The Steelers begin their stretch of three games in 11 days when they take on the 11-2 Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field on Sunday afternoon at 4:25.

The game will be on Fox, and Tom Brady will do the color commentary. I don’t know if you’ve ever watched a Steelers road game with the G.O.A.T in the building, but it simply never goes well.

Philadelphia has won nine games in a row and is in a hotly-contested fight with the 12-1 Lions for the number-one seed and only bye in the NFC.

Detroit is hosting a 10-3 Bills team that just lost a barnburner to the Rams last Sunday. Buffalo will be determined to remain in realistic striking distance of a 12-1 Chiefs juggernaut it defeated earlier in the year.

As for your 10-3 Pittsburgh Steelers? I mean, they have expectations, but not like those other squads. I know we like to say that the standard is the standard around these parts, but the standard since 2016 has been not winning playoff games. Therefore, most of us would sign our names in blood just to see that happen in January.

The fans think there is a realistic chance of that happening this year. Of course, winning the AFC North would do a lot to help that cause; Pittsburgh currently holds a two-game lead over the Ravens with a month to go. Can the Steelers clinch a division title in Philadelphia on Sunday? No scenario will make that a reality.

However, with a victory over Philly, the unrealistic shot at the AFC’s number-one seed and a first-round bye would remain alive. But unrealistic is such a keyword that I’ve used it twice in the span of two sentences.

No, the Steelers likely won’t end the season with the top seed, and they probably can’t grab the second seed unless the Bills forfeit their last three games vs. the Patriots, Jets and Patriots.

The Steelers appear to be destined for the third seed and a first-round home playoff date vs. the Ravens, Chargers or Broncos. That will be determined over the final three weeks–regardless of what happens on Sunday–but I still want to see Pittsburgh put up a good fight in the City of Brotherly Love.

Where does Pittsburgh stand against an Eagles team that’s ranked first in defense–including second against the pass and eighth against the run? How does the Steelers’ opportunistic and splash-capable defense stack up against a Philadelphia offense that’s ranked seventh–including first on the ground and 31st through the air?

Quarterback Jalen Hurts has been struggling, at least when it comes to making receiver A.J. Brown happy. The duo says this isn’t true, but Donovan McNabb and Terrell Owens probably said the same thing 20 years ago, and now they hate one another on Twitter (currently known as X). Will Pittsburgh’s pass rush and secondary wreak enough havoc to make that soap opera more entertaining?

Can the Steelers defense shut down running back Saquon Barkley, who currently has 1,623 rushing yards and is on pace to break the all-time single-season mark?

How will Russell Wilson and the receiving corps perform against a Philadelphia secondary that’s spent the entire season sending back passes like an old man sending back soup at a deli? How will Pittsburgh’s offensive line respond vs. a stout Eagles front seven that’s led by Jordan Davis and Jalen Carter?

Sunday’s game in Philadelphia, a city the Steelers haven’t won in since 1965, will act as the ultimate barometer for when the playoffs officially arrive. Yes, receiver George Pickens is likely going to miss his second-straight game with a hamstring injury. Still, if the Steelers aren’t even competitive without Pickens, they probably won’t perform much better in the postseason once he’s healthy.

It takes a team to win a Super Bowl, and the Eagles clearly have one capable of at least coming close (they did two years ago).

Sunday’s game will go a long way in showing us all just what kind of team the 2024 Pittsburgh Steelers have and what they’re ultimately capable of in the playoffs.