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What Drake Maye said after the game — 4:55 p.m.
By Amin Touri
Highlights from Drake Maye’s postgame press conference …
On the offense still misfiring at points: “Definitely not where we want to be. Just a point of making some plays, picking up some first downs, and end up just stalling out. It starts with me making good decisions and being in good plays and just finishing the drives. I think we need to finish the drives, got down there past the 50 multiple times and penalties, a delay of game on my end, just little things that are hurting ourselves, and it’s going to end up coming back to bite us. It already bit us once last week. Our defense is playing great, shout out to them, it’s fun watching them play. We’ve got to match it and have some more urgency and it starts in practice.”
On how much he’s grinding early in the season, what he liked Sunday: “I think you’re figuring us as an offense out, early in the weeks. When you’re playing against teams, and early in the weeks you’re figuring out what we got, who we are, and I think it’s just a matter of doing things at a high level, executing better, extra effort. We talk about in this league, extra effort, extra execution, and when we did it showed up, made some big plays. TreVeyon’s touchdown, had everyone blocked up, Pop [Douglas] made a huge block, and you just see the extra effort when it works. When we strain a little bit harder, good things happen.”
On how he feels after winning despite not playing his best: “Yeah, it’s tough in this league, it’s tough to try to … you want to execute and be successful on offense, and still know that wasn’t our best football when you come out with a win. You’ve got to take it both ways; you’ve got to be excited and enjoy the win, but at the same time, recognize playing like this isn’t going to end up with, offensively, us leading our team to wins. I think that’s kind of what it starts, it starts with me, and it starts with more juice, and come in there at halftime and feel like, man, we’re going to go out there and score and put it on them and put the game away, because our defense is giving us opportunities. There’s nothing to hang your hat on, it’s early on, but at the same time we’ve got to have some urgency and some fire under us.”
On the team rallying after Mike Onwenu went down, Greg Van Roten stepped in: “It’s heartbreaking when you see a guy like Mike who’s played through injuries, been here since I got here as a rookie, playing multiple positions. He’s just gritty, and he leaves it all out there, and I’ll make sure to check in on him and see how he’s doing. At the same time, Greg coming in there, and guys are stepping up. You’ve got Greg and [Morgan Moses] over there, that’s, combined, at least 70 years over there, so they’ve got a lot of experience and they know how to play together. They’ve been on teams before, so, I had full confidence in GVR when he came in there, and we’ve definitely got to clean things up, but full confidence, and we ran the ball at times really well.”
On how the Steelers defended the Patriots: “Yeah, we saw it a little early, they were just trying to get us man-to-man and we hit some plays on them. They later tried to bring some pressure and play some blitz zone behind it, and then they did some things on third downs to try to heat us up, so, I’ve got to have answers, I’ve got to get the ball out and realize that, extending drives and doing things the right way and taking what they give me, but at the same time, being aggressive.”
On getting the explosive plays going, including to Doubs: “Yeah, I think [if] I maybe put it out in front a little more, he may have scored. But no, good to get some big plays. We had some big runs, and that’s the thing with us, we feel like the more plays we can have and pick up first downs, the more the explosive plays and big plays will come. We’ve got guys, we’ve got a great coaching staff that gets in the right stuff, and we’ve just go to go execute it. It’s nice seeing that, but at the same time, can’t follow up those plays with negative ones or being at a yardage where we feel like we’re at an advantage and have something push us back or penalties. It’s just the little things, it starts with me doing them better and making them more important, and I think that’s the big thing.”
What Mike Vrabel said after the Patriots’ win — 4:35 p.m.
By Amin Touri
Highlights from Vrabel’s postgame press conference …
On getting to Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers: “Well, that has to be the formula. You have to affect the quarterback each and every week, and we have to do a better job and continue to do a good job of helping our quarterback be efficient, and he has a large part in that, but we know this is the formula. Proud of our defense, proud of everybody. A lot of guys stepped up, we had a lot of injuries, some of these guys hadn’t been here for more than two weeks or so and they played for us. That’s a great thing that they were ready to go, but we have to get healthy and figure out who’s available next week for a huge challenge.”
TreVeyon Henderson breaks a tackle by Steelers cornerback Asante Samuel Jr. on his way to a touchdown in the first half.Danielle Parhizkaran/Globe Staff
On TreVeyon Henderson’s early touchdown run: “Again, that’s what you need. We talked about, to create [explosive] plays offensively you need great execution and extra efforts. We had good execution and then Pop [Douglas] provided the extra effort to spring the block that got TreVeyon into the end zone.”
