Four Studs, Four Duds From Patriots Frustrating Loss To Steelers

The New England Patriots fought valiantly in their 21-14 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 3, but they ultimately couldn’t get out of their own way in their quest to earn their second straight win. The result was one of the most frustrating losses in recent memory.

Despite moving the ball well on offense and silencing the Steelers’ offense, the Pats fall to 1-2 on the season with this disappointing defeat. Before turning the page to Week 4, let’s look back at the action and pick out four studs and four duds from New England’s third game of the season.

Studs

Hunter Henry

On a day where pretty much everybody seemed to be making crucial mistakes, Hunter Henry was the outlier. Henry was in sync with Drake Maye all day long, catching eight passes for 90 yards and two touchdowns. After catching just one pass in Week 2, it was a great return to form for the veteran right end.

Drake Maye

Yes, Maye threw a costly interception in the end zone and lost a fumble, but he was in complete control otherwise, completing 28 of his 37 pass attempts for 268 yards and two touchdowns, while also rushing for 45 yards on seven carries. Maye gashed Pittsburgh’s defense all day long and kept his team in a game where they turned the ball over five times.

Robert Spillane

One of the Patriots’ top free agent signings this offseason, Robert Spillane endured a bit of a slow start with his new team, but he was everywhere on Sunday. Spillane racked up a game-high 15 tackles, one of which went for a loss, while also nabbing an interception and a pass deflection in coverage.

Milton Williams

New England may not have sacked Aaron Rodgers in this one, but their defensive line won the battle against Pittsburgh’s offensive line for much of the day. Once again, Milton Williams was at the center of the Pats’ success here, as he picked up a pair of tackles for a loss while frequently breaking through the interior of the Steelers’ o-line.

Duds

Rhamondre Stevenson

After seemingly taking full control of lead running back duties last week, Rhamondre Stevenson literally fumbled them away this week. After fumbling seven times last year, Stevenson lost a pair of fumbles against the Steelers, one of which came as he was trying to extend into the endzone for a touchdown.

Antonio Gibson

After Stevenson’s second fumble of the day, head coach Mike Vrabel turned to Antonio Gibson to come in and fill in at running back. Of course, Gibson then proceeded to lose a fumble, adding to New England’s woes. Both he and Stevenson could be in the doghouse moving forward if they continue to put the football on the ground.

Demario Douglas

The hope was that Demario Douglas would take a step forward in 2025, but he has just five catches through three games. On Sunday, he only caught two passes for seven yards, with his second catch seeing him run backwards and not pick up a first down on a 4th & 1 play that sealed the game for the Steelers.

Alex Austin

For the second straight week, Alex Austin was torched in coverage while filling in for Christian Gonzalez. Aaron Rodgers picked on him early and often, and he ended up playing so poorly that he only logged 14 defensive snaps, with Vrabel turning to Charles Woods and Kyle Dugger to help out in the secondary.