NFL Scores: New England Patriots Beat Pittsburgh Steelers, Tom Brady Remains Perfect
Prior to the injury to Ben Roethlisberger, this would have been quite the marquee match-up between the Pittsburgh Steelers and New England Patriots. Landry Jones is simply not on the same level, so the outcome was not a shock. The Patriots defeated the Steelers by a score of 27-16, as reported by ESPN.
Though the outcome was expected, the Pittsburgh Steelers deserve praise for fighting as hard as they could to try to get the upset victory over the New England Patriots. It was just simply a matter of the Steelers being overmatched by the Patriots in terms of talent.
The absence of Ben Roethlisberger was probably most felt by the Pittsburgh Steelers when they struggled to score in the red zone. Landry Jones was able to lead the offense into that territory on four separate occasions, but the Steelers were only able to score one touchdown during that stretch.
TB12
+ @RobGronkowski
= @Patriots TD!Unstoppable. #Patriots #NEvsPIT https://t.co/sdvAfPrI3U
— NFL (@NFL) October 23, 2016
Completing 19 passes for two touchdowns is not going to go down as one of the best games played by Tom Brady, as the New England Patriots’ starting quarterback has had quite a few impressive games during his illustrious NFL career. However, he played efficiently enough to help lead the Patriots to a victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers, a team that Brady has dominated.
Rob Gronkowski was the guy that the Pittsburgh Steelers knew that they needed to slow down if they wanted a chance of beating the New England Patriots. The massive tight end only needed four catches to amass 93 receiving yards and a touchdown.
LeGarrette Blount was the security blanket for the New England Patriots. He was the only running back with any carries against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Tom Brady was the only other player to have carries. Blount produced 127 rushing yards and two touchdowns, which made it easier for the Patriots to dictate the tempo of the game.
Once again, the New England Patriots managed to get through an entire game without throwing an interception. They’re one of the first NFL teams to pull that off in more than five decades. The feat is even more impressive considering the team has started multiple quarterbacks this season.
Pittsburgh Steelers offensive coordinator Todd Haley is one of the brightest minds in the NFL. Unfortunately, though, he had to simplify his offensive game plan because Landry Jones obviously is not as comfortable with the scheme as Ben Roethlisberger is. That made things a bit easier on the New England Patriots’ coaching staff.
The Pittsburgh Steelers were able to receive 81 yards rushing from Le’Veon Bell, but that was not nearly enough to help them beat the New England Patriots. Without Ben Roethlisberger around, it made it easier for the Patriots to focus on stopping the Steelers running game.
Antonio Brown was able to provide some production for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Some were concerned that his numbers would drop without Ben Roethlisberger under center. However, those that have followed Brown closely know that he can produce with various quarterbacks throwing the ball his way.
Despite the loss, the Pittsburgh Steelers are still in the first place in the AFC North. It’s not by a huge margin, though, as the underachieving Baltimore Ravens and Cincinnati Bengals are just a game behind. Fortunately, the Cleveland Browns are still the only team in the NFL without a victory.
The New England Patriots are now sitting on a 6-1 record, which puts them in first place in the AFC East. They have a bit of a lead over the 4-3 Buffalo Bills. The Patriots should be able to win the division, especially since the Miami Dolphins and New York Jets are struggling.
[Featured Image by Joe Sargent/Getty Images]
