Fan Notes from the Patriots’ loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers

Patriots vs. Steelers used to be one of those games we all got up for. It was usually a late window or primetime game, and the Patriots usually came out on top. Not so much anymore. Maybe the Pats will string together two consecutive wins at some point, but it sure as hell ain’t this week.

1. This game will go down as one of the weirdest I have ever watched, or will ever watch. The Patriots simultaneously deserved to lose this game by five scores and win this game by three scores, which I didn’t even think was possible.
2. It’s just incredibly frustrating, because other than the very obvious elephant in the room, there was actually a lot to like about what I saw yesterday. Drake Maye was efficient. He was able to lead long scoring drives. He extended plays with his legs and was accurate. The defense only gave up a big play when it came in the form of a penalty. But when you turn the ball over FIVE FREAKING TIMES, including two at the goal line, you have no business winning a football game.
3. But honestly, I think that we got a fairly solid sense of what we can expect from the OPatriots in 2025. This is a team on the bad side of mediocre, and they’ll be going up against a bunch of other teams this season who are also on the bad side of mediocre. They’re going to win some of those games, they’re going to lose some of those games, and depending on the direction a few bounces go in the future, they’ll finish just above or just under .500 for the year. This might be a season where you feel good about the wins, but not great. If the Patriots had won yesterday, I’d of course be happy…but not that happy.
4. What did make me happy, though, in spite of myself, was the way the NFL leaned into the 1975 vibes with their broadcasting. I tried very hard not to like it, because it’s dumb and it’s cheesy, but there’s just something about 1970s technology that slaps.
5. If nothing else, it gave me a renewed appreciation for Earth, Wind & Fire. I don’t know if I’d call them an underrated band in regards to how much love they get, but it’s easy to forget how many absolute bangers they had. And I’m pretty sure that every single human being who lists “Wedding DJ” on their employment record is legally required to kick off every wedding reception with “September.” Few things get middle-aged, uncoordinated people out of a white folding chair and onto a dance floor to start awkwardly bending their knees and swaying their hips like that song.
6. But of course, the best thing to come out of the 1970s was the New England Patriots’ throwback uniform. The early Patriots did very (very, very, very, very) few things right, but they absolutely nailed the unis.
7. And while I’d like to commend the Patriots for really getting into the spirit of the weekend and doing a nearly flawless impression of the 3-11 1975 squad, I very much could have done without that performance.
8. On paper, everything that cost the Patriots this game is fixable. Inexcusable turnovers, bad tackling, undisciplined play, stupid penalties, poor protection. Whether they’ll actually address those issues or not…well, no sense in speculating.
9. A part of me wishes that the Patriots had just plain sucked from whistle to whistle to whistle yesterday. That would have been a lot easier to digest. But after a horrible start, they got their act together for all but the most important parts of the football game, which just leaves such a bad taste in my mouth. To basically do everything right on multiple occasions and then just turn the ball over instead of scoring points…I don’t have many remote throw moments, but this was a remote throw game four or five times over.
10. Another positive: we can add “strong tackler” to Will Campbell’s resume. He represented their best defensive threat out there at times.
11. Once I know I’m not going to vomit from seeing it, I want to go back and watch Maye’s end zone pick. Boutte was open on the slant, and they say the ball was tipped to interfere with its trajectory, but I’m skeptical of that. It just seems more like a fitting end to some lousy playcalling in a scenario where you really need points.
12. When I was a kid, before I screamed at my television during sporting events, I would scream at my television every time Charlie Brown lined up to kick a football with Lucy Van Pelt as the holder. I couldn’t comprehend how this stupid kid kept falling for the ol’ pull the ball away gag over and over and it drove me nuts. But as an adult, I have more of an appreciation for Charlie’s commitment to it. Because I still think that Rhamondre Stevenson is a good running back. I think he brings a lot of positives to the offense. He’s a threat out of the backfield and a strong runner. And I keep telling myself that he’s not going to be a massive liability when it comes to ball security. Set the ball up, Lucy, I’m coming in hot.
13. Unless you happen to have a generational talent on your roster, I would forever be fine with drafting a running back every few years in the third to fifth round and letting him play out his contract.
14. To that end, there seems to be a massive, massive disparity on what folks are seeing with TreVeyon Henderson. Depending on who you talk to, he looks either completely lost out there or represents their best option and biggest threat. I personally have no idea how anyone can really have any kind of opinion on him, as he hasn’t really done much at all outside of a few catches and a few runs up the gut.
15. You know the time when I was most frightened yesterday? For some reason I thought that the Patriots were going to drive down the field late to score, then Borregales was going to shank the extra point that would have tied it up.
16. But luckily for me, Pop Douglas opted not to catch the ball and literally just fall backwards, instead looking for a few extra yards on a little loop around that stopped him short of the sticks and ended the game. I was fine with that, to be honest. Nobody needed to see any more from these two teams yesterday.
17. Demario Douglas used to represent our best receiving threat. And I don’t think that he has regressed or anything, the Patriots were just that bad.
18. What’s hardest for me to figure out at this point is how good or bad the Patriots are in comparison to the teams that they have played so far. The Raiders stink. The Dolphins stink. The Steelers stink. The Patriotsnstinkjs. But like three quarters of the NFL stinks this year, so does it really matter?
19. Finally, to hearken back to better times, a massive congratulations to Julian Edelman, newest member of the Patriots Hall of Fame. One of the easier decisions to be made, giving that guy a red jacket. A late-round pick, converted to receiver from QB, who worked his ass of and became one of the most productive players in team history.
20. And another congrats to Bill Parcells, one of the more controversial inductees to the Hall. A lot of people have a sour taste in their mouths over the way that his tenure ended, but I’ll always appreciate Parcells and what he was able to do with the latest horrendous Patriots squad in a long line of horrendous Patriots squads. I remember watching the Patriots in the 80s, but those memories are a little fuzzy; my concrete Pats fan memories begin with the likes of Tommy Hodson, Hugh Millen, and Irving Fryer. Those were some terrible teams, and when Parcells came on board, the change was tangible. So I for one am happy to see him in. But I get it if you’d rather he remain a footnote.

A win next week would put the team at 2-2 through the first quarter of the season, which isn’t a bad place to be at all. And Carolina is a very beatable team. The Patriots are also a very beatable team. I’m surprised

the schedule makers aren’t flexing this one into primetime.