PHILADELPHIA _ If any doubt remained about the start to the Eagles season, it vanished well before the final seconds of the Eagles' 34-3 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday at Lincoln Financial Field.
It can no longer be qualified by the opponents the Eagles have played, because the Steelers are considered among the NFL's elite. The sample size is no longer too small for quarterback Carson Wentz and coach Doug Pederson, who seem only to get better with more tape for opponents to prepare against.
The Eagles are 3-0 entering a Week 4 bye, and there is no reason to believe that an undefeated team in September isn't legitimate cause for excitement in Philadelphia.
It was the most impressive Eagles victory since Andy Reid roamed the sideline. They've won by bigger margins (a 43-point win over the Chicago Bears in Week 16 of 2013) and won when the stakes were higher (a win over the Dallas Cowboys to clinch the NFC East in 2013's Week 17), but Sunday was a convincing blowout over a team considered a preseason contender for the Super Bowl.
It came on a short week and with the Eagles missing one of their best offensive players (Zach Ertz) and a starting cornerback (Leodis McKelvin). But in Wentz and Pederson, the Eagles have two rookies who have proven that the stage isn't too big for them and any modest expectations of the season should be reconsidered.
Wentz finished 23 for 31 for 301 yards and two touchdowns and still has not turned the ball over this season. The leading receiver was Darren Sproles, who caught 6 passes for 128 yards and a TD. It helps to have defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz, whose unit limited Ben Roethlisberger to 24-for-44 passing for 257 yards with one interception and sacked him four times.
The momentum remained in the Eagles' favor for most of the game, but especially after a touchdown on the opening drive of the third quarter. Wentz scrambled to extend the play on a third-and-8 from the Eagles' 27-yard line with the Eagles holding a 10-point lead.
But instead of tucking the ball and running for a few yards, Wentz stopped before the line of scrimmage and allowed time for Sproles to slip by the linebacker covering him. Then Wentz lofted a pass for Sproles, who navigated through the Steelers' defensive backfield for about 50 yards to find the end zone. It was a 73-yard touchdown reception, giving the Eagles a 17-point lead.
The Steelers' best chance of coming back came on a fourth-and-5 from the Eagles' 33-yard line on the next possession. They received a second life after Chris Maragos ran into Steelers punter Jordan Berry, giving the Steelers offense a chance to go for the first down. But Roethlisberger's pass for Antonio Brown was incomplete when safety Malcolm Jenkins stepped in front of the all-pro receiver. That gave the Eagles possession.
The defense's effort was rewarded. The Eagles went 67 yards on seven plays, powered by the running of rookie Wendell Smallwood. The Delaware native rushed for his first career TD from a yard away to give the Eagles a 27-7 lead.
By that point, the rout was on. The question was only by what margin. When Fletcher Cox sacked Roethlisberger and forced a fumble that Brandon Graham recovered, the answer kept changing. The Eagles' balanced backfield was apparent by Kenjon Barner's taking his turn, rushing three times for 41 yards during the drive to give the Eagles a 34-3 cushion.
The Eagles scored on six of their first seven possessions, including touchdowns on all three third-quarter possessions. Scoring seven instead of three helped the Eagles put the Steelers away after taking a 13-3 halftime lead. They were helped in the first half by Bennie Logan blocking a Steelers field goal on the opening possession and Wentz finding Jordan Matthews for a 12-yard touchdown pass for the half's lone touchdown.
The Eagles put the Steelers away in the second half, and they now have two weeks to enjoy an undefeated month before playing the Detroit Lions on Oct. 9.
