Patriots Week 3 Report Card In 21-14 Loss To Pittsburgh
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The Patriots were a sloppy, undisciplined team on Sunday, and had no business actually still being in the game with five turnovers, and yet there they were late in the game.
It was one of those bizarre games that was there for the taking but their own mistakes doomed them to a tough loss that was painful to watch. The optimism entering the game was pretty high, after a win in Miami, which has always been a tough place to win for them, the Patriots were returning home with a chance for their first modest two-game winning streak in three years. (That’s the reality here).
They were facing an eminently beatable Steelers team that had been gashed badly on defense for the first two weeks of the season. And, in the overall scheme of things, the Patriots’ offense moved the ball well all game long.
But the turnovers are killers. While there were some positive (and negative) performances that stand out, it was the basic tenets that Mike Vrabel preaches, consistency, taking care of the football, and finishing strong that the team lacked, which led to a crushing loss.
So, some of the grades will be all over the place…accordingly.
So, as we always do, let’s break it down by position
Drake Maye had his best game as a professional last Sunday. Maye followed that up on Sunday, with some more excellent play, and some questionable ones against the Steelers defense.
Maye finished 28-37 for 268 yards with 2 TDs and 1 INT. for a passer rating of 102.1. Maye once again showed excellent command of the offense after a first quarter where they started poorly. He also picked his spots with scrambling, gaining 45 yards on seven rushing attempts.
However, two of the Patriots five turnovers rest with him. The first was the interception in the end zone that was tipped at the line. But I disagreed with that entire three-play sequence from the Steelers 2-yard line (more to that below).
But the fumble was inexcusable. He was going to get sacked, and he was attempting to do a shuttle pass and lost the ball. That is a stupid mistake, that we’ve already seen too many times. And it has to get hammered home for him to take the sack and play on.
The Patriots had moved 49 yards on the drive up to that point. It was on a first down at the Pittsburgh 33. There was zero reason for it. This knocked the rating down an entire grade.
Heroes to zeros in one week. Patriots running backs had 22 rushing attempts and put the ball on the ground three times. That is another completely unacceptable situation.
Rhamondre Stevenson came off of an outstanding game in Miami and had the spectre of his worst nightmares from 2024 come home to roost. He fumbled twice and both were lost. The second one was the absolute killer, losing the ball about a foot short of the goal line. That was a soul crusher.
As I wrote in my post game report, it is now a trust issue. Everyone is saying the right things, but how can the coaching staff trust Stevenson moving forward. He’s an excellent back, but it may be time to have a serious conversation about where they go from here.
Antonio Gibson also put the ball on the ground, and they went with rookie TreVeyon Henderson who was ineffective Sunday, but he’ll be fine. I think Gibson and Henderson may be the first two options next week in Carolina.
The wide receivers totaled 12 catches for 93 yards. While not terrible, it isn’t great either. No one is stepping up to become that go-to guy (see Henry, Hunter, TE), I’m not concerned with Stefon Diggs (3 catches, 23 yards), who is rounding into form from his torn ACL last year.
I was a bit surprised that Kayshon Boutte was targeted only three times. I would really like to see he and Kyle Williams more involved with the game plan to open things up.
Demario Douglas had the last reception on the day, and why on a 4th and 2 is the slot guy running a 1 yard route? Didn’t anyone watch Julian Edelman’s HOF induction the day before?
The Patriots did have a go-to guy on Sunday and it was Hunter Henry. I wrote in my pregame keys to watch, that it felt like a Hunter Henry type of game. And it certainly was. Henry had eight catches for 90 yards with two touchdowns.
Henry leads the Patriots in catches (13 tied with Diggs), yards (165), and touchdowns (2)…surprised? You shouldn’t be.
Austin Hooper chipped in with two catches for 28 yards. Positional total, 10 catches, 118 yards and two touchdowns. Excellent day.
The offensive line was not the issue on Sunday. Yes, they gave up five sacks, but against an aggressive Pittsburgh defense, the Patriots were playing from behind all game long, and everyone knows Pittsburgh is not a sit back and play bend but not break type of defense. They will….and did come after you.
Was it perfect? Heck no, but the Patriots moved the ball well all day. They generated nearly 400 yards of offense. Imagine if they could have…you know, held on to the damn ball a bit more.
