While the Pittsburgh Steelers were the franchise of the 1970s, the New England Patriots were the team of the new century as they matched the Steelers at the top of the NFL with six Super Bowl championships apiece. Now, tough times have fallen on both franchises as they have struggled to transition to new quarterbacks after long-time rivals Tom Brady and Ben Roethlisberger have retired.
Pittsburgh, the home of “carefully constructed statements” when talking about finishing .500 each season (8-8 is not a winning record, so saying “no losing records in a season since 2003” is a little bit of a sad flex). The Steelers have been mediocre and never taken the plunge to tear down and rebuild.
Instead of being angry, the fan base clings to this sad hope that finishing with nine wins and losing in the wild card round is some accomplishment. New England has torn down, and after an abortive rebuild last season, have torn the franchise down to the studs and finally in the process of rebuilding the roster correctly.
Pittsburgh hasn’t won a playoff game since the 2016 season when they beat Miami (who hasn’t won a playoff game since 2000) and Kansas City (pre-Mahomes) before facing the Patriots in the AFC Championship game. That was the game the Patriots had a 34-9 fourth quarter lead before a garbage touchdown late led to a 36-17 final.
Brady eviscerated the Steelers’ vaunted defense and for the third time of the Brady-Belichick era, the Steelers were defeated by New England in the AFC Championship game. That loss kicked off the Steelers’ postseason losing streak which is up to six games after another no-show in the Wild Card round last season, as they managed just 11 first downs and gave up 299 yards rushing to the Ravens in a 28-14 beatdown (the Steelers love those late-game garbage touchdowns!)
Feel free to remind your Steelers fan friends that the last time the Steelers beat the Patriots in the playoffs was in the 1997 season when a Steelers rookie linebacker named Mike Vrabel had the key sack and forced fumble of Drew Bledsoe with less than a minute to play and New England diving into range to kick a game winning field goal.
In other words, the Steelers never beat the Brady/Belichick Patriots in the playoffs. The two seasons they won the Super Bowl in the 2000s, they never had to beat the Patriots with New England losing to Denver in 2005 and the Matt Cassell led 2008 squad missing the playoffs on a tie-breaker.
This year, the Steelers were again a trendy postseason pick as they added Aaron “Let’s Talk About Me” Rodgers, trading in an over-the-hill Russell Wilson for another even older and more washed up quarterback. Rodgers is a perfect fit in Pittsburgh, where falling short in the playoffs and talking about the glory days of the past are now part of the football culture.
New England, as a contrast, suffered through back-to-back four win seasons, but have taken advantage of three straight losing seasons to add a franchise cornerback, a franchise quarterback, and a franchise left tackle. While the Steelers age out on defense and--what was the reason to trade George Pickens away and trade for DK Metcalf? Exchange identical wide receivers?--continue to march forward without a plan at quarterback, New England has the foundation in place for the future and at least the hope of better days ahead.
Last Week:
The New England Patriots’ week two game in Miami was another tale of two halves. New England dominated in the first quarter jumping out to a 12-0 lead (two missed extra points by rookie kicker Andres Borregales). The Dolphins marched downfield with Tua getting into a rhythm. However, New England responded with a 15 play drive that ended in a field goal to up the lead to 15-7 just inside the two minute warning before halftime.
The defense had a letdown and let Miami march downfield again and two explosive plays led to another touchdown to make it 15-14 at the half.
The Dolphins had two long scoring drives that stalled out and led to a pair of field goals and a 5 point lead before the final drive of the third quarter. New England finally broke through with a big play by running back Rhamondre Stevenson making a 55 yard catch and run in what was likely the biggest play in a long time. Maye ran it in and the Patriots led 23-20.
Disaster struck in the fourth quarter as Malik Washington returned a punt 74 yards for a touchdown breaking multiple tackles. The celebration was short lived for Miami as Antonio Gibson returned the ensuing kickoff 90 yards to put New England back on top 30-27.
An interception by Marte Mapu on fourth down ended the next drive by Miami and Borregales kicked a clutch 53-yard field goal just inside the two-minute warning to make it a six-point lead. With Miami having to score a touchdown the Patriots finished the game off with back-to-back sacks of Tagovailoa.
The Steelers, who barely held off the Jets in a week one shootout, saw their defense get run over by Kenneth Walker and picked apart by Sam Darnold. Aaron Rodgers completed just over 50% of his passes and threw a pair of interceptions.
It was a close game still until rookie Kaleb Johnson assumed the fumbled kickoff was going to roll out the back of the end zone and Seattle recovered and what was a tied game six seconds earlier was suddenly a ten point lead for the Seahawks.
How to Watch/Listen to the Game:
This week’s game will be broadcast for the third straight week by CBS and can be seen locally in the greater Boston area on WBZ-TV Channel 4 and in the greater Providence area on WPRI-TV Channel 12.
