Pittsburgh Steelers (1-2) vs. Philadelphia Eagles (3-1)Date: Sunday, Oct. 7, 2012Kickoff: 1 p.m., ETSite: Heinz Field (65,500) • Pittsburgh, Pa.Playing Surface: Natural GrassTV Coverage: FOX (locally WPGH-TV, channel 53)Announcers: Joe Buck (play-by-play)*Troy Aikman (analyst) Pam Oliver (sideline)Local Radio: Steelers Radio Network WDVE-FM (102.5)/WBGG-AM (970)Announcers: Bill Hillgrove (play-by-play) Tunch Ilkin (analyst) Craig Wolfley (sideline)National Radio: Dial Global Sports Tom McCarthy (play-by-play) Tony Boselli (analyst)Spanish Radio: Grupo Imagen - Destrito Federal (Mexico City) *XEDA-FM 90.5
THE COACHES
Pittsburgh Steelers Head Coach Mike TomlinOverall regular-season record: 56-27 (.675)/sixth seasonRegular-season record at Pittsburgh: 56-27 (.675)/sixth seasonPlayoff Record/Years: 5-3/four yearsPhiladelphia Eagles Head Coach Andy ReidOverall regular-season record: 129-82-1 (.611)/14th seasonRegular-season record at Philadelphia: 129-82-1 (.611)/14th seasonPlayoff Record/Years: 10-9/nine years
SERIES HISTORYSeries History: Series began in 1933Overall: Philadelphia leads 46-26-3At Pittsburgh: Philadelphia leads 19-17-1At Philadelphia:Philadelphia leads 26-8-2Neutral Sites: Philadelphia leads 2-1Last Regular-Season Meeting: Sept. 21, 2008*(in Philadelphia) Philadelphia 15, Pittsburgh 6Postseason Series: Philadelphia leads 1-0Last Postseason Meeting: Dec. 21, 1947 (in Pittsburgh) Philadelphia 21, Pittsburgh 0(postseason record not included in overall series record)Already having played each other in the preseason opener earlier this year, this season marks the seventh time the Steelers and Eagles will play each other in the preseason and regular season (1974, 1988, 1991, 1997, 2004, 2008, 2012)…Three of the last four regular-season contests have taken place in Pittsburgh but Sunday will be only the fourth time since 1994 that the Eagles have come to Pittsburgh for a regular-season matchup…Since 2000, this is only the fourth time the cross-state rivals have met in a regular season game…in the nine meetings between Philadelphia and Pittsburgh since 1974, the Steelers have won just three times and are trying to avoid consecutive losses in the series…Steelers Head Coach Mike Tomlin has faced the Eagles just once in his time with Steelers and is looking to secure his first career regular-season victory over Philadelphia *as a head coach.
STEELERS-EAGLES CONNECTIONSLOCAL CONNECTIONS• The intrastate rivalry boasts a number of players for the Steelers*and the Eagles who hail from the Keystone State: SteelersT Mike Adams (Farrell),QB Charlie Batch (Homestead),DE Cameron Heyward (Pittsburgh),S Ryan Mundy (Pittsburgh), andLB Adrian Robinson (Harrisburg); EaglesRB LeSean McCoy (Harrisburg).• EaglesRB LeSean McCoy (2007-08) andRB Dion Lewis (2009- 10) both played their collegiate ball at the University of Pittsburgh.• Steelers rookieLB Adrian Robinson was a standout at Temple University from 2008-11, the same place where assistant head coach/defensive line coachJohn Mitchell *coached in 1986.
PRO CONNECTIONS
• Steelers defensive coordinator Dick LeBeaugot his start in*professional coaching in Philadelphia. He coached special teams for the Eagles from 1973-1975.• Eagles special teams quality control coachDuce Staley played running back for the Steelers from 2004-06.• Eagles special teams coordinatorBobby April served the same role for the Steelers for the 1994-95 seasons.• Steelers offensive coordinatorTodd Haley and Eagles secondary coachTodd Bowles both coached for the New York Jets in 2000 and the Dallas Cowboys in 2005-06. Haley also worked with Eagles linebackers coachMike Caldwell in 2002 for the Chicago Bears.• Eagles senior offensive assistant/wide receivers coachDavid Culley worked as the Steelers wide receivers coach from 1996-98.• Steelers defensive backs coachCarnell Lake played outside linebacker at UCLA from 1985-88. His positional coach was current Eagles running backs coachTed Williams, who served as the UCLA linebackers/running backs coach from 1980-89.• Steelers linebackers coachKeith Butler was in the same role for the Cleveland Browns in 2000 when current Eagles quarterbacks coachDoug Pederson played quarterback for the Browns.
