Steelers vs. Patriots: Score and Twitter Reaction for Thursday Night Football

It may not have been a dominating performance from start to finish, but the New England Patriots got their Super Bowl title defense off to a good start at home Thursday night, beating the Pittsburgh Steelers, 28-21.

Entering Thursday, many wondered how the Steelers pass defense would perform after what was a poor 2014. According to Football Outsiders, Pittsburgh ranked 30th in pass-defense DVOA (defense-adjusted value over average).

If the defeat is any indication, it could be a long year in the Steel City. Tom Brady finished 25-of-32 for 288 yards and four touchdowns. One of his favorite targets was Rob Gronkowski, who caught five passes for 94 yards and three touchdowns.

Bleacher Report's Matt Miller is already thinking back-to-back titles could be within reach for New England:

Brady found Gronkowski seemingly at will, especially in the red zone. Getting victimized by the legendary quarterback isn't anything new for the Steelers of late, though, per NFL Network's Scott Hanson:

Miller explained just how much the Steelers are missing former defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau:

In terms of just the numbers, Pittsburgh actually outperformed New England, gaining over 100 more total yards.

Ben Roethlisberger had 351 yards, one touchdown and an interception on 26-of-38 passing. Antonio Brown had nine receptions for 133 yards and a touchdown, continuing one of the more impressive streaks in the league, per Yahoo Sports' Charles Robinson:

DeAngelo Williams was also a pleasant surprise, running for 127 yards on 21 carries. According to B/R Insights, Williams' last 100-yard rushing game was nearly two years ago:

"

#Steelers RB DeAngelo Williams has reached 100 yds rushing vs. #Patriots. It's his first 100-yd game since Week 3 of 2013. #NFLKickoff

— B/R Insights (@BR_Insights) September 11, 2015"

Despite those strong individual showings, poor red-zone performance and uneven special teams doomed the Steelers.

Injuries to kickers Shaun Suisham and Garrett Hartley forced Pittsburgh to trade for Josh Scobee, who was a somewhat unimpressive 76.9 percent on 26 field-goal attempts last year.

The 33-year-old whiffed on his first two opportunities in the first half, missing from 44 and 46 yards. Sports Illustrated's Chris Burke doesn't foresee Scobee lasting much longer in Pittsburgh:

Those two missed field goals were particularly important given the fact that the Steelers could've entered halftime down just one score. Instead, it was staring at a 14-3 deficit.

Gronkowski was responsible for both of the Patriots' first-half touchdowns.

The first capped off a seven-minute drive for New England that spanned the first and second quarters. Brady hit Gronk on a quick hook, and the All-Pro tight end did the rest, per the NFL:

The second illustrated some of the issues in the Steelers secondary as Will Allen and Mike Mitchell lost track of Gronkowski, allowing him a rather easy reception in the back of the end zone:

Before the game, Mitchell discussed the best way to handle the seemingly unstoppable pass-catcher and intimated opposing defenses don't jam him enough at the line of scrimmage.

"He has success when people don't put their hands on him," Mitchell said, per ESPN.com's Jeremy Fowler.

"If you mess up their timing, they are really time-oriented," added Steelers linebacker Ryan Shazier. "You have to mess up their timing and get in his face with pressure, then I feel we can slow him down a little bit."

ESPN's Louis Riddick wondered when the Pittsburgh defenders might start following through with that strategy:

A 44-yard field goal from Scobee meant the Steelers at least took some points into the locker room after the second quarter. If history was any indicator, though, Pittsburgh's chances of making a second-half comeback were slim, per Ryan Hannable of WEEI:

New England opened the third quarter with a touchdown to pad its lead. Brady found Scott Chandler on a one-yard touchdown pass, which put the Patriots ahead 21-3.

Roethlisberger marched the Steelers 80 yards down the field on seven plays. The drive culminated in a Will Johnson one-yard touchdown run. Pittsburgh trimmed the deficit to 10 points, 21-11, after Roethlisberger connected with Markus Wheaton for the two-point conversion.

Pittsburgh nearly made it a one-score game in the fourth quarter but had to settle for a 24-yard field goal from Scobee.

The next drive largely summed up the entire night for the Steelers.

Bud Dupree was matched up against Gronk on the first play. Expecting some safety help, Dupree allowed Gronkowski to get in behind the secondary. No safety help was to be found, and Gronkowski rumbled for 52 yards, per NFL Network:

Three plays later, Pittsburgh looked to have caught some luck after Dion Lewis fumbled the ball at the 3-yard line. Instead of a Steelers player pouncing on the fumble and turning the momentum of the game, Gronkowski fell on the ball at the 1-yard line.

The Patriots then scored on Gronkowski's third TD reception of the game. Brady identified a mismatch on the outside with linebacker Terence Garvin lined up against Gronk. From there, it was as simple as Brady throwing a fade to the sideline, against which Garvin could do nothing.

Bleacher Report's Mike Freeman was less than complimentary of Pittsburgh's defense:

That touchdown all but sealed the loss for Pittsburgh. It had nine minutes and 20 seconds to make up a 14-point deficit, a gap that felt much larger given the struggles of the Steelers offense. Brown caught an 11-yard touchdown with two seconds remaining, which was ultimately meaningless.

The Steelers head home for Week 2, when they host the San Francisco 49ers. Pittsburgh will still be without Le'Veon Bell and Martavis Bryant through suspension, which undoubtedly puts the offense at a disadvantage.

Pittsburgh showed some defensive improvement early in the second half but regressed a bit in the fourth quarter. As good as the offense will be when Bryant and Bell return, the defense could hold the team back in 2015.

New England hits the road in Week 2, when it faces one of its division rivals, the Buffalo Bills. The Bills offense is a major question mark with Tyrod Taylor under center, but their defense could be one of the best in the league, especially under head coach Rex Ryan.

That game could affirm Buffalo's status as a major contender to the Patriots in the AFC East.