On Drake Maye’s interception: “I’m going to look at the tape; I think we have to continue to be aggressive and figure out where the guy is. Maybe Hunter [Henry] can come back and help him, maybe we can throw it over the guy’s head and give Hunter a chance, I don’t know. Guy made a good play, we didn’t make a very good one, those things are going to end up costing us. But I love the way we responded defensively, and we see how critical the football is and who possesses it and how you finish drives.”
On the defensive score and pressuring Rodgers: “It’s a good mix, I think the defensive coaches, Zak [Kuhr] and everybody over there does a fantastic job, I think all the credit goes to the players, but certainly being able to see Christian Barmore affect the quarterback with a holding penalty and a forced fumble, and seeing everybody work and compete, but work together to affect the quarterback.
“The coverage has to be there long enough for the rush to get there, and I think [Elijah] Ponder had a couple of those fumble recoveries last year. He was able to score and it was fun to see him get into the end zone today.”
On what he saw out of Ponder, Gabe Jacas stepping up: “Those are the guys we’ve been playing with, and I think [Quintayvious Hutchins] had a good rush there later on in the game and factored. These guys have all been practicing and working really hard, and I guess I’m just proud of them. You look over there and they’ve got T.J. Watt and [Alex] Highsmith and [Nick] Herbig, and we’ve got Ponder and Jacas and Q, so I’m proud of our guys for going out there and being ready.”
On Jacas making a quick impact: “Well, he cares, extremely, and it’s an extreme amount. He cares, he comes in early, he stays late … he works with me, he works with all the coaches, he cares about his teammates, he goes hard, he makes mistakes. And the thing about Gabe is he can work through mistakes, and I think that’s critical for any young player trying to improve, is you have to be willing to make new mistakes and be OK with that, and be able to be coached, and I think he’s been able to do that.”
Updates on injured players? “I don’t have any update. And again, that’s what we have to be able to do: Create those opportunities for the next guy in, and be able to coach everybody the same. We ask everyone to show up each week and prepare as a starter, and I know sometimes that’s hard.”
On getting Maye going: “We’ve got to hit some plays, and you’ve got to go out and play. Compete. Have fun. But make great decisions. I can only imagine what it’s like being a quarterback in the National Football League, and so we, again … He’s going to be the one that’s going to orchestrate and conduct everything we do, and make sure that everyone believes that the play that we’re running is going to be successful. And not every time it is. But he has to be able to take that demeanor and spread it to the football team, throw to the guy that’s open, and make great decisions. I’m going to trust his decision, I’m going to trust every player’s decision that has the football, and we’ll continue to keep working. I thought there were some really great throws down the field and some opportunities, and then, I mean, if he doesn’t feel it, he doesn’t feel it.”
On a bounce-back game from Romeo Doubs: “Rome dropped one ball last week in the first game, and I’ve seen ‘Oh, he dropped three passes.’ I don’t think he dropped three passes, he dropped one, we get back to work. People drop passes, people miss tackles, you guys just don’t see it all the time. You guys see the drops and the easy ones. Rome got back to work, worked extremely hard. We’ll get back and we’ll coach him, but going up and trusting your hands and staying focused and all those things that are critical. Drake gave him some opportunities, hopefully we can continue to progress and finish those drives you guys were talking about here today, and I thought we had a lot of positive plays, we just didn’t finish enough drives and that limited our scoring.”
Instant analysis: You can’t feel good about this offense — 4:15 p.m.
The Patriots won to improve to 1-1, and that’s the most important result. It was close to a must-win after their Week 1 loss and with upcoming games at Jacksonville and Buffalo. The Patriots got it done. Their defense was especially impressive, holding the Steelers to 235 yards and Aaron Rodgers to 187, and put the game away early in the fourth quarter when Elijah Ponder picked up a fumble caused by Christian Barmore and ran 19 yards into the end zone.
But anyone being honest with themselves won’t feel good about this win or the state of the Patriots’ offense. The Patriots should have won in a blowout, but played sloppy, uninspiring football and let the Steelers hang around way too long. Drake Maye again looked flustered and like he hadn’t shaken off the cobwebs from February’s Super Bowl loss. The Patriots’ defense scored as many touchdowns as the offense. Rhamondre Stevenson fumbled again. An opponent with better weapons and a more dynamic quarterback would have crushed the Patriots on Sunday.
Patriots win — 3:55 p.m.
They move to 1-1 on the season.
Gabe Jacas, Patriots force a TO to halt a strong Steelers drive — 3:45 p.m.
