Rodney McLeod on final TD: Ideally we don’t have a linebacker on Chase Claypool

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The Eagles gave up four touchdowns to Steelers rookie wide receiver Chase Claypool on Sunday and the last one came with the Steelers up two in the final minutes of the fourth quarter.

Claypool broke free on a double move while being covered by Eagles linebacker Nate Gerry in a mismatch that Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger exploited for a 35-yard touchdown down the middle of the field.

“Ben obviously checked to it. Once he saw in that particular coverage, quarters, he made a good throw, good catch,” safety Rodney McLeod said, via the team’s website. “It was the right play versus that coverage. It was a great call versus the coverage that we had. Ideally, would we like Nate to be on a receiver? No. We would prefer a defensive back but that was the call that was made defensively and they checked to a good play.”

There were a number of other defensive breakdowns by the Eagles over the course of the afternoon and that left them playing a game of catchup they could not win in Pittsburgh.