— During his 24 seasons with the New England Patriots, Bill Belichick never held back in expressing his affinity for the Pittsburgh Steelers.
asserted
Belichick → hold → Steelers
From the praise he showered on the Steelers’ ownership, to the team’s success on the field — currently tied with New England with an NFL-best six Super Bowl wins — Belichick talked about Pittsburgh with reverence.
asserted
Belichick → shower → reverence
The Steelers (1-0) are coming off the successful debut of new coach Mike McCarthy following the departure of Mike Tomlin, and a vintage effort from 42-year-old quarterback Aaron Rodgers in their opening win over Atlanta.
asserted
Steelers → come → Atlanta
“I feel really good,” Rodgers said.
asserted
Rodgers → feel → ?
“Legs feel good.
asserted
Legs → feel → ?
Feel good moving around, and I feel like I’m just going to keep on getting better.”
asserted
I → feel → ?
While the reunion between Rodgers and McCarthy has brought a new dynamic to this incarnation of the Steelers, Patriots coach Mike Vrabel said the expectations are always the same when the Pittsburgh is on the opposing sideline.
asserted
Pittsburgh → bring → sideline
“I think the Steelers is the identity,” Vrabel said.
asserted
Vrabel → think → ?
“The Steelers are going to be the Steelers.
asserted
Steelers → go → ?
They’re big and they’re long and they’re going to try to force the quarterback into making mistakes.”
asserted
they → ’re → mistakes
The Patriots (0-1) will be entering their second home opener under Vrabel, the architect of New England’s renaissance in the post-Tom Brady era, and with a third-year quarterback in Drake Maye whose post-Super Bowl run honeymoon appears to be over following one of the worst performances of his young career in last week’s 13-10 loss to Seattle.
asserted
honeymoon → enter → Seattle
It marked the first time in his NFL career that Maye’s thrown three interceptions in a game.
asserted
Maye → mark → game
Turnovers also were an issue in last season’s loss to Pittsburgh, in which the Patriots had five giveaways.
asserted
Patriots → have → giveaways
One option Maye won’t have this week is wide receiver A.J. Brown, who left the Seattle loss with a high-ankle sprain.
asserted
who → have → sprain
He has since been placed on injured reserve and will miss at least four games.
asserted
He → place → games
Maye said that overcoming Brown’s absence must start with him.
asserted
overcoming → say → him
“I think based on last week I need to elevate my game in general.
asserted
I → think → game
I’m trying to be the best I can back there and strive to have games like last year where I am close to completing every pass,” Maye said.
asserted
Maye → try → pass
“It’s a team effort and realizing that a lot of guys need to step up and do extra things and strain a little bit harder for us to keep going in the right direction.
asserted
us → ’ → direction
Need to know
Pittsburgh (1-0) at New England (0-1)
When/where to watch: Sunday, 1 p.m. EDT, CBS
Latest odds: Patriots by 5
Against the spread: Steelers 1-0; Patriots 0-0-1.
Last week: Steelers beat the Falcons 20-13; Patriots lose to the Seahawks 13-10.
Last meeting:
asserted
Patriots → need → Seahawks
Steelers beat the Patriots 21-14 on Sept. 21, 2025, in Foxborough, Mass,
Series record: Patriots lead 19-17.
asserted
Patriots → beat → Foxborough
New England did a decent job protecting Maye in Week 1.
asserted
England → do → Week
But the Patriots struggled to run the ball, gaining only 109 yards (3.5 per carry) against Seattle, leaving New England ranked 17th in the NFL in rushing entering Week 2.
asserted
Patriots → struggle → Week
Pittsburgh allowed Atlanta only 3.9 yards per rush in the Steelers’ Week 1 win.
asserted
Pittsburgh → allow → win
The 26-year-old sat out Week 1 and was limited in practice this week while recovering from a back injury, all set against the backdrop of stalled contract negotiations that have put his long-term future with the team in doubt.
asserted
that → sit → doubt
— Steelers LB T.J. Watt’s late pick-6 against Atlanta last week put him in some pretty elite company.
asserted
pick-6 → put → company
Watt joined Hall of Famer Julius Peppers as the only players in NFL history to have 100 sacks and 10 interceptions.
asserted
Watt → join → sacks
— Pittsburgh’s victory in the opener marked the 164th regular-season win as a starting quarterback for Rodgers, leaving him one shy of tying former Steelers great Ben Roethlisberger for fifth on the NFL’s career list.
asserted
victory → mark → list
— The Steelers are hoping to get the running game going after a shaky performance against the Falcons.
asserted
game → hop → Falcons
Pittsburgh averaged just 2.8 yards per carry, though Jaylen Warren churned out a clock-draining first down late in the fourth quarter.
asserted
Warren → average → quarter
— Patriots TE Hunter Henry enters the game with 2,999 receiving yards (fourth in team history) in his six seasons in New England.
asserted
Henry → enter → England
With another more yard he’ll join Rob Gronkowski (7,861), Ben Coates 5,471) and Russ Francis 3,157) as the only Patriot tight ends to reach 3,000.
asserted
he → join → 3,000
— New England’s offense could get a boost with RB TreVeyon Henderson on track to return from an ankle injury that kept him sidelined last week against the Seahawks.
uncertain
that → get → Seahawks
Henderson rushed for 911 yards and nine touchdowns as a rookie last season.
asserted
Henderson → rush → rookie
— Pittsburgh will be the second of four straight Patriots opponents to open the season against teams that made the playoffs a year ago.
asserted
that → open → playoffs
New England is the ninth team in the past 40 seasons to begin its schedule with four consecutive playoff teams from the previous year.
asserted
England → begin → year
— Vrabel is looking to avoid just the second 0-2 start of his eight-year coaching career.
asserted
Vrabel → look → career
The Titans started 0-2 during his fifth season in Tennessee in 2022 on the way to a 7-10 finish.
asserted
Titans → start → finish
The Aporia