By Amin Touri
The Steelers looked like they were finally going to find the end zone, but the Patriots defense rallied again. After Elijah Ponder sacked Aaron Rodgers for a 13-yard loss, rookie Gabe Jacas comes up with a loose ball on a juggled screen pass, recovering what officially goes down as a fumble to just about seal it for New England. The Patriots lead, 20-3, in the final minutes of what should be New England’s first win of the season.
Patriots can’t extend their lead, forced to punt — 3:35 p.m.
By Amin Touri
The Patriots had a chance to extend their lead on that drive as they neared midfield, but Drake Maye’s pass on third and 9 is behind Romeo Doubs and Mitch Wishnowsky is out to punt. He pins the Steelers at their own 5-yard line, where Pittsburgh will have to work quickly facing a 20-3 deficit and just 9:53 to play.
Dell Pettus, Eli Raridon, Craig Woodson all downgraded to out — 3:30 p.m.
By Cam Kerry
After being listed as questionable to return, the Patriots downgraded Dell Pettus, Eli Raridon, and Craig Woodson to out for the remainder of Sunday’s game.
The Patriots defense, which has stifled Aaron Rodgers and the Steelers all afternoon, will be thin at safety without Pettus and Woodson.
Patriots defense picks up the offense, as Elijah Ponder returns a fumble for a score — 3:25 p.m.
By Amin Touri
A huge play from the Patriots defense, as Aaron Rodgers is stripped in the backfield by Christian Barmore and Elijah Ponder scoops and scores for his first career touchdown. New England leads, 20-3, early in the fourth quarter in this one.
At the end of the third quarter, the Patriots hold a double-digit lead — 3:18 p.m.
By Amin Touri
Three quarters are in the books here in Foxborough, where the Patriots lead the Steelers, 13-3, in New England’s home opener. The Patriots haven’t been overly inspiring since their strong start, but a great showing from the defense — holding Pittsburgh to just 170 total yards through three quarters — has been enough to give New England some cushion heading into the fourth. Drake Maye is 14 of 20 for 208 yards after hitting Romeo Doubs (three catches for 96 yards) for a 63-yard gain on New England’s last possession of the third quarter.
Andy Borregales drills a 45-yard field goal, expanding the Patriots’ advantage — 3:15 p.m.
By Amin Touri
Andy Borregales gets another shot and converts this time, hitting from 45 yards to give New England a two-score lead. That drive featured the biggest play of the afternoon, with Romeo Doubs left uncovered over the top for a 63-yard connection with Drake Maye. The Patriots lead, 13-3, with 43 seconds left in the third quarter
Patriots S Craig Woodson questionable to return with shoulder injury — 3:10 p.m.
By Cam Kerry
And another Patriot hits the injury report.
Craig Woodson is listed as questionable to return after picking up a shoulder injury. New England has already lost Dre’Mont Jones and Mike Onwenu for the game.
Andy Borregales pushes 47-yard field goal attempt wide right — 3:04 p.m.
//by Amin Touri
A promising Patriots drive ends with nothing after Andy Borregales’s 47-yard attempt drifts wide right. New England was moving the ball nicely — mainly thanks to two carries from 33 yards from Rhamondre Stevenson on back to back plays — but a screen pass to Efton Chism on third and 1 was blown up in a hurry, forcing the Patriots to settle for a long kick. New England still leads, 10-3, with 3:50 to go in the third.
Dre’Mont Jones ruled out with shoulder injury — 2:50 p.m.
By Cam Kerry
Patriots DE Dre’Mont Jones was downgraded to out with a shoulder injury. Jones was injured when attempting to recover a first-half fumble by Aaron Rodgers. In Jones’s place, Gabe Jacas and Elijah Ponder have seen an increased workload.
Drake Maye intercepted to open the second half — 2:47 p.m.
By Amin Touri
Drake Maye follows one of his best throws of the day with his worst, with a 29-yard pitch-and-catch to Romeo Doubs immediately preceding an ill-advised throw in the direction of Hunter Henry which is intercepted by Steelers LB Patrick Queen. It was a bad decision and bad execution, and Pittsburgh will take over at its own 13-yard line.
What first-half stats caught Chad Finn’s attention? — 2:45 p.m.
By Chad Finn
Three first-half stats that jumped out:
The Steelers averaged just 3.4 yards per play on 37 plays from scrimmage.
No Patriots wide receiver has more than one reception. In total, they have three catches for 23 yards.
Christian Elliss was a force, knocking Aaron Rodgers into a parallel universe with a sack and forced fumble and compiling 7 tackles.
