It was never going to be an easy task — and it certainly wasn’t. But the Pittsburgh Steelers capitalized on their opponent’s mistakes and managed to walk away with a hard-fought, valuable win. Mike Tomlin knew the New England Patriots would bring a tough, hard-nosed defense to the field, which made the victory all the more meaningful in his eyes.
Heading into the game, it was clear this matchup would come down to the smallest of details — and that’s exactly how it played out. A costly late-game fumble by Drake Maye opened the door for the visiting Steelers to break the deadlock and ultimately seal the win.
Following the game, Tomlin spoke to the media and praised his players for their effort, while also tipping his hat to the Patriots for the level of play they showed across all four quarters.
“A couple things of note,” the HC said. “I thought we started fast offensively, but then we stalled out obviously, particularly in the second half. A lot of credit goes to New England and their defense and what they were doing. They were major components of that.”
The turning point of the game
Brandin Echols came up with a crucial interception near his own end zone — a game-changing play that likely prevented the Patriots from clawing their way back into the contest. Had he not made that play, New England could have been right back in it.
“Huge,” said Tomlin of this particular play. “That’s why we spend as much time practicing down in that space as we do as a collective. We’ve got to be great on defense in an effort to win the points. We’ve got to be great on offense.
“When you take the ball away, you get all seven points. Usually you’re fighting for four, but man, those takeaways, particularly down there, were big. Defensively I thought we were really tight in the red zone and things of that nature.“
What’s next for the Steelers?
Looking to strengthen their case as true contenders in the AFC North, Aaron Rodgers and company now turn their focus to the challenges ahead. Following their big win in New England, here’s what lies next on the road for the Steelers.
- @ Minnesota Vikings, September 28
- Bye Week
- vs Cleveland Browns, October 12
- @ Cincinnati Bengals, October 16
- vs Green Bay Packers, October 26