The Pittsburgh Steelers will have a very tough task to face in Week 15. In case the media has not said it enough, Pittsburgh has yet to go to Philadelphia and win a game since 1965. Traveling across the state is hard enough, but they also will have to do so to face a Philadelphia Eagles team that has won nine games in a row and is in competition for the top seed in the NFC. The Steelers better be prepared for a bloodbath on both sides of the ball.
Derik Hamilton | AP Photo
Former Steelers' Kenny Pickett scrambling out of the pocket to avoid the Philadelphia Eagles pass rush during a Week 8 matchup in 2022.
Not only will the game itself be a challenge, but the Steelers will also have to deal with Eagles fans, who are notorious for being one of, if not, the most hostile groups in the NFL. It's always a unique experience when traveling to other stadiums like Lincoln Financial Field, but not always in a good way.
Cameron Heyward sees nothing different about this game, however. In fact, he may be a little too used to these kinds of games, as he admitted to the media after practice.
"Man, we're in the AFC North," Heyward said. "It's always hostile. That's never a factor because we're used to playing in hostile environments."
Heyward has been with the Steelers since 2011. He knows all about the hostility and the deep-rooted rivalries across the division. Going to a stadium where opposing fans will verbally abuse you has become normal for him. The AFC North has successfully prepared the Steelers for intense games like this.
John Kuntz / Cleveland.com
Pittsburgh Steelers defensive end Cameron Heyward sacks Cleveland Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield in the first half, October 18, 2020, at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh.
Even before Heyward's days in the NFL, the AFC North has been historically insane. Joey Porter Sr.'s wife had to be escorted out of the Cleveland Browns' stadium after she got pelted with food and drinks. She never went to a divisional game again after that terrible experience.
Steelers Fans Can Be Hostile Too
In the game right before the Steelers/Eagles matchup, the wife of Wyatt Teller complained about how she was treated by Steeler Nation. Teller had to come to the fans' defense against his own spouse, claiming that that's how AFC North football works. Family relation means nothing in war.
Steeler Nation is sometimes hostile towards its own team. It didn't matter whether it was at Acrisure Stadium, PPG Paint Arena, or even College Gameday in another state: the fans demanded that then-offensive coordinator Matt Canada should be fired for how consistently bad the offense had been under him, and they eventually did get their wish.
Karl Roser / Pittsburgh Steelers
Steelers Offensive Coordinator, Matt Canada walks on the field at then-Heinz Field before a regular season game in Pittsburgh, PA.
Hostility is more of an expected outcome than a red flag for the Steelers, whether they're at home or on the road. Even with Eagles fans doing everything they can to force Pittsburgh back home, there is not much they can do that the team has not seen with its own eyes before. Divisional games have trained them well for these types of scenarios.
Even though Pittsburgh should be unaffected by the fans, there is still the fact that they have a tough game ahead of them. Can they do what no other team has done and limit Saquon Barkley in his potentially historic season? If they do stop that, can they also limit the Eagles' passing game? Can they find a way to stop the tush push?
With injuries starting to pile up for the Steelers, the hostile fan base is likely the last thing on their mind. They need to try and stop Barkley without DeShon Elliott. The passing game needs to get going, even though George Pickens will be out. This will not be an easy task for the black and gold, even if they were playing it in Acrisure Stadium.
What do you think about Heyward and the Steelers being unphased by the Eagles' insane fans? Let us know in the comments.
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