Christian Elliss crunched Aaron Rodgers, with Robert Spillane flying in just after Elliss forced the fumble.Barry Chin/Globe StaffChristopher Price’s halftime observations — 2:40 p.m.
By Christopher Price
FOXBOROUGH — Two quarters are in the books here at Gillette Stadium, and the Patriots hold a 10-3 lead. Here are a few notes:
Drake Maye: 7-9, 89 yards
TreVeyon Henderson: 8 carries, 65 yards, 1 TD
Hunter Henry: 2 catches, 2 targets, 33 yards
Aaron Rodgers: 12-22, 84 yards
Germie Bernard: 4 catches, 5 targets, 35 yards
• LOTS of health concerns for the Patriots to deal with in the first half. Mike Onwenu went down with an ankle injury, while Eli Raridon (thigh), Dre’Mont Jones (shoulder), Dell Pettus (ankle), and Marcus Jones (leg) were also lost for a stretch. The Patriots were already missing cornerback Carlton Davis to start the game, and tight end Tanner Arkin was a healthy scratch. New England holds a lead at the half, but with depth questions across the board, it’s going to be interesting to see how the Patriots shuffle personnel down the stretch in hopes of holding on. Onwenu was replaced by Greg Van Roten, while youngsters Elijah Ponder and Gabe Jacas saw plenty of reps with Dre’Mont Jones out.
• New England turned the ball over once — if it’s a September game against the Steelers, it means you’ll see a Rhamondre Stevenson fumble. But the Patriots didn’t punt until midway through the second quarter, and kept the Steelers out of the end zone. Pittsburgh scored its only points of the half on a 56-yard field goal just before the end of the second quarter. The New England defense has allowed one offensive touchdown through the first six quarters of the regular season.
• The defensive play of the season came roughly through the second quarter, when Christian Ellis came careening in off the edge and delivered a hellacious hit to the back of Rodgers, forcing a fumble that ended up going down as a massive loss. On the play, Jones went down with a shoulder injury, and was taken immediately to the locker room. The hit on Rodgers was reminiscent of a 2010 Patriots-Vikings game when Brett Favre was under center for Minnesota, and he took a shot that ended up knocking him out of the game. Rodgers did return to action.
• There was a callback to last season on the first offensive drive of the game when, after the Patriots reached Pittsburgh territory — thanks in part to a 30-yard connection between Maye and Henry — Stevenson fumbled the ball away along the New England sideline. Stevenson, who had a miserable game against the Steelers last year with multiple giveaways, sat in favor of Henderson until the end of the first quarter.
• The next offensive series had a better finish for New England, a drive that was capped by an impressive 39-yard touchdown run from Henderson. He accounted for 45 of the 39 scoring yards on the drive. The second-year back was sprung with a nice block, got to the second level, and was gone. His dynamic running style is completely unique to the Patriots; his explosion and field vision is such a terrific offensive option.
• Will Campbell and Morgan Moses have had help when it comes to keeping T.J. Watt out of the backfield, as Raridon was in their hip pocket throughout portions of the first half before going down with an injury. (The rookie tight end whiffed badly on one block in the early going, but Watt couldn’t reach Maye in time to make an impact.) The Patriots have used cut blocks to slow him, and spent a lot of time running away from Watt. But it’s been a mixed bag at best when it comes to protection.
• Raridon had his moment to shine in the passing game late in the first quarter when he fought for an underthrown ball from Maye — a play that included a DPI — to come away with the catch. The 30-yard reception set the Patriots up in the red zone, and New England settled for a 30-yard field goal from Andy Borregales to make it 10-0 with 14:14 left in the half. On that drive, Onwenu went down with what the team called an ankle injury. He was carted off, immediately ruled out for the rest of the afternoon, and replaced by Van Roten.
• The Steelers never really seemed to get much offensive momentum. Pittsburgh ran three plays in New England territory in the first quarter, and went 1-7 on third down in the half. Rodgers and the Steelers threatened a couple of times — including one drive that ended with a missed 57-yard field goal attempt — but never seemed to have any sustained success.
• New England tinkered with a few different defensive looks in the secondary, starting with three corners and a pair of safeties before moving Jaylen Reed into the mix at safety. While Pettus continued to take his usual special teams reps before leaving with the injury, Reed has moved into the safety rotation ahead of Pettus. Elsewhere, Christian Gonzalez spent the bulk of the early action following DK Metcalf (2 catches, 2 targets, 3 yards), and Charles Woods (in place of Davis) was the primary corner opposite Gonzalez on the boundary.
