The New England Patriots earned their first win of the Mike Vrabel era against the Miami Dolphins in Week 2. They now prepare for the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 3 as they look to win two straight games for the first time since 2022.
Both teams are 1-1 entering the game. And while the Patriots showed improvement from Week 1 to Week 2, it’s unclear if they will be able to contain Aaron Rodgers and company.
Every week, a MassLive sportswriter will pick the result of the upcoming Patriots game and I’ve been tasked with the Week 3 matchup between the AFC teams.
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The Seattle Seahawks ran all over the Steelers last week en route to their 31-17 win and Pittsburgh’s defense surrendered 32 and 31 points in its first two games.
The Patriots defense has been exposed early on, especially with Christian Gonzalez sidelined with a hamstring injury. However, the group leads the NFL with nine sacks.
Gonzalez said Wednesday that he’s healthy, but wouldn’t disclose whether he’d be active Sunday.
The Steelers are facing a slew of injuries of their own including to Derrick Harmon, DeShon Elliott, Joey Porter Jr., Isaiahh Loudermilk and Alex Highsmith.
Rhamondre Stevenson had a huge game for New England against a struggling Dolphins defense, and could make life difficult for the Steelers (31.5) — who don’t rank much higher than Miami (33.0) in points allowed.
It’s still too early in the season to get a true read on either team, but I’m expecting a bounce-back week for the Steelers defense that will include former Patriots safety Jabrill Peppers — who New England surprisingly released ahead of the season. I’m also expecting the offense to be more put together after the Seahawks recovered a fumble in the end zone for a touchdown.
Even though they have a lot of momentum on their side going into Week 3, I think it will be the Steelers who bounce back from their Week 2 loss.
Final score prediction: Steelers 23, Patriots, 17
- BETTING: For Sunday’s game against the Dolphins, Patriots moneyline is listed at +104 over on FanDuel. Our comprehensive FanDuel Sportsbook review will help you learn how to navigate their site. For all of the best Patriots Week 2 odds, check out our expert analysis.
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