Eagles vs Steelers: Previewing the 2011 Preseason Matchup and Positional Battles

The Philadelphia Eagles (1-0) and Pittsburgh Steelers (0-1) will face off in the preseason for the 36th time Thursday at Heinz Field, renewing a Pennsylvania-rivalry between two teams with sky-high hopes for the 2011 season.

After being bounced from the playoffs by the eventual Super Bowl champion Green Bay Packers, the Eagles went through a dramatic transformation this offseason, adding Pro Bowl level players in Nnamdi Asomugha, Cullen Jenkins, Jason Babin, Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and Steve Smith.

With all the big name additions, it's Super Bowl or bust for Andy Reid's crew. 

The Steelers, on the other hand, retain their seemingly annual hopes of repeating as AFC Champions. Last season, they knocked off the New York Jets in the AFC Championship game before losing to the Packers in Super Bowl XLV.

Mike Tomlin's roster remains largely intact, giving the Steelers a betting chance to make their third Super Bowl in the past four years.

In the following slides, we'll preview Thursday's preseason matchup between the Eagles and Steelers.  

Game Info and TV/Radio Schedule

When: Thursday, Aug. 18, 2011

Time: 8 p.m. EST

Where: Heinz Field, Pittsburgh, PA

Philadelphia Area Radio/TV

Radio: 94 WYSP, Eagles Radio Network, Sirius 92 

TV: FOX (Nationally televised) 

Pittsburgh Area Radio/TV

Radio: WDVE-FM (102.5), WBGG-AM (970), Steelers Radio Network, Sirius 88  

TV: FOX (Nationally televised) or WPGH-TV 

Eagles: New Faces, Departures

The Eagles were as active as any team in free agency this offseason, adding a total of 14 players, six who've been to a Pro Bowl. 

Notable additions: CB Nnamdi Asomugha (Raiders), DE Jason Babin (Titans), CB Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie (Cardinals), DE Cullen Jenkins (Packers), Vince Young (Titans), Ronnie Brown (Dolphins), Steve Smith (Giants), OT Ryan Harris (Broncos), TE Donald Lee (Packers), DT Anthony Hargrove (Saints)

Notable departures: S Quintin Mikell (Rams), LB Stewart Bradley (Cardinals), P Sav Rocca (Redskins), RB Jerome Harrison (Lions)  

Steelers: New Faces, Departures

The Steelers, like most of their offseasons, were quiet. Their biggest headlines of the summer were re-signing cornerback Ike Taylor and extending linebacker LaMarr Woodley. 

Notable additions: WR Jerricho Cotchery  

Notable departures: TE Matt Spaeth, T Max Starks, WR Antwaan Randle El 

Eagles Preseason Week 1

In the Eagles preseason opener against the Baltimore Ravens, quarterback Michael Vick looked impressive during his one offensive series, completing 4-of-6 passes for 74 yards and a touchdown pass to Brent Celek.

The Eagles defense held Joe Flacco and the Ravens first team offense to just a field goal over two series, and the Eagles held on down the stretch to beat Baltimore, 13-6.

Several big name players, such as Vince Young and Nnmadi Asomugha, made their debuts for Philadelphia. Young completed 3-of-5 passes for 45 yards while Asomugha lined up in the secondary alongside fellow acquisition Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and veteran Asante Samuel for the first time in live game action.

Ravens rookie quarterback Tyrod Taylor drove to the Eagles' 5-yard line with under a minute to go, but his 4th-and-8 pass sailed high as Philadelphia was able to hold on for the win. 

Steelers Preseason Week 1

The Pittsburgh Steelers didn't exact roar out of the gates in Washington, as the Redskins were able to rack up 452 yards of total offense to the Steelers' 186. Washington convincingly beat Pittsburgh, 16-7. 

It was obvious that the Steelers weren't putting the same kind of emphasis on playing starters as the Redskins, and quarterback Ben Roethlisberger played just one series, completing 2-of-3 passes for 22 yards.

Reigning defensive player of the year Troy Polamalu didn't play, and James Harrison only saw limited snaps in the early goings. 

Redskins starting quarterback Rex Grossman played a large chunk of the game and threw for 207 yards and a touchdown, while playing mostly against backup Steeler defenders.

The Steelers lone score saw Isaac Redman shake through the Washington defense for a 22-yard touchdown in the second quarter.

What to Watch For: Eagles' First-Team Offense

The 2011 Philadelphia Eagles might feature one of the fastest offenses in the history of the game, but they'll get a more stern test of their abilities Thursday night against the Steelers.

Both teams will likely play their starters in more extended roles than in Week 1.  

Eagles coach Andy Reid has stated that his first team offense is scheduled to play the entire first half, and they'll be getting back one of their most important players. 

DeSean Jackson, who briefly held out of training camp in hopes of getting a new contract, will be on the field with quarterback Michael Vick and the rest of the Eagles starting offense Thursday. 

