They once played twice per year. They now face each other every four years, at a minimum. With the new 17-game season, they can meet more often than that. This year, that’s precisely why it’s happening.
The Steelers and Eagles, a cross-Commonwealth rivalry that brings together two teams that, in 1943, played every week. Not against each other, but with each other. The Steelers and Eagles merged due to World War II.
“It was done out of necessity,” Steelers founder Art Rooney Sr. said in 1974, via Ray Didinger from a 2018 item for the Eagles’ website. “The war was going on and most of the players were in the service. A lot of the coaches, too. We didn’t have the manpower to field a team and neither did the Eagles but we thought we could make it work if we pooled our resources.”
The Steagles went 5-4-1.
As separate entities, the Steelers and Eagles have played 80 prior times. The Eagles lead 48-29, with three ties. The Steelers are 8-5, however, since the AFL-NFL merger took the Steelers to the newly-former AFC.
The Eagles are undefeated. The Steelers are struggling. As a result, Philly is a big favorite to win game No. 81 in the series.
