PATRIOTS BEAT STEELERS 20-3 AS RODGERS STRUGGLES

The New England Patriots beat the Pittsburgh Steelers 20-3, holding Pittsburgh's offence to just three points. Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers completed 23 of 39 passes for 187 yards, with no touchdowns and one interception. Rodgers also lost a fumble, which Patriots player Elijah Ponder returned for a touchdown. Patriots quarterback Drake Maye completed 14 of 22 passes for 208 yards, also with no touchdown and one interception. New England's running game, rather than its passing attack, controlled the contest.

TreVeyon Henderson rushed for 76 yards for the Patriots, while Rhamondre Stevenson added 43 yards on the ground. The Steelers were unable to sustain drives, punting repeatedly throughout the game. Ponder's fumble-return touchdown gave New England a scoring advantage in a game where both starting quarterbacks struggled to move the ball through the air. Neither Maye nor Rodgers threw a touchdown pass, and both were intercepted once. Pittsburgh's offence gained fewer than 200 passing yards and did not find the end zone.

The result leaves the Patriots and the Steelers with identical 1-1 records after two weeks of the season. Rodgers has said this is set to be his final NFL season. Commentators reviewing the game raised questions about whether he can lead the Steelers to anything better than a mediocre campaign. New England was said to have greater cause for optimism about its direction following the win, while Pittsburgh's offensive display drew criticism from those covering the game.