NFL GAME RECAP

Eagles cruise to a 31-21 victory over the Steelers

The Sports Xchange

August 21, 2014 at 10:56 pm.

Aug 21, 2014; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Nick Foles (9) throws from the pocket during the first quarter of a game against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Lincoln Financial Field. Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

PHILADELPHIA — For starters, the Philadelphia Eagles were much better than the Pittsburgh Steelers on Thursday night, cruising to a 31-21 victory at Lincoln Financial Field in their third NFL preseason game.

Teams traditionally play their starters the most in the third preseason game and then don’t use them at all in the fourth and final exhibition. That meant Thursday night was the last chance for the Steelers’ starters to put on a good show and they fell flat on their facemasks.

The Eagles, behind quarterback Nick Foles, dominated the first half and took a 17-0 lead into the locker room at halftime.

Steelers running backs Le’Veon Bell and LeGarrette Blount played one day after they were arrested for misdemeanor possession of marijuana in Ross Township, Pa. Bell started against the Eagles and finished with 18 yards on eight attempts. Blount finished with 26 yards on six carries.

Running back LeSean McCoy, who scored the Eagles’ first touchdown on a 22-yard screen pass, injured his right thumb during the TD drive. X-rays were negative, but McCoy sat out the rest of the game.

Pittsburgh quarterback Ben Roethlisberger had a rough night. He played the entire first half and completed just 8 of 17 passes for 60 yards and an interception — a passer rating of only 31.5 — against the Eagles’ No. 1 defense.

Roethlisberger also played two series in the third quarter and finally got on track against the Eagles’ second-team defense. He led the Steelers on a six-play, 79-yard drive to their first score — a 27-yard pass to tight end Heath Miller.

For the night, Roethlisberger completed 15 of 24 passes for 157 yards. Foles played the first two quarters and completed 19 of 29 for 179 yards and a touchdown before sitting out the rest of the game.

The Eagles got on the board first and they did in impressive style, driving 80 yards in 11 plays and one key holding penalty against the Steelers on an incomplete third-down pass. The key play of the drive was a 23-yard pass to tight end Brent Celek, which set up a crisply executed touchdown play.

On third-and-10 from the Pittsburgh 22-yard line, Foles faked a quick pass to the left side, then wheeled to his right and dropped a screen pass to McCoy. A key block downfield by guard Todd Herremans gave McCoy enough running room to take it all the way to the end zone and give the Eagles a 7-0 lead with 6:12 left in the first quarter.

The Eagles followed that impressive drive with another one — this time they went 77 yards in 13 plays — and once again their high-octane offense had the Steelers back on their heels. The key play of the drive was a 12-yard pass to tight end Zach Ertz on third-and-8. The Eagles cashed in when running back Darren Sproles scored on a 1-yard run that made it 14-0 with 12:34 left in the second quarter.

The Steelers had a great scoring opportunity midway through the second quarter after an interception by safety Troy Polamalu on the Eagles 31, but they only gained 3 yards on three plays and kicker Shaun Suisham was wide left on a 46-yard field goal attempt.

The Eagles managed one more long drive at the end of the first half and Alex Henery kicked a 36-yard field goal to give them a 17-0 lead at halftime.

NOTES: The Eagles’ newest players — kicker Cody Parkey and running back Kenjon Barner, both of whom were acquired in trades this week — were in uniform Thursday night. … With the addition of Parkey, the Eagles’ roster now includes nine former University of Oregon players. Oregon, of course, is where Chip Kelly coached until he joined the Eagles last year. … Two late scratches for the Eagles were CBs Cary Williams and Brandon Boykin, both with sore hamstrings.