Five Instant Reactions From Patriots Loss to Steelers

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Just when the New England Patriots appeared poised to take advantage of a subpar performance from the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 3 at Gillette Stadium, they handed both the ball and the momentum back to the visitors.

Despite wearing their beloved red throwbacks in front of their hometown crowd, the Pats proved that there are still “miles to go” on the road back to contention in the Mike Vrabel era. 

Veteran quarterback Aaron Rodgers completed 16-of-23 passes for 139 yards with two touchdowns and one interception, while Pats starter Drake Maye statistically outdueled his idol by completing 28-of-37 for 268 yards, two touchdowns and one interception in a losing effort — as the Pats drop to 1-2 on a 21-14 loss to the Steelers at home.

Despite the defeat, however, there were moments of value on which they may build moving forward. In that vein, here is a look at five instant takeaways from their Week 3 loss to the Steelers.

Patriots Cannot Convert When It Counts

New England had their chances to put the Steelers on their heels in Week 3. Unfortunately, their inability to secure the football in several key situations would doom the Pats attempt to earn their second win in as many weeks. Though New England was whistled for seven penalties for 54 yards, the most disturbing stat for the Patriots in Week three was committing five turnovers — one interception to close the first-half and four fumbles. From Per ESPN Research, the Patriots became the first team with multiple turnovers inside their opponent's five-yard line since the Philadelpha Eagles in Week 8 of 2023 in their matchup against the Washington Commanders. In short, the Patriots cannot expect to win unless they are able to convert when their offense is most in need.

Following the game, Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel echoed the concerns of Patriots Nation in the reasoning for their loss to the Steelers:

"Turnovers are very hard to overcome. They erase all the good things that you do. Take away momentum, take away points…It was very unfortunate,” Vrabel said postgame. “Every time [we had the ball in those cases,] I felt like we were going to take the momentum...the defense did a great job there, unfortunately it got to be one too many opportunities on their part."

Rhamondre Stevenson’s “Fumblitis” Returns

Just one week ago, Stevenson led all running backs in both receptions and rushing yards in a 33-27 victory over the Miami Dolphins. The Oklahoma product finished the day by running for 54 yards on 11 carries, while also catching five passes for 88 yards — including a career-high 55-yard deep shot from Maye in the third quarter.

What a difference a week makes.

Stevenson’s issues in securing the football once again surfaced in Week 3, finishing the day with only four carries for 18 yards. Most importantly, the Pats starting running back fumbled the ball twice in potential sciring situations. The Oklahoma product had similar struggles in 2024 — due both to injury and ball security. The 6’0” 227-pound back set career highs with seven fumbles — three of which were lost. As a result of his issues with protecting the football, Stevenson was demoted in early October by then-coach Jerod Mayo from his starting role. He finished the season having compiled 801 yards on 207 carries with seven touchdowns in 15 games. While Stevenson’s talent must not be denied, his inability to hold on to the football in key situations cannot not be ignored. If he does not make swift and marked improvement in the coming days, he may find himself demoted in short order.