Patriots Grades: Five Turnovers Bring About Loss to Steelers

As the New England Patriots prepare to turn the page from their Week 3 defeat at the hands of the Pittsburgh Steelers, they must continue to take stock in their areas of strength, as well as their areas of improvement. 

While the Pats had little to celebrate during their 21-14 loss at Gillette Stadium, there were both moments of value and areas in need of improvement on which they may build a solid foundation for their upcoming Week 4 matchup against the Carolina Panthers. 

In that vein, here is a look at the Patriots offensive, defensive and special teams’ performances in Week 3, along with a grade for each positional group. 

OFFENSE

QUARTERBACKS

Drake Maye completed 28-of-37 for 268 yards with two touchdowns and one interception. He also ran the ball seven times for 45 yards in the losing effort. While Maye’s late second-quarter interception and fourth-quarter fumble may place a pall over his overall performance, the Pats’ third overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft turned in a statistically sound outing in Week 3. In spite of New England’s struggles with turnovers, Maye kept New England in position to potentially win the game. Unfortunately, the downs outweighed the ups against the Steelers in Week 3.

Grade: C

RUNNING BACKS

Starter Rhamondre Stevenson’s issues with 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 crucial situations for the team’s offense. Stevenson’s difficulties resulted in his lowest snap total of the season, aligning on only 27 snaps on offense. New England’s supporting cast did not fare much better than Stevenson. Veteran Antonio Gibson ran the ball seven times for a total of 28 yards and one fumble, while rookie TreVeyon Henderson logged 11 attempts for 28 yards.

Grade: D

RECEIVERS

New England’s receivers group managed to compile a total of 12 catches for 93 yards and no touchdowns against Pittsburgh. Veteran Mack Hollins led the corps with four catches for 28 yards, while Week 1 standout Kayshon Boutte caught three passes for 28 yards. The position group’s most dubious surprise is DeMario Douglas, who finished Week 3 with only two catches for seven yards. Douglas’ inability to convert the game’s final fourth down with just over one minute remaining in the game was a stark reminder that the team may still be in need of a bona fide playmaker in clutch situations.

Grade: C-

TIGHT ENDS

Tight end Hunter Henry was one of the few bright spots on offense for New England, logging 90 yards on eight catches and two touchdowns. Through New England’s first three games this season Henry has played on 86.3 percent of their snaps on offense. Given that he spent some time on the sidelines due to a knee injury in Week 3, Henry’s usage will be worth watching heading into Week 4. Austin Hooper turned in another solid outing, catching two passes for 28 yards. Considering the struggles of the other offensive positions, the tight ends were unarguably the most reliable unit on the field.

Grade: B+

OFFENSIVE LINE

For the third time in as many weeks, New England’s starting offensive line consisting of left tackle Will Campbell, left guard Jared Wilson, center Garrett Bradbury, right guard Michael Onwenu and right tackle Morgan Moses played all 74 snaps on offense. The protection unit has its hands full with the Pittsburgh blitz, as Maye was pressured on 31.9 percent of his dropbacks and sacked five times. In all fairness, the line was not solely responsible for all five of Maye’s sacks. However, the Pats blocking was less effective in this matchup than during their Week 2 victory over the Miami Dolphins. The Pats run blocking also labored to help an underperforming group of running backs who averaged only 3.2 yards per carry.

Grade: C