The Patriots hosted the Steelers for the first time in six years on Sunday at Gillette Stadium.
This was the second home loss of the season for the Patriots and it also prevented New England from winning back-to-back games for the first time since the 2022 season.
It was a slow start for the Patriots after Rhamondre Stevenson turned the ball over on a fumble on the opening drive that led to Pittsburgh scoring from it on their first drive of the game.
With some adjustments from last week in Miami to this week against Pittsburgh, there are six takeaways New England can take from its Week 3 loss to the Steelers.
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- 1. Rhamondre Stevenson Took A Step Back
- 2. Robert Spillane Emerged for Patriots Defense
- 3. Mike Vrabel's Poor Clock Management at the End of the 1st Half
- 4. Hunter Henry Popped for the Patriots Offense
- 5. The Patriots Defense Kept the Offense in the Game
- 6. The Patriots Two-Minute Offense Failed in the Fourth Quarter
1. Rhamondre Stevenson Took A Step Back
After a standout performance last week, starting running back Rhamondre Stevenson fumbled on the Patriots’ opening drive of the game. He fumbled again in the third quarter from the goal line in what would have been a touchdown and tied the game to start the second half.
Although Stevenson led the NFL with seven fumbles last season, he’s been great this year and hasn’t made any errors until this point in Week 3. It was a disappointing outing for Stevenson in this game.
Stevenson finished the game with four carries for 18 yards and two fumbles in the run-game and he also had three receptions for 38 yards. He was the best player on the field in Week 2 and one of the worst in Week 3.
2. Robert Spillane Emerged for Patriots Defense
Robert Spillane has not been as advertised through the first two weeks of the season, but he was ready to play on Sunday. He had nine tackles in the first half, which was a game-high, and he totaled 15 by the end of the game with a pass deflection and an interception.
Spillane's performance was concerning after his Week 2 performance in Miami, but it looked like he returned to his normal form as a top linebacker despite the Week 3 loss.
3. Mike Vrabel's Poor Clock Management at the End of the 1st Half
There was an opportunity at the end of the first half for the Patriots to score a touchdown, but it ended in an interception.
The Patriots started their final drive of the first half from their own six yard line with 7:20 remaining on the clock. Maye and the offense moved the ball all the way to the red zone in a strong 11-play drive.
Maye made a completion to Hunter Henry for an 18 yard gain that landed the Patriots at the five-yard line with 48 seconds remaining on the clock and with three timeouts in their pocket. At this point they should’ve used a timeout to regroup.
But on the next play, Maye caught the defense jumping offsides and the five yard penalty brought the ball to the two-yard line. From there, Maye threw two incompletions and then the interception to end the half.
Vrabel should consider calling more timeouts to help regroup his young quarterback and the offense in critical moments, especially when there’s one (or two) to burn.
4. Hunter Henry Popped for the Patriots Offense
Hunter Henry popped off in Week 3 as the leading receiver for Maye and the Patriots, finishing with eight receptions for 90 yards and two touchdowns.
Henry was the go-to option for Maye. He was able to get to the open spaces of the defense and make plays. He saw 11 targets, which was six more than any other player on the team.
5. The Patriots Defense Kept the Offense in the Game
Although the defense allowed three touchdowns, they also remained strong throughout the game to give the offense multiple opportunities to take over the game.
It wasn’t always pretty, but the defense put together impressive drives that had stops and turnovers and created big moments that brought the energy of the team and the Patriots fans back into the game.
In the fourth quarter, the defense allowed another touchdown to give Pittsburgh the lead with only 2:16 remaining, But it was all after the offense gave up five turnovers and the defense held the Steelers to only two scores from that.
6. The Patriots Two-Minute Offense Failed in the Fourth Quarter
The Patriots started at their own 40-yard line and chipped their way up the field with a quick pass to Henderson for eight yards. Maye scrambled for 15 yards on the next play. It was followed by a TJ Watt sack for a loss of three yards.
Here’s what the Patriots did after calling a timeout after the sack:
- Maye threw an incomplete pass that went behind DeMario Douglas, who was wide open on a drag route over the middle of the field.
- Maye stood tall and strong in the pocket to connect with Henry for 12 yards, forcing a 4th & 1 with 1:07 remaining on the clock.
- Maye threw a quick pass to Douglas, who took a step backwards without crossing the first down line, forcing a turnover on downs and ending the game.