We’ll be offering live news and analysis throughout. Follow along.
Weather update: Should be an excellent afternoon for football in Pittsburgh, according to weather.com and our guy Phil Connors. Temps are expected to be in the high 70s to low 80s, with a chance of clouds, but no precipitation. Great conditions.
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Jalen Mills intercepts Mitch Trubisky — 1:31 p.m.
Jalen Mills intercepted a deep Mitch Trubisky pass to Diontae Johnson at the Patriots’ 26. He returned it 13 yards, and the Patriots offense has the ball at their own 39. Big turnover there.
The first time Trubisky faced the Patriots as a member of the 2018 Chicago Bears, he tossed a pair of picks and was a little wild. It’s been a couple of years since then, but given Belichick’s ability to scheme against younger quarterbacks not named Tua, it’s something to look for again today.
1:38 to go in the first quarter.
Watch:
The Patriots thought it was a fumble, but officials review the TD call — 1:24 p.m.
What just happened: Jalen Mills tackled Diontae Johnson, and it looked like he was down.
Josh Uche scooped up the ball, which came loose, and ran it 37 yards into the end zone. Officials called a touchdown on the field — it would have been a savvy move by the Patriots defense, to not give up on the play without hearing a whistle.
After review, Johnson was ruled down on contact. It’s a first down for the Steelers.
What to make of the Patriots’ first drive — 1:20 p.m.
Good first drive for the Patriots, who shook off poor field position for the first score of the game, a 28-yard field goal from Nick Folk. No negative plays, one penalty. It went 13 plays and 71 yards, and took 6:45. It’s 3-0 with 6:42 left in the first quarter.
• Jakobi Meyers is just so reliable. Excellent work moving the chains on that initial third-down opportunity, but there were also a few other receptions on that series (including the 16-yard pickup) worth noting.
• Nelson Agholor also gets kudos for his 16-yard catch over the middle. Both he and Meyers going over the middle and making those tough catches early against the Pittsburgh defense.
• Jones’s incomplete pass for Henry in the red zone was a little dangerous. Not sure who was at fault there, but it could have been a turnover.
• Kendrick Bourne was in for one of the Patriots’ 13 plays on that drive.
Patriots’ drive stutters, but Folk sinks a field goal — 1:16 p.m.
Patriots 3, Steelers 0 | 6:42, first quarter
The play: Mac Jones missed Hunter Henry on second-and-8, and the Patriots got called for a delay of game on the next down. Nelson Agholor picked up 11 yards to move to the Steelers’ 9-yard line.
Nick Folk kicked a 28-yard field goal to put the Patriots on the board. He’s now tied with Ryan Succop (2014-17) for the longest streak in NFL history of successful field goals under 50 yards with 56.
Steelers first drive ends with a Patriots special teams mess — 1:06 p.m.
Mitch Trubisky and the Steelers went 3-and-out, but on the 69-yard punt, Myles Bryant misplayed the ball.
After fumbling around with the football, Bryant dodged a bullet — the officials ruled he never possessed the ball, and it’s a touchback. The Patriots have the ball.
Touchback for the Patriots. Officials were all over it. Myles Bryant should never field another punt
— Ben Volin (@BenVolin) September 18, 2022
A few early thoughts:
• I’d be surprised if we saw Myles Bryant back there as punt returner the rest of the day.
• All right, I’ll say it: it’s strange seeing a day game between the Patriots and Steelers this early in the season. Really strange.
• Great start for the New England defense. Pats’ dodged a bullet with the pass that was off the mark for TE Pat Freiermuth, a Massachusetts native.
Mac Jones takes the field to boos — 12:59 p.m.
Official Price prediction — 12:45 p.m.
This sets up as a great bounce back opportunity for the Patriots. You aren’t necessarily going to find a long-term cure all this week against the Steelers, but the matchups suggest that New England has the capability to get to 1-1. If you are the Patriots, you absolutely need to get a standout performance from your defense, and some special teams magic (a return, blocked punt, etc.) certainly wouldn’t hurt either. In the end, this feels like a game dominated by defense, one where New England will have just a little bit more in the tank. I’ll say Patriots 16, Steelers 10.
See how our staff picked this game here.
Belichick’s pregame Q&A — 12:40 p.m.
Some of the takeaways from Bill Belichick’s Q&A with Scott Zolak on 98.5 The Sports Hub:
On preparing for a different Steelers team: “That was a big win they had last week in Cincinnati,” Belichick said of 1-0 Pittsburgh.”They’re tough, and they play hard, as always.”
