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Steelers defeat Eagles, 38-29

As it turned out even a hat trick wasn't enough for the kid from Canada.

Rookie wide receiver Chase Claypool, a native of Abbotsford, British Columbia, rushed for one touchdown and caught passes for three more scores and the Steelers broke open what had been a tight game at halftime and then hung on and outlasted the Eagles, 38-29, on Sunday afternoon at Heinz Field. Claypool tied a Steelers record for most touchdowns scored in a game with the four, and most points scored in a game with 24 (tying records set by Roy Jefferson, 1968, and Ray Mathews, 1954).

"We're not looking for perfect," Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin assessed. "We're looking for good enough to win."

The Steelers improved to 4-0 for the first time since 1979 and for the fourth time in franchise history (1978, 1973).

The Eagles fell to 1-3-1.

Philadelphia trailed 31-29 and had a chance to grab a late lead but a 57-yard field goal attempt by kicker Jake Elliott missed wide right with 3:18 left in regulation.

The Steelers countered with a 35-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Ben Roethlisberger to Claypool with 2:59 left in the fourth quarter. Claypool's fourth touchdown of the day and kicker Chris Boswell's extra point turned the two-point lead into a nine-point advantage at 38-29.

Claypool finished with seven catches for 110 yards and three touchdowns, and three carroes for 6 yards and a score.

"It's definitely insane, it's crazy," Claypool said. "But I don't like to think about breaking records or making history.

"I'm trying to do the little things to help my team win."

Claypool became the fourth rookie since the 1970 AFL-NFL merger with two receiving touchdowns and one rushing touchdown in the same game.

An announced crowd of 4,708 attended the first game fans were permitted to attend amid the pandemic.

"It was amazing," inside linebacker Vince Williams said. "It felt like there was 62,000 people in there."

Claypool's third touchdown came out of a diamond formation that also included just-activated running back Trey Edmunds, running back James Conner and tight end Vance McDonald to Roethlisberger's left on second-and-goal from the Philadelphia 5-yard line. Claypool caught Roethlisberger's pass to the sideline and followed his escort into the end zone. Kicker Chris Boswell's extra point increased the Steelers' lead to 24-14 with 5:28 left in the third quarter.

A 58-yard gain on a jet-sweep handoff to wide receiver Ray-Ray McCloud had advanced the ball to the Eagles' 5.

Cornerback Steven Nelson's interception of Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz two snaps later gave the Steelers possession at the Philadelphia 23. Conner finished off what became a four-play touchdown march with a 1-yard run that, coupled with Boswell's extra point, upped the lead to 31-14.

Philadelphia battled back on an 8-yard touchdown pass from Wentz to wide receiver Greg Ward and a two-point conversion pass from Wentz to wide receiver John Hightower that sliced the Steelers' lead to 31-22 with 5:28 left in the third.

The Eagles drew within two at 31-29 on a 4-yard TD pass from Wentz to wide receiver Travis Fulgham and an Elliott extra point with 11:27 left in the fourth quarter.

The two teams started slowly on offense but eventually began trading points possession by possession.

The Steelers opened the scoring on a 2-yard sweep by Claypool that capped a 14-play, 62-yard drive in 7:07. Boswell's extra point made it 7-0 Steelers with 1:04 left in the first quarter.

The lead didn't last long.

Eagles running back Miles Sanders stepped out of an attempted tackle by defensive back Mike Hilton and raced 74 yards for a touchdown on third-and-9 from the Philadelphia 26. Elliott's extra point made it 7-7 with seven seconds remaining in the first.

The Steelers countered Sanders' score with a seven-play, 75-yard drive in 3:18 that ended on a 32-yard catch-and-run touchdown pass from Roethlisberger to Claypool, who ran through a tackle attempt by safety Marcus Epps on the way to the end zone. Boswell's conversion gave the Steelers a 14-7 advantage with 11:49 left in the second quarter.

Philadelphia tied the game again on its next possession.

This time the Eagles went 76 yards on 14 plays in 5:32. Sanders matched Claypool temporarily with a second touchdown on the day, this one a 1-yard run, and Elliott's conversion tied the game at 14-14 with 6:17 remaining until the half.

Boswell gave the Steelers a 17-14 lead that would stand up until the break with a 41-yard field goal 1:57 prior to halftime.

The Steelers lost guard David DeCastro (abdomen) for the game after their initial touchdown drive.

DeCastro was replaced by rookie Kevin Dotson.

Wide receiver Diontae Johnson went down and stayed down (back) after a 5-yard punt return at the end of Philadelphia's second possession and did not return.  

Center Maurkice Pouncey (foot) left for the locker room at the two-minute warning. Pouncey was replaced at center on the Steeler's game-ending possession by J.C. Hassenauer.

Game action photos from the Steelers' Week 5 game against the Philadelphia Eagles at Heinz Field

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