The New England Patriots secured a victory against the Pittsburgh Steelers, triumphing with a score of 21-18. This event took place during Week 14 of the NFL season at Acrisure Stadium on Thursday Night Football.
The New England Patriots secured their third win of the season with a 21-18 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers. They performed strongly in the first half, scoring all their points thanks to quarterback Bailey Zappe and tight end Hunter Henry. However, the team was unable to score any points in the second half. Despite a comeback attempt by the Steelers, led by backup quarterback Mitch Trubisky filling in for the injured Kenny Pickett, they couldn’t complete the turnaround.
The Patriots’ defense had another strong performance, causing challenges for the Steelers’ offense throughout the game. Despite facing difficulties from offensive and special teams mistakes in the second half, such as a blocked punt resulting in a touchdown, the defense made crucial stops. Ultimately, they successfully prevented the Steelers from making significant progress, securing the victory in the end.
The Steelers responded by scoring with a field goal. They advanced the ball to the New England 35-yard line and opted for a 56-yard kick from Chris Boswell, bringing the score to 7-3.
In the second quarter’s start, Trubisky of the Steelers threw a pass intercepted by Peppers from the Patriots, putting them in a good position at the Steelers’ 11-yard line. Zappe then made a short pass to Henry in two plays, scoring a touchdown and making the score 14-3.
The Patriots got another opportunity to score when the Steelers’ punt didn’t go far. Starting at their own 41-yard line, the Patriots took advantage.
On the third attempt to move forward, Zappe threw a successful 28-yard pass to Smith-Schuster, bringing them close to the Pittsburgh 24-yard line. Following that, Zappe connected with Henry for a 24-yard touchdown. Despite the efforts of safety Damontae Kazee, who tried to stop it, the Patriots took a 21-3 lead.
The Steelers then had their chance and managed to score a touchdown of their own. Covering a distance of 75 yards, Trubisky threw a 25-yard pass to Johnson, bringing the score to 21-10 just before halftime.
Zappe had a strong first half, completing 14 out of 21 passes for 196 yards and securing three touchdowns. His overall performance in the game included 19 completions on 28 attempts, resulting in 222 yards.
In the second half, the Steelers made progress, reaching the New England 44-yard line, but Trubisky was sacked, leading to a punt.
Despite Heyward’s sack for the Steelers, which brought his career total to 80.5 and tied for the second-most in team history with James Harrison, the Patriots’ offense couldn’t advance and had to punt.
An interception by Walker for the Steelers occurred when Roberts tipped a pass intended for Smith-Schuster. The Steelers gained possession at the New England 16-yard line but were unable to score on the subsequent play, falling short on fourth-and-2.
The Steelers once again succeeded in making the opposing team punt, with Miles Killebrew blocking the punt for the second time this season. Taking possession at the New England 26-yard line, the Steelers set up Trubisky for a 1-yard touchdown with a quarterback sneak. Following the touchdown, Trubisky completed a pass to Freiermuth for a 2-point conversion, bringing the score to 21-18 with 11:44 remaining in the game.
Despite having two more opportunities to gain possession, the Steelers couldn’t make significant progress. In the first attempt, there was a moment where it seemed like Tavai from the other team moved too early, potentially giving the Steelers a first down. However, after further discussion, the referees concluded that Tavai’s movement was provoked by Kuntz raising his head.
On their Final try just before the two-minute warning, the Steelers moved the ball to their own 49-yard line. However, Trubisky missed a pass to George Pickens, and on the next play, he couldn’t complete a long pass to Diontae Johnson. This resulted in giving the ball back to the Patriots, who used up the remaining time on the clock. With 15 seconds left in the game, the ball was returned at the Pittsburgh 13-yard line.
Trubisky finished the game making 22 out of 36 passes for 190 yards, scoring one touchdown, and throwing one interception. He also ran for a score. The Steelers gained a total of 264 offensive yards, while the Patriots had 303 yards.