The Patriots enter Week 2 with more questions than answers, and that’s not the kind of place you want to be when T.J. Watt is on the other sideline.
New England opened the season with a 13-10 loss to the Seattle Seahawks, a game that got away from them even after Sam Darnold went down with an injury on the first series. Drake Maye never found his footing, and three interceptions - including one on the final drive - finished off the Patriots.
It was a rough night all around, made worse when A.J. Brown went down with an ankle injury in the second half.
That leaves New England trying to regroup quickly, and the matchup doesn’t offer much comfort. Pittsburgh comes in after surviving a Week 1 battle with a short-handed Atlanta Falcons team, and Aaron Rodgers and Co. are trying to stay in the AFC North race after making the playoffs in 2025.
Maye’s start to the year has only added to the pressure. He’s struggled dating back to the postseason in the 2025 campaign, and now he has to answer without his top wideout in A.J.
Brown, who is on injured reserve. The Patriots’ offense managed just 178 passing yards against Seattle, and Rhamondre Stevenson had a tough time getting anything going on the ground.
The Steelers aren’t exactly an offensive juggernaut, but Rodgers is still the kind of quarterback who avoids the big mistake. Pittsburgh doesn’t need fireworks if the defense keeps doing its job, and that side of the ball looked sharp in Week 1 by holding Atlanta to 4.2 yards per play, fifth in the league.
That makes this a tricky number for New England. The Patriots have bigger expectations after their Super Bowl appearance, but the early evidence suggests they may be getting a little too much respect in the market right now. Pittsburgh’s defense is a real problem, and the loss of Brown only makes life harder for Maye as he tries to build chemistry with Romeo Doubs.
I’ll take the points here. New England feels a bit overvalued after a shaky opener, while the Steelers look like the steadier side in a Week 2 game between two teams trying to stay in the playoff conversation.
In Other News...
Steelers New Look Still Leaves One Big Problem To Solve
The Steelers came out of their latest game looking different on both sides of the ball, and not just in the usual early-season, we-need-to-see-more way. Aaron Rodgers was more willing to test defenses downfield, while the front seven kept rotating T.J. Watt, Nick Herbig and Alex Highsmith in ways that suggested a more flexible pass-rush approach than in years past. Pittsburgh also mixed in plenty of two-tight-end looks, and the snap counts for Germie Bernard and Roman Wilson offered another small reminder that this offense is still sorting out who fits where.
Even with the changes, the game still kept circling back to the same old frustration: missed chances. Drops and inaccurate throws broke up drives that had enough going for them to matter, which is why the new look feels promising without yet feeling complete. The Steelers have shown they can create different answers schematically, but until the passing game cleans up the finishing work, the biggest question on the roster is still waiting for a real solution. [Read more 🡒]
Steelers Fans Suddenly Have Real Reason To Worry About Joey Porter Jr
For a Steelers team that has tried to build its identity around young, physical defense, Joey Porter Jr. suddenly finding his name in trade chatter is the kind of development that lands hard. NFL Networks Ian Rapoport pointed to the Kansas City Chiefs and Detroit Lions as possible destinations for the cornerback, with Pittsburgh still working through a contract dispute that has added another layer of uncertainty around one of its most important young defenders.
The Lions have reportedly shown interest, while the Chiefs are searching for help at cornerback after injuries and trades thinned that room. Any move would still have to clear a complicated path, though, with Porters contract demands and Kansas Citys salary cap situation making a deal far from simple. For now, it is less about where Porter might go than the fact that the Steelers have reached the point where such a conversation is even happening. [Read more 🡒]
Steelers Week 1 Usage Raised Some Early Lineup Questions
Week 1 gave the Steelers an early look at how this defense and offense may be leaning under their current personnel mix, and the snap counts were hard to miss. T.J. Watt and Cam Heyward were on the field less than fans have grown used to seeing, while Jalen Ramsey and Payton Wilson barely came off it. On offense, rookie Germie Bernard had a limited role, but Pat Freiermuth and Darnell Washington were both featured heavily as Pittsburgh worked through its first game plan of the season.
The usage patterns do not settle many questions so much as they open them up. Reduced workloads for Watt and Heyward can be explained plenty of ways in a season opener, but they still stand out when paired with the near every-snap roles for Ramsey and Wilson and the tight end-heavy approach on offense. For a team trying to sort out its weekly identity early, the first-round of snap counts offered a clearer view of who the Steelers trust right away and a few more spots where the rotation still feels unsettled. [Read more 🡒]