The return of Jackson should help offset the fact that the Eagles will still be without Jeremy Maclin (illness) and Steve Smith (recovery from knee surgery) in their receiving corps.

Again, keep an eye on how fast this first team unit is. As Gus Johnson would say, they've got "getting away from the cops speed!"

What to Watch For: A Better Performance from Pittsburgh

The defending AFC Champion Steelers were thoroughly dominated on both sides of the ball in their preseason opener, but we'll get a much better feel for the pulse of this team on Thursday night.

Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said that both Troy Polamalu and James Harrison will start, and he plans on playing his starters 20 to 25 snaps. More likely than not, 20 to 25 snaps means the first quarter. But Tomlin also said he's flexible.

"We're just going to let the flow of the game talk to us," Tomlin told the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.

Either way, the extended playing time should give a better look at where the Steelers stand. The defensive side of the ball should get a good test with Vick and the Eagles first team offense scheduled to play the first half.

What to Watch For: Cornerback Depth for Pittsburgh

Four of the Steelers cornerbacks—Ike Taylor, Bryant McFadden, Crezdon Butler and Cortez Allen—won't play on Thursday against the Eagles. 

That will put the onus on some younger players and a duo of newly signed cornerbacks off the free-agent market. 

The Steelers signed Macho Harris, who played with the Redskins in 2010, and Kevin Dockery, a former St. Louis Ram from last season. The two, along with Keenan Lewis, will likely play considerable snaps against the Eagles despite limited practice time.

When a team has that many injuries at the top of your depth chart, especially in the preseason, there really aren't many other options.  

Positional Battles: Eagles Receivers

With both Jeremy Maclin and Steve Smith sitting out Thursday's game, the Eagles should get a good look at the rest of their receiver position.

Replacing Maclin in the starting lineup will be either Riley Cooper or Jason Avant, and both will get looks with the first team offense throughout the course of the first half.

It's a little more difficult to sort out further down the depth chart, as Johnnie Lee Higgins, Sinorce Moss and Chad Hall are fighting for a roster spot.

The Eagles are likely to keep a sixth receiver with Maclin's illness and Smith's knee, so it will come down to those three to fill the slot.

After his six-catch, 82-yard performance against the Eagles, Hall might be the front-runner at this point. Moss and Higgins are speed guys who could also help stretch the field.  

Positional Battles: Steelers Receivers

Like the Eagles, the Steelers have some bodies to sort through at receiver during Thursday's matchup. 

Hines Ward and Mike Wallace should get the start with the first team offense, but both Jerricho Cotchery, who was signed after being released by the Jets, and Antonio Brown figure to get looks as well. 

Brown will continue to see a bigger role as Emmanuel Sanders will miss his second straight game after surgery on his foot. Brown led the Steelers with four catches for 64 yards against the Redskins.

The battle for the final receiver spot (if the Steelers keep a sixth) should come down to Arnaz Battle and a bunch of undrafted rookies. The Steelers also released Limas Sweed, whose once promising career was derailed by non-stop injuries. 

Player to Watch: Eagles WR DeSean Jackson

Jackson ended his holdout in time to see the field tonight, and that's a major addition to an Eagles offense that already looked in mid-season form in the first preseason game. 

All eyes will be on the speedy receiver, who wanted a new contract but wasn't ready to fork over an accrued season towards free agency. He returns to face one of the NFL's best defenses in Pittsburgh.

The Steelers plan to play most of their starters on that side of the ball. They will be missing Ike Taylor, however, as he had surgery to repair a thumb problem.

With that in mind, the possibility exists that the Eagles will try their hand at replicating something they did so often in 2010—go deep to Jackson on the game's first offensive play. 

Player to Watch: Steelers QB Ben Roetlisberger

You can't be certain how often the Steelers first team offense will throw the ball Thursday, but I'm still interested to see how quarterback Ben Roethlisberger deals with the Eagles new-look defense. 

He should get a test from the secondary, which now features three Pro Bowl-caliber cornerbacks in Nnamdi Asomugha, Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and Asante Samuel. The three lined up together (with Samuel in a safety-type role) to begin the Eagles first preseason game vs. Baltimore. 

But the defensive line also poses a challenge, as the Eagles can throw a mix of Trent Cole, Cullen Jenkins and Jason Babin at the quarterback. 

He might not be asked to do all that much, but we'll get a good sense for where Roethlisberger is at after seeing him face the Eagles. 

Prediction

The Eagles should have an immediate advantage, as it sounds that they will play their starters longer than the Steelers. 

Quarterback Michael Vick and the first-team offense was methodical in their 2011 debut, and they're getting back DeSean Jackson.

The Steelers will want to eradicate the taste of their opener against Washington, but without four of their top cornerbacks, that could be tough. 

In a nationally televised, Keystone State matchup, I'm giving the slight edge to the Eagles. Philly's offense will score first-half points, allowing for a cruise-control type second half. Eagles win, 23-17.