On CBS, the Patriots finally get an upgrade in the booth with Ian Eagle on the play-by-play while up-and-coming J.J. Watt will be serving as the color analyst. Evan Washburn will provide analysis from the sidelines.
This week’s game will also be broadcast to a national audience by Sports USA. John Ahlers will call the game with Brandon Noble providing analysis.
On the radio, this week’s game will be on local radio on 98.5 The Sports Hub in Boston and broadcast on the Patriots Radio Network with 33 stations around New England and one station (WHTK 1280 AM) in Rochester, NY. Play-by-play broadcaster Bob Socci will call the action along with former Patriots quarterback and Sports Hub personality Scott Zolak providing his usual “unique” brand of analysis.
Key Stats:
New England is 14th in scoring offense after two games. While that may not seem too impressive after some of the high-powered offenses of the past, considering they finished 2023 31st in scoring offense and 2024 30st in scoring offense, even with a small sample this is a huge improvement under new offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels.
The struggles on defense are evident with the team giving up 47 points in two games. They’ve been middle of the pack on third down (39% conversion rate)
Most jarring last week was New England holding just a one-point lead at halftime while the defense allowed Tua Tagovailoa to complete 9-of-10 throws for 117 yards and two touchdowns. That leaky pass defense wasted some great sustained drives as the Patriots had a 22:32 time of possession compared to just 7:28 of possession for Miami at halftime.
Penalties continued to be a problem for New England in all three phases of the game. An early potential interception of Tagovailoa by safety Jaylinn Hawkins was wiped out in the first quarter after K’Lavon Chaisson lined up in the neutral zone. On offense, the rookies drew flags as Will Campbell had a false start, Jared Wilson had a hold and rookie running back TreVeyon Henderson had three holding penalties.
NE Offense vs PIT Defense:
The Steelers, like the Dolphins last week, have had major struggles on defense early in the season. The Steelers have one of the highest-paid defenses in the league but after two weeks are 29th in points allowed and 29th in yards allowed. The scary part is that the two teams they’ve played--the Jets and Seahawks--are hardly offensive juggernauts.
The Steelers have a ton of individual talent on defense, which ranked 8th in the NFL last year under defensive coordinator Teryl Austin, but injuries in the secondary (DeShon Elliott and Joey Porter Jr.) and on the defensive line (rookie Derrick Harmon and edge rusher Alex Highsmith) could give the New England offense a chance to continue their momentum from last weekend in Miami.
Pass Offense:
The Steelers still have T.J. Watt even without Highsmith and Watt is capable of dominating an offensive line. He likes to align over the right tackle, but with veteran Morgan Moses on that side, the Steelers may move him across the line to test rookie Will Campbell. Even without Highsmith, backup Nick Herbig is more than competent with 8.5 sacks in his first two seasons as a backup.
Veteran Cameron Heyward held in most of the summer and has had a slow start to the season. At 36 years old and still one of the best defensive players in the trenches, the Steelers did him dirty in contract negotiations this year forcing him to miss most of camp for a couple of incentives after 15 years of Hall of Fame production.
Tackles Morgan Moses and rookie Will Campbell will need to continue to stay strong in pass protection like last week to let the offense continue to improve. Although Watt had no sacks the first two weeks of the season, expect that to change.
The Patriots had some success passing the ball last week, but getting the running game on track was huge. Rhamondre Stevenson bounced back from a seven rush for 15 yards week one to pile up 54 yards on 11 receptions. He had the biggest play of the game with his 55-yard reception and finished with 88 yards on five receptions.
Antonio Gibson had a bigger role on offense after the struggles Henderson had in blocking. Once again, Gibson made a nice 15-yard run and finished with 27 yards on just five carries. The running game also featured Drake Maye, who looked afraid to tuck and run in week one, getting back to being a weapon and adding 31 yards on the ground and a touchdown.
Maye continued to spread the ball around on offense, with Stevenson leading the way but Stefon Diggs (4 for 32) and Austin Hooper (3 for 38) leading the way. Free agent acquisition Mack Hollins and Kayshon Boutte only had one reception each, but both were for a touchdown.
DeMario Douglas was invisible once again as he had just one reception for eight yards and has just three catches for six yards over the first two games. As the slot receiver in Josh McDaniels’ offense, Douglas needs to do more very soon or undrafted free agent Efton Chism could be taking those targets away from him.
The Steelers secondary was thin before the season started and after trading safety Minkah Fitzpatrick for veteran Jalen Ramsey were even thinner. Presumed starter Joey Porter Jr. is likely to be out injured again, and safety DeShon Elliott may miss the game. Darius Slay has shown his age and former Jets cast-offs Brandin Echols and Chuck Clark were pressed into service.
