Pats Pulpit
These dogs do have some fight in them after all. Good sign! Heading into Week 3 at 0-2 would have been downright depressing. Conjuring up a positive spin on the Patriots’ ability to pull out a win against the Steelers — especially after losing to the free-falling Dolphins, would have taken work. Nothing gets easier once the NFL regular-season engine starts up and no franchise survives being a one-trick pony. There’s more film to study and good teams find a way to cancel out whatever their opponents do well.
Drake Maye looked cool and unruffled. Will Campbell and the offensive line studied last week’s film, made adjustments and stepped up in Week 2. The run game emerged. Rhamondre Stevenson reminded us why he shouldn’t be written off or replaced by the flashy new rookie. Antonio Gibson signaled he’s still an asset too.
Still a work in progress, the team punch list includes improved tackling, the defense not giving up chunk plays, special teams, and cleaning up the penalty situation to name a few. The penalties alone almost killed the team’s chances. Mike Vrabel voiced his displeasure with rookie referee Alex Moore, but that’s all after the fact. In real time, his players can’t commit the amount of penalties they did in Miami and expect to win.
Up next come the 1-1 Steelers, led by Aaron Rodgers. In Week 1 they were motivated to beat the Jets with a stick (I mean, who isn’t?) But the Seahawks were able to find the holes in their defense – middle of the field, just like the Brady era. Here’s hoping Josh McDaniels can exploit those weak areas, and the Pats defense can shore up their run defense before Sunday. Steelers open as slight favorites at Gillette Stadium, once again looking to the Patriots as a ‘get right game.’ But I don’t see it. I’m picking the fight, the momentum and the Patriots to win.
GO PATS!!
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Around the AFC East:
Buffalo Bills (2-0) vs. Miami Dolphins (0-2)
New England Patriots (1-1) vs. Pittsburgh Steelers (1-1)
New York Jets (0-2) at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-0)
AFC Matchups:
Cincinnati Bengals (2-0) at Minnesota Vikings (1-1)
Indianapolis Colts (2-0) at Tennessee Titans (0-2)
Los Angeles Chargers (2-0) vs. Denver Broncos (1-1)
Baltimore Ravens (1-1) vs. Detroit Lions (1-1)
Jacksonville Jaguars (1-1) vs. Houston Texans (0-2)
Las Vegas Raiders (1-1) at Washington Commanders (1-1)
Cleveland Browns (0-2) vs. Green Bay Packers (2-0)
Kansas City Chiefs (0-2) at New York Giants (0-2)
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22nd – Diante Lee (The Ringer): *Drake Maye’s breakout season loading. If 2025 ends up being Drake Maye’s breakout year, we’ll look back on this game against Miami and say that this was the type of complete performance that helped Maye turn the corner. His footwork was clean in the pocket, his throws were precise, and he flashed the athletic ability that makes him a valuable scrambler when plays break down. New England’s offensive scheme is asking him to do a lot of heavy...
