The Patriots bounced back after a poor showing in Week 1, to beat the Dolphins 33-27 and get a rare win in Miami.
Drake Maye had his best game as a professional, Rhamondre Stevenson had a big game, and defensively Milton Williams continued his hot start and sealed the game with a 4th down sack of Tua Tagovailoa.
But the play of the game went to Antonio Gibson who returned a kickoff 90 yards for a touchdown to put the Patriots up for good.
The Steelers had a rough second half, getting outscored 24-3 at home to lose 31-17 to the Seahawks. Aaron Rodgers had a rough outing going 18-33 for 203 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions. He was sacked three times.
The Steelers were surprisingly gashed on the ground for the second week in a row. Kenneth Walker rushed for 105 yards on 13 carries with a touchdown.
CBS will broadcast this week’s game, which can be seen locally on WBZ-TV Channel 4. Ian Eagle will handle play-by-play duties with J.J. Watt as the color analyst. Evan Washburn will provide analysis from the sidelines. The game will also be aired on the Patriots’ flagship radio station, 98.5 The Sports Hub, with Bob Socci and Scott Zolak on the call, produced by Marc Capello.
We at PatsFans.com are continuing our “Razor’s Edge” column in 2025 to analyze some of the game’s key matchups and what to expect in the game’s outcome.
Some Quick Notes:
The Patriots have gotten the better of Mike Tomlin through the years, going 10-3 against the Steelers in his tenure, although the last time the two teams played was in 2023.
This will be just the 36th meeting between the two teams, with the regular season record tied at 15-15. The Patriots own a 4-1 record in the postseason against Pittsburgh with AFC Championship Game wins in 2001, 2004, and 2016.
The Patriots will wear their classic red throwbacks with the “Pat the Patriot” logo on Sunday. I wish they’d return to that uniform permanently (I know…broken record).
So now we can look at some key matchups and who holds the Razor’s Edge. First up is the Patriots offense:
Patriots RBs vs. Steelers Front Seven — Edge New England
The Patriots’ running game was operating well last week against Miami’s talented front four, averaging 4.1 yards per carry, while piling up more than 120 yards on the ground.
The Steelers, normally very stout against the run, have not been in the first two weeks of the season. Kenneth Walker of the Seahawks averaged 8.1 yards per carry last week, while the Steelers have allowed an average of 149.5 yards on the ground, which is very un-Pittsburgh-like.
But with the three talented backs in Rhamondre Stevenson, Antonio Gibson, and rookie TreVeyon Henderson, expect Josh McDaniels to do what Seattle and the Jets did, pound the ball away from T.J. Watt until the Steelers figure things out.
The plan will be to run the ball and keep the Steelers’ defense off balance and open up play-action passing to slow down the pass rush. One key matchup to keep an eye on is rookie guard Jared Wilson against Cameron Heyward.
Patriots WRs vs. Steelers Secondary — Edge New England
The Patriots’ passing game showed some good signs of coming together last week in Miami. Drake Maye had his best game as a pro, and he’ll be looking to continue that trend.
Pittsburgh’s pass defense, due to the aforementioned struggles in the running game, has been susceptible to play-action passing. Sam Darnold completed 66 percent of his passes for 295 yards with 2 TDs and 2 INTs last week.
Josh McDaniels traditionally feasted on Pittsburgh’s zone coverage through the Brady years. The Steelers are playing a lot more man coverage this season. This leaves them a tad vulnerable to Maye’s scrambling.
On social media this week, both Evan Lazar and Brian Baldinger made not of the Jets and Seattle scoring against Pittsburgh using the “Yankee concept” featuring deep crossers…the NFL being a copy-cat league, could we see that? You bet.
The Patriots should see an uptick in tight end looks this week, it feels like a Hunter Henry type of day. Look for more of the running backs out of the backfield this week. More wheel routes and trying to isolate the backs on linebackers.
Next up, the Steelers offense:
Steelers RBs vs. NE Front Seven — Edge New England
The Patriots have done a good job thus far of slowing down opponents’ running games in the first two games. Currently, the Patriots allow opponents only 58.3 yards per game rushing. The big men in the middle, Milton Williams and Christian Barmore, have been outstanding against the run.
The Steelers’ running game has yet to get untracked this season, running for 72 yards and just 53 against the Jets. They’ll look to get Jaylen Warren and Kenneth Gainwell going this week, attacking the line head-on, rather than trying to spread it out where the Patriots’ pursuit will slow things up.
Steelers WRs vs. NE Secondary — Edge Pittsburgh
The Pittsburgh passing game has a significant advantage here. They have the players to attack the intermediate/deep areas of the field. The Patriots’ secondary has had numerous issues with allowing chunk plays.
The team wants to play more man coverage, but with Christian Gonzales injured, they’ve played more zone and have paid the price. The Patriots’ pass defense is currently last in the league, allowing 315 yards per game.
One area the defense has struggled badly is with the linebackers in coverage and in missed tackles. This has to improve. But Pittsburgh has two very good tight ends in Pat Freiremuth and Jonnu Smith, along with Warren out of the backfield. That could be an Achilles Heel this week.
The Patriots, however, do lead the league in sacks with nine (how strange does that sound?), and sacks can be a great eraser of secondary problems. Aaron Rodgers’ pass protection on the left side has had issues. Look for Mike Vrabel to try to get Harold Landry going on the edge.
Special Teams — Edge Pittsburgh
The Patriots’ special teams units had an up-and-down week, two missed field goals, a 74-yard punt return TD allowed, and penalties. But then Andy Borregales nailed a clutch 53-yard field goal, Bryce Barringer averaged 68 yards on his two punts. And Antonio Gibson sealed the win with a 90-yard kickoff return for a TD.
The Steelers’ Chris Boswell is an outstanding kicker, Corliss Waitman is having an outstanding year averaging 51.4 yards per punt.
Next up, who wins and why…
___________
Prediction:
The Patriots will aim to actually get a winning streak going. When was the last time they had one of those? Answer: October 2022. Ouch. How far the mighty have fallen.
But this is a new regime and a new team. The Patriots have improved the team this spring and summer, and are looking to accelerating the rebuild. A win against Rodgers and the Steelers would go a long way toward that end.
The Patriots have done well against Mike Tomlin’s teams and they’ll find a way to hold on for a very close victory on Sunday behind the running game and Drake Maye. New England 26-24
Follow me on Twitter @SteveB7SFG or email me at [email protected]
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A former US Army Special Forces NCO and Officer, Steve has been following the Patriots since their days at Fenway Park. Steve has worked in the film industry and wrote as an Military Editor at SpecialOperations.com, 1945.com as a reporter for the Millbury Daily Voice, Millbury-Sutton Chronicle, and the Grafton News. He's also a member of the Pro Football Writers of America (PFWA)
