Pats Pulpit
The New England Patriots hadn’t won back-to-back games since the 2022 season.
That streak continued Sunday at Gillette Stadium, where mistakes as well as the Pittsburgh Steelers delivered a 21-14 defeat.
Here’s a glance back on the 1 p.m. ET kickoff as head coach Mike Vrabel’s side moves into autumn at 1-2.
A week removed from reaching new heights in efficiency, Drake Maye completed 28-of-37 passes for 268 yards against the Steelers. The Patriots quarterback found two touchdowns and two turnovers.
Taking the huddle in “12” personnel, the opening drive included a sack, an interception and a penalty for illegal contact that ultimately negated it. Things ended on the ground and in Pittsburgh’s grasp. New England’s next series featured a quarterback hit from a blitzing Patrick Queen as well as a stunting sack on third-and-5 to force a punt. No semblance of a rhythm could be established in the first quarter with the AFC North visitors living in the backfield.
A 14-0 deficit was how the second quarter got underway. Hunter Henry’s third-and-6 sitdown in the zone kept it going. Then on third-and-4, the tenured team captain slipped out from a condensed formation for a play-action touchdown. But backbreakers had to be avoided for the offense. Safety Chuck Clark nearly had two picks in hand by halftime. And by then, a drive that spanned 17 plays became a tipped interception in the end zone for cornerback Brandin Echols.
The 23-year-old under center for the Patriots headed out of the tunnel unfazed. A 15-play, 88-yard response as the third quarter gave way to the fourth quarter took up 8:44 of game clock. And this time, Henry’s second touchdown catch of the afternoon made it a tie game. The tight end ended up with a team-high 90 receiving yards. But Maye, who scrambled for a team-high 45 rushing yards and had a stretch of 13 completions, lost his side’s fourth fumble of the afternoon. Linebacker Nick Herbig hit home with 7:41 to go and would be back for more.
In the red throwbacks, Rhamondre Stevenson looked to pick up where he left off. Instead, the running back lost his first fumble of the season on the first series of Sunday. The Patriots won the coin toss and elected to receive. Linebacker Cole Holcomb and cornerback Darius Slay had different plans for the Steelers. A trip the end zone followed the turnover.
But the starting rusher returned to the field.
Stevenson converted on a fourth-and-1 pitch with the uprights at his back before halftime and ended up 56 yards from scrimmage across seven opportunities. He couldn’t outlast the goal line, however, at the 13:16 mark in the third quarter. The football was missing from what appeared to be a touchdown. Ageless defensive tackle Cam Heyward ripped a 14-14 game away.
Ex-Patriots safety Jabrill Peppers soon made it three forced fumbles against the...
