Pats Pulpit
During the heyday of the New England Patriots’ dynasty, Gillette Stadium was a near-impenetrable fortress. Between the arena’s opening in 2002 and quarterback Tom Brady’s departure following the 2019 season, the team won 140 of 167 combined regular season and playoff games on its home turf.
Oh, how the times have changed. Going back to 2020, the Patriots’ win percentage at home dropped from previously 83.8 percent to 37.2. In fact, New England has lost exactly the same number of games — 27 — over the last five seasons than in the previous 18, including this year’s opener against the Las Vegas Raiders.
In Week 3, the Patriots will get another crack at giving their home crowd something to cheer for. However, FanDuel Sportsbook projects that they will not be able to beat the visiting Pittsburgh Steelers.
Both the Patriots and Steelers are entering Week 3 with 1-1 records under their respective belts. However, while New England is coming off a 33-27 victory over the Miami Dolphins, Pittsburgh suffered a 31-17 shellacking at the hands of the Seattle Seahawks last Sunday.
Kickoff between the two longtime foes at Gillette Stadium is set for 1 p.m. ET on Sunday, Sept. 21.
