Pittsburgh Steelers vs. New England Patriots used to be a matchup that got every ounce of attention from NFL fans. Historic coaches, historic players, two AFC heavyweights going at it. Now? It doesn’t even get the top broadcast team from the network airing the game.
A lot has changed since the Steelers and Patriots were two of the best teams in football. Bill Belichick is coaching in the college ranks. Tom Brady is in the FOX booth. Ben Roethlisberger is drinking Sam Adams Oktoberfest while he recaps prior Steelers games. Rodney Harrison and Ryan Clark are in the broadcast studio. You get the point. Both teams have lost legends and talent, and neither team looks to be a legitimate Super Bowl contender currently. But really, the Steelers are why this game doesn’t mean much anymore.
Growing up 15 minutes away from Gillette Stadium as a Steelers fan, I loved Patriots week. It would be non-stop, constant trash-talking from elementary school all the way through high school. I grew to hate the week after Patriots week, when New England did whatever they wanted against the Steelers’ defense. As Josh Carney wrote, the Steelers are looking to snap a 16-year drought regarding winning in Foxboro. That win in 2008, against Matt Cassel, is the only win the Steelers have had in Gillette Stadium in my lifetime.
Even when the Steelers bested the Patriots, it didn’t really matter. The 2018 win with Jaylen Samuels running for 142 yards was awesome. I could chirp all I wanted for the next week. Until the Steelers lost to the Saints, missed the playoffs, and the Patriots went on to win another Super Bowl, tying the Steelers for the most all-time with six rings.
It hasn’t been a competitive series, and coupled with the fact that both teams are fringe playoff contenders in the AFC, people don’t really care anymore. There hasn’t been any trash talk from my friends. And trust me, that’s not a case of us maturing and caring less about football. It’s a game that’s lost its luster. The Steelers failed to show up when the game actually mattered. A 33-3 loss to open the 2019 season and a loss in the 2016 AFC Championship Game were a part of five losses in six games from 2011-2019, when both teams were thought to be among the best in the AFC.
Heck, the Steelers lost to Bailey Zappe on Thursday Night Football just two years ago. Bill Belichick owned the Steelers, something I absolutely hate to say out loud. But it’s true. I mean, Chris Hogan (did you know he played lacrosse?) torched the Steelers in the 2016 AFC Championship. It became less of a rivalry and more of a scheduled loss from the Steelers’ side.
This used to be a game between two titans, two historic franchises full of Hall of Fame talent and coaches. The Steelers rarely let the game live up to its billing. And now, it’s just another game on the NFL calendar.
