short stint. 

Then Haskins stepped into the game and looked pretty darn good. Sure, it was the preseason, and sure, it was against a bunch of backups. 

But for a player who had such a tumultuous time with the Washington Football Team, Haskins acquitted himself well on Thursday evening. At the very least, if he continues to play this well, he's going to give Pittsburgh's coaching staff something to think about when they choose their backup behind Roethlisberger. 

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Jalen Hurts Looked Sharp

Hurts played well in his two series with the first-team offense, even if the stats didn't pop. Those numbers would have looked better if it weren't for two dropped passes, however. Generally, Hurts looked poised and accurate. 

One of the major questions in Philadelphia, both for this season and the future, is whether Hurts can seize the quarterbacking gig and prosper. If he doesn't have a big year, Philly has a ton of draft capital to address the position next offseason. 

But so far, so good for Hurts. 

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What's Next?

Both teams continue their preseason slates next week. The Eagles will face the New England Patriots on Thursday, Aug. 19 at 7:30 p.m. ET, while the Steelers will face the Detroit Lions on Saturday, Aug. 21 at 7:30 p.m. ET.