• Good special teams half for New England, as Borregales made his extra point, as well as his field-goal attempt. On the missed field-goal attempt from Pittsburgh, it’s worth noting there was no reverse image on the scoreboard.
• The Patriots will get the ball to start the second half.
Halftime: Patriots 10, Steelers 3 — 2:30 p.m.
By Amin Touri
The Steelers get on the board in the dying seconds of the first half, as Chris Boswell knocks it through from 56 yards to make it 10-3 at halftime here in the home opener.
Bit of a messy end to the second half for the Patriots, as New England was hit with a five-yard penalty for delay of game for trying to call a second timeout in quick succession (the Patriots had been charged an injury timeout when Marcus Jones went down on the prior play). That penalty helped push the Steelers into field goal range, where Boswell converted for Pittsburgh’s first points of the day.
Drake Maye is 7 of 9 for 89 yards thus far. After a strong first quarter, he was just 1 of 2 for 20 yards in a slow second quarter for the New England offense. TreVeyon Henderson leads all rushers with 65 yards and the game’s only touchdown. Steelers QB Aaron Rodgers is 12 of 22 for 84 yards and a fumble.
Marcus Jones the latest in a long list of injured Patriots — 2:25 p.m.
By Cam Kerry
Cornerback and punt returning savant Marcus Jones was tended to by the Patriots’ medical staff, but walked off under his own power with 12 seconds remaining in the first half.
Patriots go three and out after T.J. Watt sacks Drake Maye — 2:22 p.m.
By Amin Touri
Two straight drives go nowhere for the Patriots, who punt away their last possession of the first half after a three and out. Drake Maye took a bad sack on first down to push New England back to second and 22 from their own 8-yard line, and the Patriots went conservative from there to burn some clock (and Steelers timeouts) before bringing Wishnowsky out for his second punt of the day
Patriots’ Dell Pettus questionable to return — 2:12 p.m.
By Cam Kerry
The Patriots announced the safety Dell Pettus is questionable to return to today’s contest with an ankle return.
Steelers running back Rico Dowdle is also questionable to return with a toe injury.
For the first time today, Patriots forced to punt — 2:07 p.m.
By Amin Touri
The Patriots offense stalls out for the first time today, picking up two first downs before bringing out Mitch Wishnowsky for his first punt of the afternoon. New England leads, 10-0 with five minutes to go in the first half.
Eli Raridon, Dre’Mont Jones questionable to return for the Patriots — 2:03 p.m.
By Cam Kerry
Patriots rookie tight end Eli Raridon is questionable to return to Sunday’s game with a thigh injury. Defensive end Dre’Mont Jones is also questionable to return after suffering a shoulder injury attempting to recover the fumble by Aaron Rodgers.
How did the Steelers lose 36 yards on one play? — 2:00 p.m.
By Amin Touri
Aaron Rodgers might feel a little too old for this — the Steelers looked poised to score one way or the other before Rodgers was drilled on third down, sandwiched by a ferocious blindside hit from Christian Elliss and a closing Robert Spillane. The ensuing fumble turned into a football follies episode, rolling all the way down to the Steelers’ 42-yard line for a 36-yard loss.
Instead of a makable field goal, Pittsburgh instead had to punt it away, and the Patriots will take over at their own 6-yard line after a penalty on the return.
Per Pro Football Reference’s Stathead database, it is the largest loss on a sack since at least 1977. The previous high was 31 yards by former Patriots quarterback Steve Grogan in 1977.
OL Mike Onwenu ruled out with ankle injury — 1:53 p.m.
By Nicole Yang
FOXBOROUGH — Patriots right guard Michael Onwenu was carted off the field in the first quarter of Sunday’s Patriots-Steelers game.
The Patriots immediately ruled him out with an ankle injury.
After Steelers defensive end sacked Drake Maye for a loss of three yards, T.J. Watt rolled up on Onwenu and caused him to fall over. Onwenu remained on the ground in pain, while some of his teammates kneeled around him.
Athletic trainers tended to Onwenu before a cart came onto the field to take him back to the locker room. A few defensive players, including Cory Durden and Dre’Mont Jones, stopped to offer their support.
Veteran Greg Van Roten entered the game for Onwenu. The Patriots also have Ben Brown available as an interior backup.
Onwenu, the longest-tenured Patriot, would be a significant loss for New England’s revamped offensive line. During his seven-year tenure, he has played multiple positions and served as a bright spot in a position group that has often struggled.
