Patriots vs. Steelers live updates: New England looks to avoid dreaded 0-2 start

The Stevenson fumble didn't compound into a larger issue for the Patriots, as the defense forced another three-and-out. Rookie pass rusher Gabe Jacas was a noticeable standout on the drive, not biting on a Rodgers play-action pass and providing pressure, which led to an incompletion. 

Flashbacks of 2025. When these two teams played one another last year, the story was the slew of turnovers committed by the Patriots, namely by Rhamondre Stevenson. Fast forward to this matchup, and that issue has reared its head again. Stevenson hauled in a pass from Drake Maye and had the ball popped free. Pittsburgh recovers. 

The Pittsburgh offense had a quick three-and-out with Aaron Rodgers throwing a third-down pass a bit too low to DK Metcalf. Those two struggled to have a strong rapport in Week 1, and it may continue to struggle with Christian Gonzalez shadowing the wideout today. 

"It's hard to call a Week 2 matchup a kitchen-sink game or any team, but I sort of feel that way with the Patriots. They completely collapsed in the fourth quarter and lost a winnable game against the Seahawks in the season opener. After this game on Sunday, they'll begin a two-week road trip where they'll head to Jacksonville and Buffalo. The Patriots shouldn't expect to be favored in either of those matchups, so if they drop this home opener to Pittsburgh, they're looking down the barrel of a potential 0-4 start. 

"While they did lose A.J. Brown (ankle) to injury, I think New England should be able to outpace the Steelers' offense. Aaron Rodgers was tied for the fourth-worst EPA per dropback in the NFL in Week 1 as the Pittsburgh offense averaged just 4.1 yards per play against Atlanta. The Patriots boast a far better defense than the Falcons, with All-Pro corner Christian Gonzalez and a pass rush that was surprisingly disruptive in Week 1. 

"Remember, the Steelers went into Foxborough in Week 3 last year and pulled out a 21-14 win. In that loss, the Patriots turned the ball over five (!) times. Mike Vrabel will almost certainly remind them of that game and push them to right the wrong here. 

"Drake Maye is also 6-0 SU and 5-1 ATS as a 3-plus point favorite at home in his career." -- Tyler Sullivan, who has the Patriots pulling out the 24-17 win. 

"New England has been off for a while since losing the opener to the Seahawks. The offense was bad that night. It will be better here. The Steelers didn't do much on offense in the victory over the Falcons, which I think will carry over in this one. This is a low-scoring game with the Pats winning it." -- Prisco, who has New England winning, 21-14. 

The Steelers pass rusher was a menace in the opening win over Atlanta, piling up two sacks and his first career pick-six. Given the questions that remain around New England's offensive line, Watt could again prove to be a key pendulum in this matchup. 

New England's offseason prize, A.J. Brown, finds himself on injured reserve after suffering an ankle injury in the opener. After a rough debut, Romeo Doubs will be leaned on quite a bit in the passing game, but I wouldn't be surprised if Drake Maye also peppers the likes of Mack Hollins and Hunter Henry as well. 

Drake Maye will look to get back to his MVP form from last year after a disastrous 2026 debut in Seattle. Specifically, he threw three interceptions in the fourth quarter. Not ideal. The area of concern for me is his inability to throw the deep ball, which was something he was elite at last year. All three of his picks came on throws with 15-plus air yards last week.