Turnovers wrote a lot of the story for the Pittsburgh Steelers’ Week 3 game against the New England Patriots. Their defense recorded four forced fumbles and one interception, helping keep them in the game. After starting running back Rhamondre Stevenson fumbled twice, the Patriots put backup Antonio Gibson into the game. Unfortunately for them, Gibson also fumbled shortly after that. After the Steelers’ 21-14 win, he spoke about how clear that forcing the ball out was a top priority for the Steelers’ defense.
“For sure,” Gibson said via the team’s YouTube channel. “They was punching at the ball from the first play. You can’t get relaxed right there, even when you’re trying to break a tackle or lower your shoulder. That’s what happened. Helmet to football. That’s a tough one to hold on to. All my fault. Just gotta do better right there.”
Steelers players backed up Gibson’s assertion, revealing that they knew ball security was a Patriots weakness. That paid off, too. The Steelers’ turnover party started early as they forced Stevenson to fumble on the Patriots’ third offensive play.
That’s an issue that’s followed both Stevenson and Gibson throughout their careers. Last year, Stevenson fumbled seven times. While Gibson only fumbled two times in 2024, that came on limited touches. In 2023, he fumbled four times, and in 2021, he fumbled six times.
Like Gibson says, though, it’s tough to put all of the blame on him for his fumble. Jabrill Peppers made a great play, putting his helmet on the ball and knocking it loose.
If not for those fumbling issues, the Patriots easily could have beaten the Steelers. Despite forcing all of those turnovers, the Steelers struggled to put points on the board. For much of the game, the Patriots only trailed by one score.
However, the Steelers’ defense still has a lot of issues. They’ve looked shaky defensively in all three of their games this year. Specifically, they constantly faltered on third and fourth down. For as many turnovers as they created, they could’ve had an even more dominant day.
Fortunately, the Steelers did enough to walk away with the win. We’ll see if their defense can continue forcing turnovers. Don’t expect them to record four fumbles every week, though. That isn’t common. The Steelers’ defense has a lot to work on, but it was encouraging to see that group step up and make big plays when it needed to.
