Patriots-Steelers recap: the defense scored as often as the offense in a 20-3 win

The defense scored as often as the offense

The bottom line: New England forced two turnovers, sacked Rodgers four times and held Pittsburgh to 235 yards and a single field goal.

The details:

• Christian Barmore strip-sacked Rodgers early in the fourth quarter and Ponder picked the ball up and ran it back 19 yards for a touchdown, making it 20-3 with 13:37 left.
• With Pittsburgh at the New England 4-yard line later in the quarter, Ponder sacked Rodgers and, on the next play, Charles Woods broke up a quick throw that popped into the air for Jacas to intercept.
• Christian Elliss finished with 12 tackles, seven of them solo, and a sack. Joshua Farmer recorded his first career sack, an 11-yard loss.
• Rodgers, 42, went 23 of 39 for 187 yards with an interception and fumbled twice. “We just didn’t get into a rhythm. We had too many three-and-outs again,” he said. “I don’t feel like there was anybody that had an exceptional game out there. We all played below our standard.”
• Cornerback Christian Gonzalez shadowed DK Metcalf at times and held him to four catches for 27 yards. “As soon as I see the schedule,” Gonzalez said of anticipating the matchup. “That’s what you love about being a corner, going out there and competing against the best.”
• Mike Vrabel: “That has to be the formula, we have to affect the quarterback each and every week.”

The backdrop: The win was New England’s first in a home opener since 2020, Pats Pulpit noted. It also spared Vrabel what the Associated Press reported would have been just the second 0-2 start of his eight-year head coaching career. Pittsburgh won in Foxborough a year ago.

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The offense has still not turned up

The bottom line: Drake Maye went 14 of 22 for 208 yards with no touchdowns and an interception, his fourth in two games, and New England finished 0 for 1 in the red zone. Josh McDaniels rejoined the staff as offensive coordinator in 2025, making this his second season back in the role.

The details:

• Maye’s interception came in the third quarter on a deep throw to Hunter Henry off his back foot, picked off by linebacker Patrick Queen. Henry took the blame for it afterward.
• Romeo Doubs, held without a catch in his Patriots debut, caught three passes for 96 yards, including a 63-yard gain in the third quarter that set up a field goal. “I thought the day was productive,” Doubs said. “I just look forward to continuously improving and moving on to what’s next.”
• Andy Borregales made field goals from 30 and 45 yards and missed from 47. Pittsburgh’s Chris Boswell missed from 57 in the first quarter and made a 56-yarder as the first half expired.
• New England outgained Pittsburgh 327 yards to 235. Each team turned the ball over twice.
• Pittsburgh played without cornerback Joey Porter Jr. for a second straight week, ruled out with the back injury that has bothered him since training camp, Yahoo Sports reported.
• Maye afterward: “It is nothing to hang your hat on. It is early on, but at the same time, we have got to have some urgency and a little fire under us.”

What the coach said about it: Asked by the Boston Globe’s Ben Volin about his level of concern regarding Maye, Vrabel said: “Just trying to win the game, Ben. You’re not going to ruin my Sunday, but I’ll come back to you tomorrow. Thanks, bud.”

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The backfield changed hands

The bottom line: Rhamondre Stevenson was stripped on his second touch of the day, and TreVeyon Henderson out-snapped him 31 to 18 the rest of the way in his season debut.

The details:

• Steelers linebacker Nick Herbig stripped Stevenson near the sideline on the opening drive, which had reached the Pittsburgh 31.
• Henderson replaced him on the next series and, three plays in, ran 39 yards for a touchdown, the only offensive touchdown of the game and his first action of the season after an ankle injury cost him Week 1.
• Henderson finished with 16 carries for 76 yards. Stevenson had six carries for 43 yards and one catch for three yards.
• Stevenson also lost two fumbles in last season’s loss to Pittsburgh in Foxborough, the Associated Press noted.

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Onwenu carted off, and four more starters did not finish

The bottom line: Right guard Mike Onwenu suffered a broken right ankle, according to ESPN’s Mike Reiss, and Jordan Schultz reported the injury is feared to be season-ending. Vrabel gave no update afterward.

The details:

• Onwenu went down late in the first quarter when T.J. Watt, lunging at Maye on a sack, missed the quarterback and rolled onto the back of Onwenu’s right leg. Onwenu stayed down for several minutes, avoided putting weight on the leg and was carted off. The team ruled him out immediately.
• Greg Van Roten, a 12-year veteran who started all 17 games for the Giants last season, replaced him and played 40 snaps.
• Onwenu, 28, was a sixth-round pick in 2020, is in his seventh season and is the team’s longest-tenured player. Sunday was his 100th regular-season game, NESN reported.
• Craig Woodson, Eli Raridon and Dell Pettus were also ruled out during the game, and Dre’Mont Jones left early.
• New England was already without A.J. Brown, who is on injured reserve, and tackle Dametrious Crownover.

See the updated Patriots depth chart for how the offensive line and secondary are stacked after Sunday.

What teammates said: “Losing Big Mike is tough,” left tackle Will Campbell said. “He means so much not only to this team but our room. Such a great player, such a good leader.” Morgan Moses: “You can’t replace a guy with that type of stature and what he stands for as an offensive lineman.” Maye called him “gritty” and said he had “full confidence” in Van Roten.

Up next: New England travels to Jacksonville.

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Our take

We said take the Patriots and leave the spread alone. Half right: New England won, and won by 17. The mistake was reading a low projected total as a predictor of a close game.

The defense scored as many touchdowns as the offense, and the offense got its one on a 39-yard run from a short field. Year 2 under McDaniels was supposed to look better than this. Too early for the panic switch, and plenty of teams start slow and hit their stride later. But it’s worth watching.

Maye is still not right. The completion rate is fine. The fourth interception in two games, a total headscratcher thrown off his back foot, is the tell that he’s still finding the line between aggressive and reckless. New England went 0 for 1 in the red zone, which isn’t what you expect against a Pittsburgh team missing Joey Porter.

Stevenson lost the backfield on his second touch, and he lost two fumbles in last year’s Pittsburgh game too. Henderson out-snapped him 31 to 18 and took 16 carries. That’s not a rotation any more.

The real problem is health. Brown is on injured reserve, Onwenu’s ankle is broken, and four more starters didn’t finish Sunday. Last season’s run was carried by health as much as anything, and that’s gone now. Beating a 42-year-old Rodgers behind a leaking line doesn’t tell you much about whether this offense has an identity yet. Who knows what we’ll see in Jacksonville against a more competent offense.