The defensive line has been a position of strength through the first three games and on Sunday it was so again. The Steelers’ running game rushed for 64 yards and averaged 2.5 yards per carry.
Jaylen Warren could only manage 47 on 18 carries, (2.6 yard average), and although they produced no sacks, Milton Williams and Christian Barmore were the disruptive duo that the Patriots wanted inside. Overall it was an outstanding effort.
The Steelers only produced 203 yards of offense on the day. Even with the benefit of five turnovers. The defensive line had a big hand in that.
The linebackers were a mixture of excellent and bad. But Robert Spillane, who struggled the first two weeks of the season, had his Patriots coming out party. He had an interception at the beginning of the second half that should have been the play that changed the entire momentum of the game. But, the Patriots fumbled it away on the goal line.
However, (comma) Spillane was the guy we’ve been expecting this season. He was everywhere, garnering 15 tackles, one TFL, one pass defensed, as well as the aforementioned interception. He graded out high.
But Christian Ellis was benched for Jack Gibbens, which is not a great sign and that knocked down the grade considerably. Marte Mapu got beat by Jonnu Smith on a seam route for 21 yards, but entering the game, a big focus was stopping Pittsburgh’s tight ends, Smith and Pat Freiremuth. The duo combined for 4 catches for 29 yards. And you’ll take that all day long.
Running backs Warren (5 catches for 34 yards) and Kenneth Gainwell (1, 10 yards) weren’t big factors in the passing game.
The Patriots secondary had its issues, Alex Austin in particular, but overall, it is kind of difficult to find too much wrong with they did, when Aaron Rodgers passed for 139 yards on the day. If I told you that he would pass for that much and Pittsburgh would run for only 64, you’d think the Patriots won easily.
Austin’s days as a starter appeared numbered, he’s been picked on every week in Christian Gonzalez’s absence, and he was the guy the Steelers went after. But, a couple of the penalties called were …s***e. The holding on a third down that would have stopped Pittsburgh at their 5-yard line was ticky-tack. Williams sacked Rodgers and caused a fumble, which the Steelers recovered.
Following that, the 15-yarder on Marcus Jones was awful, he launched himself trying to take the receiver, and… it led to a touchdown several plays later. It is what it is, but they were mostly good.
I thought the safety group also looked very good overall on Sunday. They seemed to have turned a corner so to speak. We’ll see if they can keep it going next week in Carolina.
The ST units weren’t great; the return units this week were held in check. Bryce Barringer boomed a punt 59 yards, but it went into the end zone for a touchback. But they weren’t bad either. Pittsburgh’s return game had just one kickoff return for 27 yards.
Mike Vrabel has preached that he wants certain core principles to guide the team, protect the football and finishing as two of the main ones. Well they didn’t accomplish either of those on Sunday.
But with each turnover they committed, the team could have rolled over, but they didn’t. Make no mistake, there isn’t any moral victory BS at work here. But they didn’t let it dictate their focus. But the turnovers and penalties are unacceptable, Vrabel knows that of course. And they have to start cleaning that up.
I liked Josh McDaniels game plan, the offense moved the ball all day, despite the horrible turnovers. But I also didn’t like his play selection at the end of the half.
They were pushed back to their own 4-yard line and pushed the Steelers all the way down the field. When you drive 90+ yards like that, it is one of those drives that sets the tone. To get inside the five, and not attempt a run there was playing right into Pittsburgh’s strengths.
I don’t get it, but perhaps we’ll hear why they called what they did, but that sequence, like the Stevenson fumble in the end zone was an absolute killer of momentum.
Defensive coaches did a great job, holding them to 203 yards and just 21 points despite the fact the offense turned it over five times.
We’re done with Steelers Week, it is time to turn the page. And as James Taylor said, “I got Carolina on my mind.”
Follow me on Twitter @SteveB7SFG or email me at [email protected].
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Nice article Steve. This team is eerily similar to where Parcels was in year two with Bledsoe and a roster transformation going on. A key point being a rebuild doesn’t happen in one year.
This team outplayed Pitt. Shoulda coulda won , but stepping back I see they are moving forward fairly well. They are so much better than last year. Prospectus is positive.