The 28-year-old Onwenu is set to become a free agent at the end of the 2026 season. He carries the team’s third-highest salary cap number for the 2026 season.
Andy Borregales hits a 30-yard field goal to increase Patriots lead — 1:45 p.m.
By Amin Touri
Drake Maye and the Patriots continue to move the ball, reaching the Pittsburgh 6-yard line before eventually settling for a chip shot field goal from Andy Borregales to make it 10-0 early in the second quarter. After taking over near midfield, New England picked up a couple first downs, then Maye lofted one up for Eli Raridon to snag for a 30-yard gain put the Patriots on the doorstep, but that’s as far as they got.
The score came at a cost, with Mike Onwenu having to be carted off after Steelers rusher T.J. Watt landed on the back of Onwenu’s leg. Greg Van Roten replaced Onwenu for the last two plays of that drive.
Mike Onwenu carted off the field prior to end of first quarter — 1:40 p.m.
By Amin Touri
One quarter is in the books here in Foxborough, where the Patriots lead the Steelers, 7-0. New England is on the brink of another score, facing third and 10 at the Pittsburgh 10-yard line. Drake Maye is 6 of 7 for 79 yards in a solid start, but the first score of the game came on a 39-yard touchdown run from TreVeyon Henderson. The Patriots lost right guard Mike Onwenu late in the quarter, with the lineman already ruled out for the game with an ankle injury after Steelers rusher T.J. Watt fell on Onwenu’s right leg.
Patriots keeping T.J. Watt in check early — 1:35 p.m.
By Christopher Price
Will Campbell and Morgan Moses have had help when it comes to keeping T.J. Watt out of the backfield, as Eli Raridon has been in their hip pocket throughout portions of the first half. (The rookie tight end whiffed badly on one block in the early going, but Watt couldn’t reach Drake Maye in time to make an impact.) The Patriots have used cut blocks to slow Watt. They’ve also spent a lot of time running away from him. It hasn’t been perfect, but there haven’t been any sacks so far.
Chris Boswell’s 57-yard field goal attempt sails wide left — 1:30 p.m.
By Amin Touri
The Steelers had a chance to get on the board with a field goal from Chris Boswell, but the veteran kicker’s effort drifted left and missed from 57 yards. The Patriots will get set up with great field position, taking over at their own 47-yard line for their next drive.
A different look on defense for the Patriots — 1:25 p.m.
By Christopher Price
The Patriots have tinkered with a few different defensive looks in the secondary, starting with three corners and a pair of safeties before moving Jaylen Reed into the mix at safety. While Dell Pettus continues to take his usual special teams reps, Reed has moved into the safety rotation ahead of Pettus. Elsewhere, Christian Gonzalez has spent the bulk of the action in the early going following DK Metcalf.
TreVeyon Henderson’s 39-yard touchdown run puts the Patriots ahead — 1:20 p.m.
by Amin Touri
Welcome back, TreVeyon Henderson. After an offsides call against the Steelers bailed the Patriots out of a drive-ending third-down sack, Henderson picked up the short-yardage first down on the following play, then exploded up the middle for a 39-yard touchdown run to give the Patriots a 7-0 lead midway through the first quarter.
Rhamondre Stevenson fumble abruptly halts a promising Patriots drive — 1:10 p.m.
by Amin Touri
It looks like déjà vu for the Patriots, as a promising first drive for New England ends abruptly on a Rhamondre Stevenson fumble. Stevenson, who fumbled twice in this matchup last year, had evaded two tackles before coughing up the ball with the Patriots in field goal range. It remains 0-0 in the opening minutes of the home opener.
Here’s how the Globe’s writers think this will go — 12:55 p.m.
Chad Finn: Patriots 20, Steelers 13. With trips to Jacksonville and Buffalo looming, the Patriots have got to have this one. If they keep their mistakes to a minimum this time around against the Steelers — they lost four fumbles in last year’s meeting — they’ll get it.
Christopher Price: Patriots 27, Steelers 21. New England gets a pair of touchdown passes from Drake Maye as it bounces back from the loss to Seattle.
Ben Volin: Patriots 24, Steelers 16. Drake Maye protects the football, the defense shuts down Aaron Rodgers, and the Patriots snap their five-game losing streak in their home opener.
Nicole Yang: Patriots 17, Steelers 10. In an ugly, rainy game, the Patriots do just enough to get in the win column.
The Globe staff’s players to watch — 12:45 p.m.
