FOXBORO — The Patriots embarrassed Aaron Rodgers in the quarterback’s last game ever in Foxboro, holding the future Hall of Famer to just 187 yards passing.
Opposing offenses may have a hard time slowing down the Patriots defense’s pass-rush attack this season. The Steelers expected relentless pressure from the New England defense heading into Sunday’s Week 2 battle in Foxboro, and they got it.
But the preparation didn’t matter, as head coach Mike McCarthy blamed himself for his offense’s lackluster performance in a 20-3 loss at Gillette Stadium.
“We put a lot of time and energy into the protection component of how we felt today’s game was going to go,” McCarthy said. “Expected pressure, got pressure. As an offensive coach, I always welcome the opportunity to play against pressure defense. I think it’s clearly an opportunity for big play potential. That was not the case today.”
“We didn’t answer the bell,” the Steelers’ first-year head coach added.
New England’s forceful front recorded four sacks and rattled the quarterback into an interception late in the fourth quarter.
Patriots star cornerback Christian Gonzalez helped shut down the Steelers’ biggest receiving threat in DK Metcalf, as the receiver caught just four of nine targets for 27 yards.
“I don’t want to dink and dunk and play all day and play keep-away football,” McCarthy said. “There’s a place for that maybe situationally, but that’s not the philosophy. We have to attempt to get the ball thrown downfield.”
The pressure from the Patriots defense came early and often. As the Steelers drove into field goal range at the start of the second quarter, Patriots linebacker Christian Elliss got off the edge unblocked, delivering a massive hit from Rodgers’ blindside. Robert Spillane hit the quarterback from the front, causing a chaotic fumble.
Instead of being in position to attempt a field goal, the devastating blow pinned Pittsburgh back 36 yards, on the opposite side of the field, forcing a fourth-and-43.
“I haven’t taken too many of those in my career,” Rodgers said, “because usually I have a feeling if we’re picked up or not picked up. That was a lapse in communication, obviously, there.”
Rodgers continued to take the brunt of the Patriots’ unrelenting defense in the second half, especially in the fourth quarter. Trailing 13-3, New England defensive tackle Christian Barmore found a hole in the offensive line, smacking the ball out of the quarterback’s hands, leading to a 19-yard scoop-and-score from edge rusher Elijah Ponder.
That put a bow on the Patriots’ first home-opening victory in seven years, getting back into the win column after dropping a season-opening dud in Seattle.