NFL playoff predictions and the NBA’s breakout rookie star in this week’s Take Four

The Eagles could go all the way // Ashley O’Doherty, Staff Writer 

After their dominant win against the Commanders, it’s finally time to start considering another possible Super Bowl run for Philadelphia. Despite a bumpy start, the Eagles are on a six-game winning streak with a record of 8-2. Their dominating defense combined with superb play from running back Saquon Barkley means the Eagles have all the pieces they need to win the NFC division and make it to the Super Bowl.  

With a mix of veteran players like defensive end Brandon Graham and blossoming rookies like defensive tackle Jalen Carter and defensive backs Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean, Philly’s defense is the anchor keeping the team in the game. Within the last 6 wins, the bird’s defense has allowed just 18.3 points per game. The defense has supported the team throughout the entire 24-25 season and has kept the birds in games even with quarterback Jalen Hurts and the offense having slow starts.  

Barkley is absolutely electric this season. He leads the NFL with eight games with at least 100 yards from scrimmage. The former Giant scored two touchdowns in under one minute against the Commanders and crossed the 1,000-yard rushing mark as well. After Barkley’s dominant performance, Philly fans were cheering “thank you Giants.” His addition to the offense, alongside wide receivers A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith, is the missing piece the Eagles needed. 

Although there’s still a long way left to go, there’s a sense of hope within the City of Brotherly Love that the Eagles could go far this season.

McCain making waves // Ava Nicholas, Staff Writer

Jared McCain’s recent stretch of games with the Philadelphia 76ers has proven that his transition to the NBA is anything but a fluke. The 20-year-old rookie has made an immediate impact, earning a bigger role in the rotation as the season progresses. Over his last three games, McCain has averaged 14.5 points, four rebounds and three assists per game while shooting 47% from the field and 41% from the three-point range — impressive numbers for a young player still adjusting to the speed of the professional game. 

Known for his commendable work ethic and basketball IQ, McCain’s play in the NBA is no surprise. Coming off an impressive year at Duke University where he averaged 15 points per game, McCain’s confidence has only grown in the league. His growing reputation as a two-way player is a welcome addition to a Sixers team looking for more outside scoring. In a recent game against Charlotte, McCain dropped 27 points off the bench.

As the 76ers deal with injuries to key players, the rookie’s surge is a big silver lining. Through the remainder of the season, his role on the court will likely grow even further, and it’s clear that McCain has the potential as a foundational piece of Philadelphia’s future. As McCain continues to impress with his all-around game, whispers are growing louder that he could be a serious contender for the NBA’s Rookie Award by season’s end. His future possibilities are endless. 

Steelers will get 14 wins this year // Zane Ingram, Staff Writer

The Steelers have come out hot to start the season. After the win over the Ravens, it’s time to start viewing the Steelers as a potential playoff two or three seed. They enter a desirable three-game stretch in which they play the Browns twice and the Bengals once. With new attributes and tricks coming from this team every week, it is scary to think they are 8-2 without having everything figured out.

They say when you have two quarterbacks, you really have none. The Steelers have proven this false. Justin Fields went 4-2 as the starting quarterback, while Russell Wilson is 4-0 with the Steelers on a five-game win streak. Despite Wilson’s outstanding record with Pittsburgh, media outlets have noticed that Fields’ red zone conversion rate is much better than Wilson’s. This gives the Steelers an opportunity to introduce a new two quarterback system in the back half of the season aimed at efficient offense. Wilson would handle quarterback duties until the red zone, and Fields would take the work inside the 20. The Steelers have already proven themselves capable of making changes for the better — why not this one?

The wide receivers stood out as a gaping hole for the Steelers this season. George Pickens has played great, but has proven himself volatile and lacks help from other receivers. The addition of Mike Williams before week ten, though, has paid dividends already. Williams caught the game-winning touchdown late in the nail-biter against the Commanders. With the wide receiver core less predictable, the defense healthy and the offensive line adapting nicely following the injuries to James Daniels and Troy Fautanu, Pittsburgh has a realistic and huge chance to get 14 wins and contend for a top spot in the AFC. 

Can the Steelers’ defense carry them to playoff success? // Staff Writer, Joshua Prescott

In previous years, the Steelers have relied on the adage that offense wins games, defense wins championships. However, Pittsburgh has failed to reach and win a playoff game since 2016, implying their offense might need to step up.

Mike Tomlin was a defensive coordinator before becoming the head coach in the Steel City. His style combined with the Steelers’ “Blitzburgh” mentality means it’s unlikely their iconic defense will go out of style anytime soon.

The current defense may be enough, though, after holding the Baltimore Ravens to just 16 points — a season low for the NFL’s top-ranked offense. Pittsburgh went on to win without scoring a single touchdown in an electric defensive display.

Holding teams to an average of 16.2 points per game, the Steelers are now the second-ranked defense in the country. They also are ranked third in total takeaways and second in turnover ratio.

Despite this, in the last 15 Super Bowls, only two defensive minded coaches have come away victorious – Bill Belichick and Pete Carroll. Both franchises also had starring quarterbacks in Tom Brady (Patriots) and Matt Ryan (Falcons) respectively.

Tomlin will hope to buck this trend with his “steel curtain” but will need Russell Wilson to step up in the big moments. Currently, the Black and Gold rank 28th for net passing yards per game in the NFL, looking for significant improvement.