FOXBOROUGH – Can the Patriots put together a winning streak?
Last year, en route to winning four games, the Jerod Mayo-led Patriots never won back-to-back games. The same thing happened in 2023 during Bill Belichick’s final season in New England.
The Patriots haven’t won two games in a row since the 2022 season.
We’ll see if Mike Vrabel’s team can buck this trend on Sunday when the Patriots take on the Pittsburgh Steelers. Coming off a dramatic win in Miami, Vrabel’s squad beat the Dolphins in their home stadium for the first time since 2019. That game also marked the first time the offense scored over 30 points since 2022.
Standing in their way this weekend is a Steelers team led by veteran quarterback Aaron Rodgers. Pittsburgh comes into Gillette Stadium with one of the worst defenses in the NFL so far this season, allowing an average of 31.5 points per game.
Here are five things to watch:
Christian Gonzalez’s impact
After more than seven weeks sidelined, Christian Gonzalez returned to practice this week. The No. 1 cornerback was limited. He hasn’t played in a game since last season. It remains to be seen how effective Gonzalez will be when he gets back on the field since he missed most of training camp and all preseason games.
If he plays this week, Gonzalez will help the Patriots against Steelers receiver DK Metcalf. The 6-foot-4 deep threat caught four passes for 83 yards in Week 1. He had three catches for 20 yards last weekend against Seattle. Last year, Metcalf finished with 10 catches for 129 yards and a touchdown against the Patriots.
Drake Maye’s improvement
Drake Maye came out of a shaky Week 1 performance and looked much improved in Miami. The Patriots quarterback accounted for three touchdowns while looking comfortable, confident, and decisive behind center. He enters Week 3 ranked sixth in the NFL in completions, seventh in completion percentage, ninth in passing yards, and tied for tenth in passing touchdowns.
Can he build on that success? The Steelers defense has allowed back-to-back 30-plus points to start this season. Coming off their first 30-point performance since 2022, the Patriots haven’t scored 30-plus points in back-to-back weeks since 2020.
Aaron Rodgers
After 21 years, Rodgers is nearing the end of his career. Will this be the last time the Patriots see him? Last season with the Jets, Rodgers went 1-1 against the Patriots. When it comes to the quarterback, the Patriots will need to keep the pressure on. The defense currently leads the NFL in sacks.
Rodgers passed for 244 yards with four touchdowns in Pittsburgh’s Week 1 win. It was a different story last week as the veteran threw for 203 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions in the Steelers’ loss.
Receiver impact
In two games, the Patriots offensive game plans were very different. Last week, the passing game was focused on tight ends and running backs. Kayshon Boutte had one catch for 16 yards with a touchdown and still leads the Patriots in receiving with 119 yards. Through two games, the Patriots only have two players averaging 50 receiving yards per game – Boutte and running back Rhamondre Stevenson.
Will we see a bigger impact from the team’s receivers this week? Stefon Diggs leads the Patriots in receptions with 10 catches on 12 targets. Last week, Seattle’s Jaxon Smith-Njigba caught eight passes for 103 yards, and his teammate, Cooper Kupp, finished with seven catches for 90 yards against the Steelers.
Special teams
Life is rarely easy for rookies in the NFL. For Andy Borregales, the start to this season has been anything but easy. The sixth-round pick missed his first field goal attempt in Week 1 and has since hit the last four attempts. Last week in Miami, Borregales missed two extra-point attempts to start that game.
Meanwhile, Parker Romo, whom the Patriots cut, made five field goals in his debut with Atlanta last weekend. Sunday’s game is big for Borregales. The rookie could use a clean sheet to build confidence for both him and the team.
Prediction: Patriots 27, Steelers 20
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