The Patriots didn’t just beat the Steelers on Sunday. They made a statement on defense in a 20-3 win that looked, for long stretches, like a unit operating on a different level.
New England’s front lived in Aaron Rodgers’ space all afternoon, the secondary smothered Pittsburgh’s passing game, and the whole operation made Zak Kuhr look like the kind of defensive coordinator who always has one more answer waiting. After a three-point outing, there was plenty to like.
Up front, the Patriots turned the game into a long, miserable afternoon for the Steelers. Christian Barmore, Elijah Ponder, and Gabe Jacas stood out most, but Milton Williams left his fingerprints all over the game even without a flashy stat line. He drew plenty of attention from the offensive line, and that opened the door for others to work in better situations.
Jacas made the most of it. He played with relentless energy and the kind of size and strength that can wreck blocking plans before they even settle in. It’s the sort of impact that makes him look like a serious piece for this defense moving forward.
Ponder was another name that jumped off the field. He flashed some encouraging moments last season, but Sunday felt different. He finished with three tackles and a sack, and looked far more like a dependable part of the rotation.
That’s why this defensive line feels so dangerous. It already has the look of a group that can stress offenses snap after snap. The one thing that still feels missing is another edge rusher for depth, potentially through a trade.
Behind that front, the secondary looked like a no-fly zone. Christian Gonzalez shadowed DK Metcalf all game and basically took him out of the picture.
Metcalf never found a real answer, and the frustration showed. Gonzalez even got under his skin with some trash talk, the same calm, face-to-face kind that brings to mind Stephon Gilmore when he used to lock someone down and let them know about it without making a scene.
And the Patriots did all of that without Carlton Davis III, who was injured and didn’t suit up. That only makes the performance look better. With the group healthy, New England has the chance to turn that back end into a real problem for opposing receivers.
Kuhr, meanwhile, kept pulling the right strings. One blitz in particular summed it up: linebacker Christian Ellis came through untouched as a free rusher and flattened Rodgers for a sack. That’s the kind of design that makes a defense feel unfair when it’s working.
For Patriots fans, it was the sort of game that leaves you thinking bigger. Kuhr’s blitzes, stunts, and answers for whatever the offense throws at him are already shaping this defense into something nasty. And if this keeps up, head coaching interviews for Kuhr may not be far off.
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There was some relief elsewhere on the report, with several players limited and Carlton Davis and Brenden Schooler back on the field. Even so, the absences of Woodson and Jones put a little more pressure on a defense that is already having to stay flexible, and the Patriots will be watching closely as the week moves forward to see whether either player can get back into the mix in time. [Read more 🡒]