The Steelers saw Herbig playing a big role, and rookie Yahya Black out on the field with former Patriots interior defender Daniel Ekuale. That lack of depth is a huge part of the struggles for the Steelers so far in 2025.
New England needs the tight ends and wide receivers to lift up Drake Maye and the passing game in week three. There should be multiple opportunities for big play opportunities with gambling cornerbacks like Jones and Douglas vulnerable to double-moves. For that, the offensive line needs to slow that Miami pass rush and keep Maye clean in the pocket.
Run Offense:
The Patriots found their balance in week two as the offense as there were 19 rushes by the running backs and ten by Maye (including kneel downs). New England piled up 122 yards and the offensive line did a great job of making space.
This week offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels did not get locked in on the passing game like against Las Vegas and continued to pound the Miami defense. That commitment to the running game should pay off this week as the Steelers have struggled defending the run so far in 2025.
In fact, 2024 ended on a down note for the Steelers run defense as Derrick Henry and Lamar Jackson piled up an astonishing 299 yards on the ground in the Wild Card round. That terrible run defense carried over in 2025
A weakness on defense through two games for Pittsburgh has been the run defense. Patrick Queen is a stud in the middle of the defense and rookie fourth-round draft pick linebacker Jack Sawyer. Sawyer is always around the ball and a player I had mocked to New England with his Ohio State pedigree and that hard-charging play that fits the Mike Vrabel style.
After being gashed for 182 yards on the ground against the Jets in week one, the defense did tighten up against the run versus Seattle and held the Seahawks to 117 rushing yards despite 29 rushing attempts. However, much like New England used the running game to open up the passing game, the Seahawks’ balanced attack wore down Pittsburgh as they pulled away in the fourth quarter.
The Patriots running game was a strength in week two against Miami. Rookies Will Campbell and Jared Wilson were a formidable duo making space and center Garrett Bradbury, right guard Mike Onwenu and right tackle Morgan Moses all had plays controlling the line of scrimmage.
The New England offensive line still had too many penalties and weren’t as consistent as they’d like, but it was a solid performance and McDaniels finally showed his commitment to stick with the running game. Another performance like last week is expected again as the Pittsburgh defense should be another unit they can run on.
PIT Offense vs NE Defense
Fans in New England seem to underestimate how much the Patriots overhauled their defense this offseason. Other than the young standouts like Christian Barmore and Christian Gonzalez most of the starters were shown the door. Keion White and Anfernee Jennings made the cut, but both former starters are depth pieces. At linebacker, inexpensive pieces Marte Mapu and Christian Elliss are the only holdovers.
That front seven has been excellent at stopping the run game and has generated pressure without blitzing in the first two weeks. Miami and Las Vegas had a combined 117 yards rushing on 39 attempts, a woeful 3.0 yards per rush.
The Steelers bring what should be an explosive offense on paper to Foxborough. Lead back Jaylen Warren is explosive and his 65 yard reception last week was a testament to that. However, he and third down back Kenneth Gainwell have struggled to find space to run the ball.
At receiver, new acquisitions D.K. Metcalf and tight end Jonnu Smith have given the passing offense a boost. Smith leads the team in receptions and Metcalf is second only to Warren in receiving yards.
Of course, the big addition is Aaron Rodgers at quarterback. After having first Justin Fields and then Russell Wilson at quarterback last season, the Steelers dumped them both and waited for Rodgers to make his decision. This is an interesting experiment in Pittsburgh as Rodgers has a new and unfamiliar offensive coordinator in Arthur Smith and the usual high expectations of the fanbase in Pittsburgh.
Pass Defense:
The Patriots may finally get starting cornerback Christian Gonzalez back, although how effective he will be and how much he will play are up in the air. Conditioning is a concern being out since July with a hamstring injury and he will need time to get up to speed.
Carlton Davis, who had an up-and-down week one, was much better last week with Miami making a point to throw in the other direction. Davis was targeted just three times and allowed just six yards receiving in coverage.
Alex Austin had a tough go of it, struggling whether in coverage of Jaylen Waddle or Tyreek Hill. Both he and rookie Craig Woodson were the targets a whopping 15 out of 32 pass attempts by Tagovailoa.
The younger players had a target on them, but that is to be expected as they get used to the talent and speed of the NFL. Remember, these struggles are to be expected as they acclimate and are vital to their development.
What was most encouraging was the pass rush as free agent acquisition Milton Williams had an emphatic “game over” sack of Tagovailoa and with a healthy Christian Barmore attacking the interior of the Miami offensive line last week, the edge rushers K’Lavon Chaisson and Harold Landry were able to join them in the sack party. New England had five sacks and a lot of pressure.
Pittsburgh has traditionally had a strong offensive line, so it has been surprising to see their struggles to make space in the running game and the pressure on Rodgers. While Rodgers doesn’t have the mobility he once did, his veteran pocket movement and quick release has kept the sack numbers down. However, last week Byron Murphy and Derick Hall were seemingly in the backfield consistently.
