The Eagles played the Cowboys, who were without starting quarterback Dak Prescott, later in the day, so getting a win against the visiting Pittsburgh Steelers was vitally important for Washington to hold onto its slender lead in the division.
The Steelers had a 6-2 record and led the AFC North division. While Pittsburgh ranked just 13th in the NFL in points per game on the season, they had recently changed the starting quarterback. With Russell Wilson now playing, the Steelers ranked 4th in points per game (31.7) over the prior three games, while the Commanders ranked 6th at 28.