On the Week 1 loss and the work since then: “We definitely need to improve on some things, and we spent the week on that,” he said. “I’m sure we’ll see some better results today.”
Belichick was asked about some of the players who were banged up in Week 1, including Kyle Dugger and Adrian Phillips: “They should be good to go today.”
When it comes to the Steelers offense, Belichick had plenty of good things to say about quarterback Mitch Trubisky (“He’s a big strong kid … hard to tackle in the pocket”) and the wide receivers, including youngster George Pickens. “They’ve raved about him through training camp and the preseason,” Belichick said, who said he was “one of the best receivers in college football” last year. “We have to be careful there — he’s a good player.”
Belichick also had lots of good stuff to say about the Steelers defense, a group that plays “a lot of zone.” Belichick singled out defensive lineman Cam Heyward, calling him “one of the best” the Patriots will see all year.
The most important person in the building today? Brian Flores. — 12:30 p.m.
Steelers linebacker Myles Jack was a starter for six years in Jacksonville and helped lead the Jaguars to an AFC Championship game.
But he has never understood the game like he has this year playing for assistant coach Brian Flores.
“It’s probably the most clarity I’ve had in my career,” said Jack, whose Steelers host the Patriots on Sunday. “[Flores] just connects the dots on basically how the offense is attacking us and how we can protect ourselves and what they’re thinking on the other side. It’s just a really cool 360 view that he brings the picture together. When he speaks, I try to write down just about everything he says.”
Flores won’t play a snap Sunday, but he will be the most fascinating, and arguably the most important, person in the building. Read Ben Volin’s dive into the former Patriots assistant.
For years, we could count on the Patriots bouncing back after a loss. What about now? — 12:20 p.m.
In their dynasty decades, Patriots fans could count on Bill Belichick, his coaching staff, and a certain quarterback to make instant repairs after the occasional troubling or unexpected loss.
Get pummeled by the Chiefs in 2014? We’re on to Cincinnati. Inevitably, the Patriots’ next opponent after a loss felt the wrath of their frustrations. It was one of the greatest of their many extraordinary attributes while winning six Super Bowls in 18 seasons.
Things are different now, and we’re still sorting out just how much.
Read the rest of Chad Finn’s preview and see his players to watch and prediction.
Around the league: Schedule and notable inactives — 12:10 p.m.
Here’s today’s schedule.
Tom Brady will be without a few weapons when the Buccaneers take on the Saints in New Orleans. Here’s a rundown of notable inactives:
Tampa Bay WR Julio Jones
Tampa Bay WR Chris Godwin
Baltimore RB JK Dobbins
Indianapolis WR Michael Pittman
New Orleans RB Alvin Kamara
Miami RB Myles Gaskin
Cleveland d RB D’Ernest Johnson
New York Jets TE C.J. Uzomah
Our big question today: What about Kendrick Bourne? — 12:00 p.m.
Most intriguing player to watch this afternoon? Kendrick Bourne.
The wide receiver was only in on two plays last week against the Dolphins, and has been a forgotten man ever since he had a bad week against the Panthers in the preseason. (He was reportedly late for a meeting and was part of a dustup in the joint practices.)
It was clear the Patriots could have used more of him in the loss to Miami; he’s done plenty to win Mac’s trust, and his speed brings a different dynamic to the New England passing game. Most of you guys believe he’s going to be in on anywhere between 11 and 19 snaps today against the Steelers. We shall see.
What history tells us about an 0-2 start — 11:50 a.m.
My philosophy when it comes to assessing teams at this time of year? It’s never as good as you think it is, and never as bad as you think it is. The truth always lies somewhere in the middle.
However, history tells us that teams that start 0-2 have a massive uphill climb when it comes to the postseason.
Consider these totals from Stathead:
• Since the 1970 merger, 400 teams have started 0-2. Thirty-eight of those teams have made the playoffs.
• The last teams to do it were the 2018 Texans (who finished 11-5) and Seahawks (10-6).
• Of those teams that start with an 0-2 record, only 56 teams finished with a winning record (14 percent).
• The best record of any team to start the season 0-2 was the 2013 Panthers, who finished 12-4.
• Let’s end this on a positive note: of the four teams who started 0-2 and reached the Super Bowl, two of them were from New England: the 2001 and 1996 teams lost their first two, and ended up making it all the way to the big game.
What to make of the Patriots’ inactives — 11:37 a.m.
