Monday 26 September 2016 06:15, UK
Darren Sproles scored a 73 yard touchdown as the Philadelphia Eagles beat the Pittsburgh Steelers 34-3 to go top of the NFC East.
The Eagles never looked threatened by the Pittsburgh offense, and rookie quarterback Carson Wentz showed composure in the pocket to lead his team to their third win of the season.
In 140 Characters...
Steelers offense never got going, held to 29 yards rushing. Wentz played like a veteran, Sproles scored 73-yard TD and Eagles march to 3-0.
MVP
Wentz put up 301 yards and two throwing touchdowns, but his performance was so much better than the stats. He showed composure under pressure of the blitz, and made plays happen when more experienced quarterbacks would have thrown the ball away.
Game-changer
At the start of the third quarter, Wentz finds himself under pressure in the pocket. Intuitively, the rookie tosses it to running back Darren Sproles who beats three tackles to go 73 yards and extend Philadelphia's lead to 17 points.
Stat of the Night
305 - The Steelers streak of not trailing by 30+ points lasted 305 games, and was the longest in NFL history.
The Game
The Steelers immediately looked to take the lead, but after a Marcus Wheaton dropped catch in the endzone, the attempted field goal was blocked. It was the Eagles who scored first, Wentz moving the chains 63 yards in seven plays before settling for a 29 yard field goal.
The first year QB showed his maturity on his next drive, using six different receivers before finding Jordan Matthews for a 12-yard touchdown pass to give the Eagles a 10-0 lead. The Steelers then got themselves on the board, a 41-yard throw to Sammie Coates before another throw, this time 20 yards to Antonio Brown, led to a Pittsburgh field goal from the 40.
Philadelphia re-established a 10-point lead with a field goal at the end of the first half, but it took only three plays into the second for the Eagles to score another touchdown. Under pressure in the pocket, Wentz improvised, throwing to running back Sproles. Weaving in and out, Sproles evaded three tackles to go 73 yards and score the touchdown, giving Philadelphia a 20-3 lead.
With five minutes left to go in the third, the Eagles took advantage of Pittsburgh's inability to convert a fourth down, gifting Philadelphia field position at midfield. Wentz led the offense to the endzone, before Wendell Smallwood completed the drive with a one yard run.
The scores kept coming for Philadelphia, a costly fumble from Roethlisberger was recovered by linebacker Brandon Graham to give the Eagles starting field position in Steelers territory. It took Wentz three plays and just over one minute to move the chains 41 yards, as Kenjon Barner ran in from eight yards, forward rolling into the endzone.
The Eagles now have a bye week and will go into week five undefeated and alone atop the NFC East, after the New York Giants lost their unbeaten status to the Washington Redskins earlier in the day.
The Steelers fall to 2-1 and will play the Kansas City Chiefs on Tuesday October 4, from 1:30am live on Sky Sports 1.
