Tom Brady, New England Patriots Come Up Big in Win over Pittsburgh Steelers
With 4:31 left in Sunday Night Football, Tom Brady found Rob Gronkowski running free downfield as William Gay and Troy Polamalu looked at one another, confused as to who was assigned to Gronkowski. It didn't matter, because the rookie tight end blazed past them both and reeled in a 25-yard touchdown pass, his third of the game.
That was just a microcosm of the game.
Many thought it was impossible for the Patriots to come out so flat two weeks in a row, and they were right, but I'm not sure anyone expected this. Not, at least, from the offense. A week after their worst performance of the season, they had arguably their best performance of the season against one of the best defenses in the league.
I'll take a look back at my pregame breakdown, and analyze what I thought would happen against what actually happened.
Enough pretense. To the breakdown!
Patriots Passing Game Vs. Steelers Pass Defense
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Pregame advantage: Patriots
Tom Brady said before the game against the Steelers that he was "embarrassed" after what he called a bad performance against the Browns last week.
Many (myself included) hung the hat of a potential Patriots win on their ability to move the ball effectively through the air. They did just that, as Brady went 30-for-43 for 350 yards and three touchdown passes.
Even with all the word of Brady's sprained foot, he hardly showed any sign of it, and was surprisingly almost completely untouched all night.
Postgame advantage: Patriots
Patriots Running Game Vs. Steelers Run Defense
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Pregame advantage: Steelers
The Patriots didn't run the ball very much, but when they did, they were much more effective with it than anyone thought possible. In fact, one of Brady's four touchdowns came on a five-yard "sneak" that more closely resembled a rugby scrum.
Prior to the game, the Steelers had given up a league-best 2.6 yards per carry, but the Patriots were able to average 4.3.
BenJarvus Green-Ellis was imposing his will on the Steelers defense, going around them and through them on his way to 87 yards on 18 carries. It wasn't a great performance, but it was enough to keep the Steelers defense honest.
Postgame advantage: Patriots
Steelers Passing Game Vs. Patriots Pass Defense
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Pregame advantage: Steelers
Many prognosticators thought that the ability of not just Ben Roethlisberger but also the Steelers receivers to extend plays would be difficult for the Patriots to manage in their typical soft zone scheme. Well, those people were right. Roethlisberger started slow, but finished strong with 387 yards, three touchdowns and one interception.
Another factor many were keeping their eyes on this week, which obviously had an impact on the game, was the health of the Steelers' offensive line. The Steelers were only starting two of their original five starters on the line. Roethlisberger felt the pressure all day to the tune of five sacks.
Postgame advantage: Steelers
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Steelers Running Game Vs. Patriots Run Defense
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Pregame advantage: Steelers
Just behind the Patriots pass attack vs. Steelers pass defense, this was the big matchup that helped swing the game in New England's favor. The Steelers simply couldn't get any rhythm with their running game.
Although they averaged 4.8 yards per carry, they just fell too far behind to put any amount of emphasis on the run. They were playing catch-up from the beginning, after quickly falling behind 10-0.
Still, it wouldn't have been the first time the Steelers had run themselves back into a game even when playing from behind, and Brady himself said that, "We played from ahead and that's a big difference."
Postgame advantage: Patriots
Special Teams
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Pregame advantage: Steelers
With all the shuffling the Patriots had done this past week on special teams, I was sure they would have a miscue at a difficult place to play like Pittsburgh. It was Steelers kicker Jeff Reed, though, that missed a field goal after a long drive.
Zoltan Mesko buried the Steelers with some great punts, three of which pinned the Steelers inside their own 20. Although Dan Sepulveda had a higher per-punt average, he didn't give the Patriots many long fields.
Postgame advantage: Patriots
Coaching
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Pregame advantage: Patriots
The Patriots rarely have two bad games in a row, and Bill Belichick now moves to 25-2 after a loss since 2003.
The Patriots came out with two tight end sets, something we've seen more from them than ever before, and more than from any other team this season. This was an effective way to counter the pass rush of the Steelers, and when the Patriots spread it out, the Steelers' pass rush was nullified again with quick throws to open receivers who took it for long gains.
The defensive gameplan may not have worked to perfection. Although the Steelers are no longer the run-down-your-throat offense we've become used to, everyone knows the Steelers are a better team when they're running the ball and controlling the clock, and they simply weren't able to do that.
Postgame advantage: Patriots
Conclusion
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Prediction: Patriots 23, Steelers 21
The game wasn't as close as what I thought it would be, but I had faith in a Patriots win from the beginning.
As mentioned earlier, they just do too well after a loss. Even elite teams like Pittsburgh are up to a big task when facing the Patriots after a loss, as they usually are able to re-focus and get back to what they do best.
They did exactly that, by returning to the bend-don't-break defense with big plays in the red zone and in the fourth quarter with James Sanders' 32-yard interception return for a touchdown.
Final score: Patriots 39, Steelers 26
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