Patriots Preview vs. Steelers
What Happened Last Week
The Patriots were absolutely embarrassed on national television in the season opener against the Seahawks, losing 13-10. It was by far Drake Maye’s worst game as a professional athlete and a very disappointing outcome after a great offseason for the team overall. The Patriots are now without their number receiver as well, with A.J. Brown placed on injured reserve with a high ankle sprain. Now Romeo Doubs and company have to step up and fill the void while he is out. The Steelers are coming off a victory versus the Falcons and are now coming to Gillette Stadium looking to beat the defending AFC Champions.
The Key to Drake Maye’s Success
A 3 Interception performance was not ideal for Drake Maye to start his third season. Although he had a 69.7% completion percentage, he only totaled 178 passing yards and one touchdown to rookie tight end Eli Raridon. He also had all 3 of his interceptions in the fourth quarter, which ultimately allowed the Seahawks to come back and win.
One thing Drake Maye did well on was his scrambling. He had seven rush attempts and was able to gain 47 yards. Seattle’s pass rush pushed Drake out of the pocket, preventing him from throwing the ball, but he was able to make the defense pay on long scrambles of 10 and 16 yards.
This part of his game is extremely underutilized as he only had one designed quarterback run. With a tough Steelers defense coming up and an extremely good pass rush, Josh McDaniels is going to have to implement some designed runs if he doesn’t want Drake getting hit. Last year, Drake Maye had 450 yards on 103 attempts, averaging around 4.5 yards a carry. Along with that, he scored only 4 touchdowns throughout the entire season. If the team wants Maye to generate yardage with his feet, they’re going to need to see him take off from the line of scrimmage more often.
How to stop the Steelers defense
The Steelers defense is coming off a dominant performance. It was all up front, with both T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith getting 2 sacks. The entire defense got 9 tackles for loss and held the Falcons to 5 for 15 on third down. Along with the big guys up front, the secondary held their ground. They held superstar wide receiver Drake London to only one catch and forced 2 interceptions. They looked like an elite defense and one that is going to be difficult to score on.
The Patriots are going to have to control the line of scrimmage, especially from the edge. Will Campbell and Morgan Moses both played pretty well against a tough Seahawks pass rush and want to show up again this Sunday against Pittsburgh.
Another way the Patriots could stop the Steelers defense is by running right up the middle. Although the Steelers have a good interior, Rhamondre Stevenson is looking to get revenge on the Steelers after last year’s loss to the Steelers, where Stevenson fumbled twice, including once on the goal line. Stevenson needs to average at least 4 yards per carry if he wants a good outing. The Patriots are also hoping Treveyon Henderson will return this week after being out of practice for nearly 3 weeks. If both can play and play well, the Patriots will be able to control the game and give Drake Maye time and space to throw the ball as well.
Force Rodgers to Throw
The run defense has been shaky for the Patriots going back to the Super Bowl. Although the Seahawks have a great run offense, the Patriots were absolutely dominated on the line of scrimmage.
They are going against a Steelers team that struggled to run last week and only gained 58 yards. It should be an easy task to stop the run offense of Pittsburgh, but there is no doubt that the Patriots have struggled against the run recently. Milton Williams and Christian Barmore need to step up and show some muscle and make the Pittsburgh offense decide to pass the ball.
As this is his last season, Aaron Rodgers looks very average, which is weird to say, especially since he is a former 4-time MVP. He is not as mobile as he used to be, which forces him to throw the ball quicker with less time. This is a perfect opportunity for the Patriots to dial up elite blitz schemes and make him use his mind. He will be relying on his tandem of weapons, D.K. Metcalf, Michael Pittman, and Pat Freiermuth, to catch his quick throws and potential deep balls. Gonzalez and the secondary will have their hands full with above-average ball catchers.
Big Home Game
This Sunday, the Patriots are looking to rebound from a tough road loss in Seattle and get back to .500 against the Pittsburgh Steelers. They are going to need Drake Maye to use his legs and throw with precision, force Rodgers to throw the ball against tough pressure, and run right through the Steelers’ elite defensive line. The Patriots have the chance to bring back the hype that was lost.
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