The Steelers are heading into Week 2 with a clear roadmap for how to stress New England, and it starts with the Patriots’ own problem areas.
After Pittsburgh opened the season with a win and New England stumbled against the Seattle Seahawks, the matchup now turns to what each team can actually expose. Musket Fire editor Sara Marshall pointed to three soft spots that stand out for the Patriots, and all of them line up neatly with what the Steelers do well.
“ I would say their biggest flaws right now are establishing the run - that was a problem in the Super Bowl and last week, so the fact they're facing another good defensive front spells trouble there,” Marshall wrote.
She added, “Turnovers have also been an issue, for Drake Maye especially. And I'd say probably giving receivers too much room to make big plays, as we saw with JSN's 45-yard touchdown last week.”
That gives Pittsburgh a pretty straightforward opening. The Steelers’ defensive line is one of the strengths of the roster, and New England’s rushing issues have been hanging around since last year’s Super Bowl.
Against Seattle, the Patriots managed 109 rushing yards at 3.5 yards per carry, but Drake Maye piled up 47 of those himself. That left just 62 yards for the running backs.
Rhamondre Stevenson never really got going and looked a little slow in Week 1. TreVeyon Henderson is dealing with an ankle injury that kept him out last week, and even though he has returned to practice, he remains 1B behind Stevenson and would still need to shake off some rust if he plays.
For Pittsburgh, the assignment is obvious: make New England earn every yard on the ground. With the talent the Steelers have up front and the uncertainty the Patriots are dealing with in the backfield, this is the kind of matchup where Pittsburgh should be able to squeeze the run game.
The other issue is the ball in Maye’s hands. Last week was rough.
He threw three interceptions, all in the fourth quarter, and the last one sealed the game. It was a stretch where he seemed to go into hero mode instead of letting the offense breathe.
That fits a broader pattern, too. In last year’s playoffs, Maye turned the ball over eight times in four games. Then he opened this season with three more giveaways.
That’s where Pittsburgh’s defense can really make its mark. The Steelers showed their playmaking ability against the Falcons, when they picked off two passes, including a T.J.
Watt interception he turned into a 35-yard touchdown. If Maye gives them chances again, the question becomes whether the Steelers finish the play.
New England’s receiving group is also a concern. The Patriots will be without A.J.
Brown, and after he left last week’s game, the rest of the pass catchers didn’t do much against Seattle. If that kind of production shows up again, Maye may feel the need to force the issue once more.
Marshall also flagged another vulnerability: the Patriots can be too loose in coverage, which opens the door for explosive plays. Seattle burned them for a 45-yard touchdown to Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who caught a short pass and then outran everyone to the end zone.
That should catch Pittsburgh’s attention. DK Metcalf is built to punish that kind of space, and Michael Pittman and Roman Wilson are also the sort of receivers who can do damage once they get room to work.
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