• SteelersLB Brandon Johnson and EaglesG Evan Mathis were teammates with the Cincinnati Bengals from 2008-10. • SteelersTE Leonard Pope and EaglesCB Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie were teammates with the Arizona Cardinals in 2008. Both players were Cardinals when current Steelers offensive coordinatorTodd Haley ran the Arizona offense.• Steelers offensive line coachSean Kugler was the offensive line coach for the Buffalo Bills from 2007-09 when EaglesT Demetress Bell (2008-09) andQB Trent Edwards (2007-08) were Bills.
• Steelers tight ends coachJames Daniel was in the same position with Atlanta from 2001-03 when EaglesQB Michael Vick *played for the Falcons.
COLLEGE CONNECTIONS
• Steelers DE Cam Heyward(2007-10) and T Mike Adams(2008-11) and Eagles S Kurt Coleman(2006-09) and LB Brian Rolle (2007-10) were all teammates at Ohio State.
• Steelers LB LaMarr Woodleyand Eagles LB Brandon Graham were teammates at Michigan in 2006. Woodleyand S Ryan Mundy were also teammates with Eagles WR Jason Avantfrom 2003-05.
• Steelers T Marcus Gilbertand Eagles WR Riley Cooperwere teammates at Florida from 2006-2009. These two also played for the Gators with Steelers RB Chris Rainey(2007-11) and C Maurkice Pouncey(2007-09).
• Steelers DE Ziggy Hoodand Eagles WR Jeremy Maclinwere teammates at Missouri from 2006-08.
• Steelers CB Keenan Lewisand Eagles CB Brandon Hughes were teammates at Oregon State from 2005-08.
• Steelers TE David Paulsonand Eagles LB Casey Matthews were teammates at the University of Oregon from 2007-10.
• Steelers P Drew Butlerand Eagles CB Brandon Boykin, both NFL rookies, were teammates at the University of Georgia from 2007- 2011.
WHAT TO LOOK FOR
PITTSBURGH TEAM NOTES• With a win, Pittsburgh will be 27-46-3 against the Eagles during the regular season, including 18-18-1 at home.
• With a win, the Steelers would improve to 67-22-1 at home during the regular season since Heinz Field opened in 2001.
• The Steelers look to improve to 100-60-1 against NFC opponents, including the postseason.
PITTSBURGH INDIVIDUAL NOTES
Head Coach Mike Tomlin
• With a win, will improve to 57-27 during the regular season.
• Looking to improve to 15-6 against NFC opponents during the regular season.
• With a win, will be 33-9 at Heinz Field during the regular season, including 2-0 this year.
•Looking to improve to 10-1 against NFC opponents at home (only loss came to the New York Giants, 14-21, 10/26/08).
•Looks to improve record to 5-1 in games following the bye week.
QB Ben Roethlisberger
• For the first time in his career, Roethlisberger is looking to register his third consecutive game with a passer rating of at least 120.0 in the same season.
•Needs 507 passing yards to pass Terry Bradshaw (27,989) for the most in franchise history.
•If he throws for at least three touchdowns it will mark the third time in his career that he has thrown for at least three touchdowns in consecutive games (Games 9-10 of 2010, Games 14-15 of 2007).
•Looking to throw for at least four touchdowns for the sixth time in his career for the first time in consecutive games.
WR Mike Wallace
• Looking to record a touchdown in a career-best fourth consecutive game.
• If he records at least 100 yards receiving, it will mark the 14th 100- yard game of his career.
• With one more reception of 25 or more yards he will pass WR Plaxico Burress (41) for the second most (Hines Ward, 81) 25 yard receptions by a Steelers' player, dating back to 1991.
TE Heath Miller• With at least seven receiving yards, he will become the eighth player in franchise history to reach 4,000 career receiving yards.
• Needs two receiving touchdowns to tie Elbie Nickel (37) for the most receiving touchdowns by a Steelers' tight end.
• Seven receptions away from passing Louis Lipps (358) for the fourth most receptions in franchise history.
• Looking to record a touchdown reception in his fourth consecutive game, tying his career-best streak (Games 4-7 in 2005).
SS Troy Polamalu
• Needs one interception to become the ninth Steelers' player to record 30 career interceptions.
• With one fumble return for a touchdown, will tie Jason Gildon (3) for the most fumbles returned for touchdowns in franchise history.
• Is one defensive touchdown shy of tying Carnell Lake, Dwayne Woodruff and Jack Butler (5) for the second-most defensive touchdowns in Steelers history (Rod Woodson, 6).
• Needs one interception return for a touchdown to tie Carnell Lake, Dwayne Woodruff, Deshea Townsend and Tony Campagno (3) for the fourth-most in franchise history.
LB James Harrison
• Needs one sack to tie Keith Willis (59.0) for fifth place on the Steelers' all-time list (includes players who played before 1982).
