Sportsnaut
Turnovers prevented the New England Patriots from winning back-to-back games for the first time since the 2022 season as they committed five turnovers (four fumbles) during Sunday’s 21-14 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers.
The turnover-fest also overshadowed some noteworthy performances turned in by New England players. Here are the positional-group grades the Patriots earned for their Week 3 loss:
Quarterback: Drake Maye had a productive game, but his performance will be remembered for his fumble that gave Pittsburgh the ball on its own 38-yard line with 7:41 to play in the game. The Steelers took advantage by driving 62 yards on nine plays and broke a 14-14 tie when Aaron Rogers tossed a 17-yard TD pass to Calvin Austin with 5:25 remaining. Maye also had a pass intercepted in the end zone, but the ball was tipped at the line of scrimmage. Maye completed 28-of-37 passes for 268 yards and two touchdowns. He also rushed for a team-high 45 yards on seven carries. | GRADE: B-
Running Backs: Not Good. Rhamondre Stevenson fumbled the ball away twice – once on Pittsburgh’s 1-yard line – and Antonio Gibson also lost a fumble. There wasn’t much in terms of rushing yardage either. TreVeyon Henderson gained 28 yards on 11 carries, Gibson rushed for 28 yards on seven carries and Stevenson had 18 yards on four carries. The only positive is how the running backs performed in the passing game. Stevenson caught three passes for 38 yards and Henderson had three receptions for 19 yards. | GRADE: D-
Wide Receivers: This group had only one catch of 20 yards or more, and that came from Kayshon Boutte (two catches for 28 yards). No other wide receiver had more than 27 receiving yards. Mack Hollins had four receptions. DeMario Douglass also failed to fight for a first down after making a catch on a fourth-and-one play on the team’s final possession. Moving forward, the Patriots will need more big plays from this position | GRADE: D
Offensive Line: The Steelers recorded five sacks, and Mike Onwenu picked up a penalty for being downfield on a pass play, which negated an 18-yard pass to Douglass. The Patriots rushed for 119 yards, but much of that came when Maye made something happen with his feet. It wasn’t awful, but there’s plenty of room for improvement here. | GRADE: C-
Defensive Line: The defensive line was part of an overall good effort turned in by the New England defense. There were no sacks, but New England’s defensive front did apply consistent pressure for most of the game. Defensive end Milton Williams had two tackles for loss. The Steelers averaged 2.5 yards on 26 rushing attempts and were limited to 139 yards passing. | GRADE: C
Linebackers: Robert Spillane recorded 15 tackles (10 solo) and may have been the best player on the field Sunday. He became the first New England player to have at least 15 tackles, one interception and one tackle for loss in a game...
