The New England Patriots began their 2026 regular season on the wrong foot. Dropping their opener against the world champion Seattle Seahawks, they have started their second campaign under head coach Mike Vrabel with an 0-1 record.
In order to improve to 1-1 and get their first victory of the season, the Patriots will have to defend their home turf against a Pittsburgh Steelers team that did win in Week 1. A win over Pittsburgh would not just mean a return to .500 on the year for New England, though, but also the first W in a home opener since the 2020 season.
Advertisement
Live score: Patriots 7 : 0 Steelers
Sunday, Sept. 20, 1 p.m. ET | Gillette Stadium (Foxborough, MA) | Broadcast information | Inactives | Game day roster | Weather forecast
First Quarter
The Patriots started the game on defense, and with a quick three-and-out. New England allowed just three combined yards on two Steelers carry, while Aaron Rodgers’ decision to target Christian Gonzalez on the game’s first third down led to an incompletion and subsequent punt.
New England’s first offensive series started well, with Drake Maye completing passes to DeMario Douglas and Hunter Henry to move the unit into Steelers territory. However, the drive came to a quick and disappointing end when Rhamondre Stevenson lost a fumble on his second touch of the day.
Advertisement
Before even starting their next series, a taunting penalty against safety Jalen Ramsey backed the Steelers up at their own 16-yard line. Things did not get better for Rodgers and company from that point on: a short run was followed by Gabe Jacas forcing a throwaway and another incompletion on third down.
Marcus Jones gained 19 yards on his first punt return of the day, allowing the Patriots to begin their second drive on the Pittsburgh 49-yard line. It could have been a quick one, with a 10-yard Jalen Ramsey sack on third down seemingly ending the series. However, a defensive offsides penalty negated the play and gave New England another chance. TreVeyon Henderson took advantage of it: not only did he convert the subsequent 3rd-and-1, he followed it up with a 39-yard touchdown run on the very next play. [Patriots 7 : 0 Steelers]
Join Pats Pulpit on game day!
Stay on top of every Patriots update and debate every snap with other diehard fans. Game-day discussion is smoother in the SB Nation app.
-
Jump easily between conversations
-
Faster commenting and posting
Download on iOS or Android.
Read the full article here
