The New England Patriots are back at .500, thanks to a 20-3 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 2. The game was mostly a defensive affair, but that doesn’t mean it lacked action or memorable moments.
So, here is a Patriots-centric view at some of those key moments from the game.
Moment No. 1: Quick turnaround
The Patriots’ second drive appeared to be over. Jalen Ramsey took down Drake Maye on a corner blitz on third down, but the sack was negated by his teammate Alex Highsmith getting flagged for lining up offsides. The penalty
gave New England new life, and the team took full advantage.
Not only did TreVeyon Henderson move the chains on the subsequent 3rd-and-1, he also scored his first touchdown of the season one handoff later.
Henderson’s 39-yard scamper allowed the Patriots to take a 7-0 lead, and is an illustration how quickly things can change in pro football. One penalty is all it took to turn a potential punting situation into a touchdown drive.
Moment No. 2: Major loss
Typically when running down a game’s decisive moments, we include video with each entry. We won’t for this one, because Mike Onwenu’s ankle injury looked rough.
The immediate aftermath spoke for itself as well. The 28-year-old was carted off the field and promptly ruled out — an ominous sign. His departure also had an impact on the game, with replacement Greg Van Roten not being able to perform at the same level, allowing Pittsburgh’s defense to get an upper hand over New England’s right side of the offensive line.
Moment No. 3: Bounce-back
Romeo Doubs was targeted three times in the season opener against the Seahawks, but failed to catch any of the passes coming his way. Sunday was a different story: he hauled in three of four passes for 96 total yards. A majority of those — 63, to be exact — were gained on one play in the late third quarter.
The big-ticket free agency signing was able to get free behind Pittsburgh’s zone coverage, and Drake Maye hit him for a sizable gain. The play helped New England move into field goal range, and ultimately increase the lead to 10 points again.
Moment No. 4: Scoop and score
Registering more takeaways was one of the Patriots’ main talking points leading up to the game against the Steelers. The unit delivered, with the first of two takeaways happening in the early fourth quarter: up 13-3, Christian Barmore overpowered guard Spencer Anderson to get to Aaron Rodgers, sack the veteran quarterback, and knock the ball loose.
Elijah Ponder was ready to scoop up the loose football and get some redemption. After a similar play was whistled dead in the AFC Championship Game in January, he know was able to take the fumble into the end zon. for a touchdown.
Moment No. 5: Sealing the deal
Trailing 20-3 in the late fourth quarter, the Steelers were in dire need of some points if they wanted to get back into the game. What they got instead, was a second turnover. After an Eljiah Ponder sack had already moved them back 13 yards on the previous play, Charles Woods blew up an attempted screen pass from Rodgers to wide receiver Germie Bernard.
The ball popped up into the air, only for rookie Gabe Jacas to pick it off for his first career interception. That play very much sealed the game for the Patriots.