The Patriots have just announced their inactives for today’s game. Here’s the list:
Safety Joshuah Bledsoe: The youngster was on the injury report this week, limited with a groin injury, and was downgraded to out on Friday. But, given New England’s depth at safety, Bledsoe is likely one of those players who is active only on a semi-regular basis over the course of the season. His absence shouldn’t have a sizable impact on the Patriots’ game plan this afternoon.
Guard Chasen Hines: A healthy scratch, his second straight to open the season. Hines’s primary spot is likely left guard, which means he’s behind first-round pick Cole Strange.
Defensive tackle Sam Roberts: Another healthy scratch. Roberts, a rookie out of Northwest Missouri State, is behind some established veterans along the interior.
Quarterback Bailey Zappe: The third quarterback is the odd man out again this afternoon.
Defensive back Marcus Jones: A bit of a head-scratcher, as the rookie wasn’t on the injury report all week. It’s reasonable to consider whether his absence is related to the apparent good health of older, more established players ahead of him on the depth chart, a group that includes (but is not limited to) the likes of Shaun Wade.
What to know about the notables who are good to go: safety Adrian Phillips, who sustained a rib injury in the opener against the Dolphins, is among the actives, as is tackle Trent Brown, who was limited with an ankle issue over the course of the week.
Quarterback Mac Jones (back/illness) and linebacker Ja’Whaun Bentley (toe), both of whom were on the injury report at various points this week, are listed as active.
Patriots and Steelers inactives are out — 11:35 a.m.
Patriots: DB Joshuah Bledsoe, G Chasen Hines, DT Sam Roberts, QB Bailey Zappe, DB Marcus Jones
Steelers: QB Mason Rudolph, C Kendrick Green, WR Steven Sims, DE Isaiahh Loudermilk, LB Mark Robinson, OLB David Anenih
A few pregame betting notes — 11:30 a.m.
Some pregame notes — gambling and otherwise — worth passing along:
▪ Today’s game is the first 1 p.m. kickoff between these two teams since 1998. It breaks a streak of 16 Pats-Steelers contests starting at 4:25 or later.
▪ It’s the first Pittsburgh-New England game since December 6, 1998, that does not feature either Tom Brady or Ben Roethlisberger at quarterback. That game was Drew Bledsoe against Kordell Stewart; the Patriots won, 23-9, and Bledsoe threw for 327 yards in the victory. (Patriots starter Mac Jones was three months old when that game happened.)
▪ According toBet Online, the Steelers are among the three most-wagered underdogs this week. As of Friday, the line was New England -2.5, but 66 percent of bets were on Pittsburgh. In addition, the game is the most-wagered under. The initial number was set at 40.5, and 81 percent of the wagers are on the under. (We’ll have a few more betting notes shortly.)
Give us your predictions — 11:22 a.m.
How many snaps will Kendrick Bourne get? — 11:20 a.m.
Bourne notably played just two snaps in the Patriots’ loss last week.
The Twitterati thinks he’ll end up with at least 11. What do you think? Tell us in the comments.
Five numbers to watch — 11:15 a.m.
Five numbers to look out for this week:
• Patriots coach Bill Belichick enters Sunday’s game with 321 career wins — 290 in the regular season and 31 in the postseason. He’s third on the all-time list for regular-season wins, behind Don Shula (328) and George Halas (318). If you including playoff victories in the all-time, a victory today against the Steelers would put him two behind Halas (318 regular-season wins and six playoff wins), 324 to 322.
• Mac Jones needs 263 passing yards to move past Hugh Millen (4,276) into seventh place in franchise history.
• Damien Harris needs three rushing touchdowns to become the 14th Patriots player to reach 20 career rushing touchdowns.
• Today marks Devin McCourty’s 190th regular season game–he’ll move past Tedy Bruschi for sole possession of ninth place on the franchise all-time list of games played.
• Nick Folk has made 55 straight field goals under 50 yards, the second-longest streak in history behind the 56 straight from Ryan Succop (2014-17).
Pregame reading list — 11:10 a.m.
Best way to get ready for the game? Read up:
Welcome back to football!
It’s Week 2, and Patriots-Steelers, live from Acrisure Stadium. (I know … that sounds weird.)
New England is looking to bounce back from a loss in the opener to Miami, while Pittsburgh is looking to improve to 2-0 after the Steelers upended the defending AFC champions from Cincinnati last week. (Something to keep in mind, Patriots fans: no team that started 0-2 last season made the playoffs.)
Keep it here all afternoon long, as we’ll have all your updates: pregame news and notes, in-game updates and analysis, and plenty of postgame action. CUE THE BAND.
Christopher Price can be reached at christopher.price@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter at cpriceglobe.
This news is republished from another source. You can check the original article here