The Steelers have a pair of young tackles in Broderick Jones and Troy Fautanu. Both are talented, but their youth shows at times. Despite their first round draft pick pedigree, they were overwhelmed by the Seahawks’ strong pass rushers when forced on an island without tight end help.
In the trenches, another pair of homegrown draft picks have key roles in the middle with center Zack Frazier and guard Mason McCormick starting. Veteran Isaac Seumalo at left guard is the only veteran as McCormick, Frazier and Fautano were all 2024 draft picks and Jones a 2023 pick.
The Steelers are a passing offense right now. Offensive Coordinator Arthur Smith made his bones in the NFL as offensive coordinator for Mike Vrabel in Tennessee with a lethal running game and carried that to him as head coach in Atlanta, taking a team that was last in rushing to one of the better units in three years. Last year, the Steelers were fourth in the NFL in attempts but through two weeks they are 30th in both rush yards and attempts.
The Steelers, like the Jets the last two years, are selling their souls on the fools gold of a 40+ year old quarterback hijacking their offense. The problem for Pittsburgh, like the Jets with Rodgers, is the pass catchers. LIke New York with Garrett Wilson, the Steelers have Metcalf as the number one and a huge drop off.
The Steelers have two tight ends on the field almost all the time, but neither Calvin Austin, Ben Skowronek or Roman Wilson look like a viable number two, let alone third or fourth option at wideout. The offense is leaning heavily on Jonnu Smith and Pat Freiermuth through two weeks, and that hasn’t meshed well with Rodgers so far.
Run Defense:
The New England run defense was strong again in week two after shutting down Las Vegas in week one. Nose tackle Khyris Tonga remains wildly underrated and looks like an impactful fit in the middle of the defense.
Milton Williams and Christian Barmore have enjoyed attacking up the field and penetrating to blow up running plays. Inside linebackers Christian Elliss and Robert Spillane had struggles tackling in space in the passing game, but against the run they have been consistent and key part of eliminating the running game for both opponents in 2025.
This week the pressure in run defense will be on the linebackers and safeties for New England to contain Jaylen Warren. He may not be the most stout runner between the tackles, but like De’Von Achane last week, he will be trying to get outside and turn the play into an explosive one with his blazing speed.
New England’s defense did a great job containing Achane last week holding him to 30 yards on the ground on 11 carries. With Warren, the penetration to hit him behind the line of scrimmage and force him to run laterally and not vertically and keep him from getting up to speed is vital as Warren is a big play threat.
New England’s defense should be able to make the Steelers one dimensional in the running game. If Christian Gonzalez can give the pass defense a boost, it could be a strong showing by the New England defense on Sunday.
Other Factors:
The New England Patriots saw rookie sixth-round draft pick kicker Andy Borregales miss a key field goal in his first game with the Patriots and then missed two extra points in the first quarter last week. While he came back in both week one and two to hit a pair of field goals, the New England offense is just not good enough to be leaving points on the board.
The special teams were up-and-down against Miami. Borregales had a kickoff short of the landing zone kicking off with less than two minutes in the game that gave Miami great field position for their final drive.
Punter Bryce Baringer had two booming punts of 60+ yards, but one was returned for a touchdown by Miami. Fortunately, the New England special teams finally had a big play with Antonio Gibson following up the punt return touchdown by Miami with a 90 yard kick return to take back the lead and swing momentum immediately.
The Steelers had rookie Kaleb Johnson make a huge special teams mistake last week fumbling the kickoff after the Seahawks broke a tie game with a field goal. Johnson, assuming the ball would go out of bounds or that he was still playing with NCAA rules, made no attempt to recover the fumble and the Seahawks suddenly had a ten point lead.
Usually, the Steelers special teams are solid as punter Corliss Waitman is one of the best in the business and their 11 year kicker Chris Boswell is perfect on the season and has made 90+% of his field goals in 7 of his 11 seasons, showing remarkable consistency and accuracy.
Game Pick:
Both of these teams have a lot to prove. New England bounced back nicely to pick up the win last week on the road, but the pass defense has been leaky. Pittsburgh has had struggles on defense as well.
The Steelers have Aaron Rodgers but one superstar receiver and a young and inconsistent offensive line blocking for him. New England had a better game blocking up front for Drake Maye last week but penalties continue to be a problem for the unit.
Neither of these teams look like more than a middle of the pack but missing the playoffs teams. Of course, New England is on the ascent while Pittsburgh appears to be on the decline as the two storied franchises are headed in different directions.
Fortunately for New England fans, their running game showed improvement and could give them the edge in what should be a close game. Right now, I don’t have confidence in Rodgers in a one-dimensional offense holding up against the Patriots pass rush.
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