Patriots
Romeo Doubs. The spotlight will be on Doubs today for two reasons — to see how he responds from a poor performance in Seattle, and to see if he can step up and replace some of A.J. Brown’s production. — Ben Volin
TreVeyon Henderson. The dynamic back, who missed Week One against the Seahawks with an ankle injury, brings a unique skill set to the New England offense. His game-breaking speed should give the Patriots an offensive jolt, one they were lacking in the opener against Seattle. — Christopher Price
Hunter Henry. He had just three catches for 26 yards against the Seahawks, while rookie Eli Raridon caught Maye’s lone TD pass, a 2-yarder. But Henry, universally trusted by all Patriots quarterbacks since signing as a free agent before the 2021 season, had arguably his best game of 2025 against the Steelers, including two TDs. And Drake Maye needs trustworthy targets at the moment. (Tempted, by the way, to go with Romeo Doubs here. After an ugly Patriots debut, he’s going to have his chance at redemption with A.J. Brown out.) — Chad Finn
Drake Maye. After an ugly performance in the fourth quarter in Week 1, Maye is looking to assert himself against another tough defense. The Steelers boast an impressive defensive front, with T.J. Watt and Cam Heyward, which will also be a tough test for the offensive line. — Nicole Yang
Steelers
Cameron Heyward. T.J. Watt gets the bulk of the attention, but Heyward is every bit the game-wrecker. He had three passes defensed last week against the Falcons; there’s a reason why the Patriots used to give assistants tennis rackets to hold up to try and simulate the sort of havoc Watt and Heyward can create. — Christopher Price
Alex Highsmith. Cam Heyward and T.J. Watt rightfully get most of the publicity on the Steelers’ defense, but don’t forget about Highsmith, who also had two sacks last week and can wreck the game in a hurry. — Ben Volin
DK Metcalf. The Steelers are working with a depleted receiver corps, after ruling Michael Pittman Jr. out with a foot injury. If cornerback Christian Gonzalez and the rest of New England’s secondary can contain Metcalf, then the Steelers will be hard-pressed for receiver production. The rest of the room is fairly young and inexperienced. — Nicole Yang
T.J. Watt. As usual, the Patriots will have to be on high alert for the Steelers superstar edge rusher, who is coming off the ninth Defensive Player of the Week honor of his career after his 35-yard pick-6 clinched the win over the Falcons. Sidenote: His brother J.J. is calling the game along with Jim Nantz as part of CBS’s Romo-free No. 1 team. J.J. called last year’s Patriots-Steelers game and referred to his brother by his full name upon every reference. — Chad Finn
Who is refereeing today’s Patriots game? — 11:50 a.m.
By Christopher Price
Carl Cheffers is the lead official for today’s game. Cheffers and his crew throw more flags than most officiating crews; they had 20 last week, with 19 accepted. That was second-most in the league for the first week of the season. (That included four DPI calls and three false starts.)
Carlton Davis III downgraded to out — 11:40 a.m.
By Christopher Price
Cornerback Carlton Davis III (neck) was downgraded from questionable to out on Saturday. In his absence, Charles Woods should see extended time. The Patriots might end up shuffling their personnel and using Marcus Jones from the slot to the boundary. Rookie offensive lineman Dametrious Crownover (knee) was downgraded to out on Friday, which means rookie Caleb Lomu is likely to work as the backup swing tackle.
The Patriots have three healthy scratches: offensive tackle Walter Rouse, tight end Tanner Arkin, and defensive lineman Leonard Taylor. (Rouse was a healthy scratch in the opener against the Seahawks.) Finally, Behren Morton is the emergency quarterback.
Offensive lineman Ben Brown, who has been out of action since a knee injury in the preseason opener, is active for today’s game, which should provide some nice depth along the interior for New England. Running back TreVeyon Henderson is active for the first time this season; he was inactive last week because of an ankle issue. And the injury to A.J. Brown paves the way for Efton Chism’s potential availability at receiver and in the return game — he’s active for the first time this season.
For Patriots wide receiver Mack Hollins, contract revisions ‘an unfortunate side of the business’ — 11:30 a.m.
By Nicole Yang
Prior to the start of the season, the Patriots adjusted the catch incentives in wide receiver Mack Hollins’s contract.
Previously, Hollins was set to earn an additional $300,000 if he caught 30 passes, another $300,000 if he caught 40 passes, and an extra $400,000 if he caught 50 passes. Those thresholds have been adjusted to 47, 50, and 55 receptions for the same payouts.
By modifying the incentives from “likely to be earned” to “not likely to be earned,” the Patriots are able to create $600,000 in salary cap space this year because “not likely to be earned” incentives hit the cap the following year.
