![]() Without Watt, Pittsburgh failed to generate any sort of sustained pass rush against Jones. The overtime victory came at quite a cost. Instead, New England came in looking for a jolt following a blah Week 1 loss to Miami while the Steelers are still in the nascent stages of the post-Roethlisberger era, a journey that began with a thrilling and slightly bizarre victory over Cincinnati last Sunday. The first meeting between two of the NFL's marquee franchises to feature neither Tom Brady nor Ben Roethlisberger in years lacked the high stakes that long defined the rivalry between former AFC superpowers. Bottom line, we've got to score more points.” “We can be better at everything,” said Trubisky, who completed 21 of 33 and was sacked three times. A mixture of a steady pass rush in Trubisky's face and some hesitancy by Trubisky to test the New England secondary led to a series of check downs that moved the sticks on occasion but failed to create any sustained momentum. The Steelers finished with just 243 yards of total offense as the Patriots made it a point to take away the deep passing game. We have to come off the ball with a purpose and we’ll be good.” “We have to bring that spark each and every week. “We need that spark,” said Steelers wide receiver Diontae Johnson. Those cheers don't figure to go away anytime soon, however, after the Steelers failed to pick up a single first down during their final two possession while squandering a chance to tie or take the lead. Trubisky hit Pat Freiermuth for a 7-yard touchdown on the first play of the fourth quarter to draw the Steelers within three and briefly quiet the chants for rookie backup quarterback Kenny Pickett. ![]() Mitch Trubisky threw for 168 yards with a touchdown and an interception for the Steelers, whose offense sputtered for long stretches as it struggled to find any sense of rhythm. Watt, who is out indefinitely with a left pectoral injury. Harris ran for 71 yards, most of them coming on a clock-chewing drive in the final minutes that let New England play keep away as Pittsburgh's defense sagged late without star outside linebacker T.J. “At the same time, I don't want it to be, ‘Hey, this is our identity.’ It's more ‘OK, we see some good stuff. “I hope this game is a stepping stone toward where we're headed,” Agholor said. And the special teams took advantage of a miscue by Pittsburgh punt returner Gunner Olszewski, whose muff helped New England celebrate owner Robert Kraft's 500th game like it has so many that came before it: with a win built not so much on style, but substance. The defense forced a pair of three-and-outs in the fourth quarter after the Steelers had drawn within three. Jones bounced back from a rough Week 1 performance to throw for 253 yards, including a 44-yard heave to a leaping Agholor that gave the Patriots a 10-3 lead at the break. “To come to Pittsburgh and gut out a win, you start to build who you are.”Īn identity that may, in the end, turn out to be much the same as so many New England teams that came before it. “We're building an identity,” said longtime Patriots defensive back Devin McCourty. ![]() A leaping pass deflection by linebacker Matthew Judon in the fourth quarter, all of it topped off by 6:33 of pure physical domination by an offensive line that let the Patriots drain the clock on their way to beating the Steelers for the 13th time in 17 meetings under coach Bill Belichick. A muffed punt that found its way into the hands of Brenden Schooler to set up a pivotal touchdown run by Damien Harris. One big throw from quarterback Mac Jones to Nelson Agholor right before halftime. The response was a performance that's become the standard for an organization that worries far less about style points and far more about winning by any means necessary: a clinical, largely selfless 17-14 victory over Pittsburgh on Sunday that kept New England without an 0-2 start in over 20 years. ![]() A starting point the Patriots knew would in no way define their season. ![]() It doesn't matter the year, the opponent or even the quarterback.Ī sometimes lifeless loss to Miami in their opener was just that, an opener. PITTSBURGH - The New England Patriots don't panic. NFL, Pittsburgh Steelers, New England Patriots Patriots rely on defense to edge Watt-less Steelers 17-14 ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |