My final Pittsburgh Steelers thoughts as the team heads to New England to take on the Patriots.
1. THIS IS NOT THE SAME PATRIOTS TEAM AS LAST YEAR
The Tom Brady and Bill Belichick dynasty finally came to an end, with a new era beginning in New England in 2024. Jerod Mayo was elevated to head coach, and the team drafted quarterback Drake Maye with the third overall pick in the draft. It was a rough year in New England. Jerod Mayo did not live up to expectations, matching the prior year’s dismal record of 4-13, and was gone at the end of the season. The team has undergone a transformation, bringing in Mike Vrabel as head coach and adding Terrell Williams as defensive coordinator.
After two failed stints as a head coach, Josh McDaniels is back as the Patriots’ offensive coordinator, a role in which he excels. Drake Maye seems to be making the necessary jump in his second year, and the pass rush, buffed up in free agency, is now dominant.
2. FAMILIARITY CANNOT BE EXPECTED
There are many reasons this match-up could seem familiar. Steelers OC Arthur Smith served in that same role under Mike Vrabel as head coach when they were both on the Tennessee Titans staff. Now they face each other. The Steelers have faced Patriots OC Josh McDaniels too many times to count. That doesn’t mean the Steelers will know what to expect.
In the first two weeks of the 2025 season, the Patriots have shown they can tailor their scheme to their opponents. They took a very different defensive approach against the Raiders in the first week (more man coverage) and the Dolphins the following week (more zone and blitzing). Like Williams, McDaniels is adept at changing things weekly to target the opposing team’s weaknesses. The Steelers may know the coaching staff well, but that doesn’t mean they know what is coming.
3. A SPARK CAN LIGHT A FIRE
No matter how athletic and talented Derrick Harmon may be, no one expects the rookie to fix all the problems of the defensive line in his NFL debut. And although he has returned to practice, it isn’t clear if he will get his first start this week. But the first-round draft pick showed flashes of what he can bring to this defense during the preseason before he was sidelined with an MCL sprain. Just having him play this week could be the adrenaline jolt that the rest of the defensive front needs to jump-start their day. Any win starts with one good play. If he gets a helmet this week, Harmon could be a difference-maker even if he is on a snap count.
4. SPECIAL TEAMS NEED TO LIVE UP TO THAT NAME
The kicking unit of kicker Chris Boswell, punter Corliss Waitman, and long snapper Christian Kuntz has been everything a team could ask. However, special teams have disappointed on kick and punt returns. The obvious plays belong to rookie running back Kaleb Johnson: the fumble against the Jets and the disastrous play versus the Seahawks, where the kickoff ball grazed his shoulder and went into the end zone as a live ball. Johnson strolled off to the sideline while the Seahawks recovered it for a touchdown.
The special teams unit has also given up less glaring advantages to their opponents. Both the Jets and the Seahawks gained good field position returning kicks and punts. The Steelers, on the other hand, haven’t enjoyed that same success. It would give both their offense and defense a boost if the kick and punt return and coverage units could step up their game this week.
5. LAST CHANCE TO AVOID A BAD TREND
There’s a saying that “once is random, twice is a coincidence, and three times is a trend.” This week, we will learn if that applies to the Steelers’ run defense. It was inexcusably bad in the first week after a preseason full of predictions of a historic defense, giving up 182 yards rushing to the Jets. They were somewhat better last week, holding the Seahawks to 117 yards rushing.
Pittsburgh ranks at the bottom of the league for opponents’ rushing attempts, and who wouldn’t want to run the ball against them? If they can limit the Patriots in their run game, the big picture looks very different, with the arrow pointing up instead of alarm bells going off.