The 33-year-old Hollins called the revised structure “an unfortunate side of the business.”
“Nobody wants to change anything, but that’s sometimes what happens,” he said. “It makes you want to come out and work, but not any harder than I already work.”
What’s it going to take for the Patriots to even their record? Maybe some takeaways. — 11:15 a.m.
By Christopher Price
Most days at training camp this summer, it wasn’t a question of whether the Patriots’ defense would come away with a takeaway. It was more a matter of how many it would have before the end of the session.
While the defense played well in the opener against the Seahawks, the fact it couldn’t come away with a takeaway in the 13-10 loss is something that has continued to stick with the players in the days since.
Christian Gonzalez wants to change that. The cornerback said Wednesday the plan is clear for Sunday’s game against the Steelers.
“I have to make the plays I need to make,” he said. “That I’m supposed to make.
“[But] that’s the message every week as a defense. That’s what we want to do,” added Gonzalez, who had two tackles and two passes defensed against the Seahawks. “We either want to get the ball back to Drake [Maye] or let Marcus [Jones] go back there and catch the punt and do what he does back there. That’s always the goal; to get the ball off of the offense and take it away.
“I mean, if you have more turnovers, you’re more likely to win a game. That’s what it comes down to. And that’s what we’ve got to do.”
To his point, turnover ratio is a usually an indication of success or failure. And so seeing the Patriots’ minus-3 (three giveaways, no takeaways) in the opener, it’s easy to draw a line between that and the loss.
When it comes to takeaways, how do the Patriots bounce back against the Steelers?
“You have to go attack the football,” said coach Mike Vrabel. “The easiest target is the quarterback, so you have to force the quarterback into mistakes. You have to hit it out of his hands.
“We had a couple opportunities [against Seattle] where we did hit the quarterback, but again, you’ve got to knock it out of his hands. Make it a concerted effort, and we do it every single day. Finding ways to work together to create ball disruption.”
Romeo Doubs looks to shake off rough Week 1 — 11:00 a.m.
By Christopher Price
Romeo Doubs is looking forward.
By any measure, Doubs’s debut was rough, with no catches on three targets in the Patriots’ season-opening loss to the Seahawks. One target resulted in a tipped ball near the sideline and an interception. And an ill-timed drop later in the second half stalled a drive. Compounding things, the Wednesday night game gave the Patriots a few extra days to ruminate.
“He dropped a pass,” coach Mike Vrabel shrugged. “You know what I mean? Guys, everybody drops a pass. Everybody misses a tackle. You talk to him the same way you always talk to him; figure out a way to make a play to help us win. He did a lot of great things during camp, just like everybody did. I know he’s excited to get back out there, get to work, and to find a way to help us win.”
After four seasons with the Packers in which he had 202 catches for 2,424 yards and 21 touchdowns, Doubs signed a four-year, $68 million contract with the Patriots this past offseason. He was very impressive throughout the spring and summer, routinely making highlight-reel catches while working to earn the trust of quarterback Drake Maye.
But with no catches in a dramatic loss to the Seahawks, it was an ignominious start to his Patriots career, one that left him glumly sitting by himself in the locker room after the game.
Maye said his faith in Doubs isn’t shaken.
“The one down the sideline, I left it inside for him,” Maye said. “Obviously, the drop; I think we all know he can make that play. You guys saw it in camp, his ability to make plays.”
Unconventional Preview: Patriots have a chance for payback — 10:30 a.m.
By Chad Finn
Suggesting a Super Bowl loss can be avenged somehow during the following regular season is one way to confirm that someone doesn’t grasp the concept of magnitude.
The Patriots’ season-opening 13-10 loss to the Seahawks was frustrating in a bushel of ways. Had they won — and if not for a hideous fourth quarter from quarterback Drake Maye, they almost surely would have — it would have been a swell way to begin the season.
What it would not have been is payback for the Seahawks’ 29-13 thumping in Super Bowl LX. The only payback available for that is to beat them in a Super Bowl. (Hacking into the Lumen Field video boards to play Malcolm Butler’s iconic interception on a loop would be a decent placeholder.)
This week, though? There is a chance for vengeance of an appropriate measure.
Amin Touri can be reached at amin.touri@globe.com. Cam Kerry can be reached at cam.kerry@globe.com. Christopher Price can be reached at christopher.price@globe.com. Follow him on Bluesky at christopherprice.bsky.social. Ben Volin can be reached at ben.volin@globe.com. Nicole Yang can be reached at nicole.yang@globe.com. Follow her on X @nicolecyang.