'TNF' takeaways: Patriots stun playoff-hopeful Steelers and bettors in prime-time win

In a battle of ugly offenses, the New England Patriots (3-10) came out on top, stunning the Pittsburgh Steelers (7-6), 21-18, on "Thursday Night Football." Here are three takeaways from the Patriots' third win of 2023. 

Patriots QB Bailey Zappe had first half to remember: After struggling a week ago in his first start of 2023, Zappe rebounded with arguably the best performance of his career, finishing 19-of-28 for 240 yards (8.6 YPC) with three touchdowns and an interception. However, an electric first half made the difference. 

The Patriots were ahead 21-10 at halftime, led by Zappe who finished the half 14-of-21 for 196 yards while connecting on three TD passes. He's the first Patriots QB to throw for three first-half TDs since Tom Brady in 2018. 

Zappe is no Brady, though, as he came back down to earth after the break, going 5-of-7 for 44 yards and a pick in the second half. However, for two quarters, he looked like a starting quarterback in the NFL, and it's all the Patriots needed to earn their third win of the season. However, he'll face a stiff test in Week 15, when the Patriots host the Kansas City Chiefs and their third-ranked defense. 

Steelers playoff hopes in doubt with QB Mitchell Trubisky: With starter Kenny Pickett expected to miss at least the next four games after undergoing ankle surgery on Dec. 4, Trubisky is the guy for now, putting a potential playoff berth for the Steelers in serious jeopardy. 

Trubisky had a rough evening, finishing 22-of-35 for 190 yards (5.4 YPA) with a touchdown and an interception. More times than not, Trubisky looked unsure, making questionable decisions with the football or overthrowing receivers. He will have opportunities for success over the next few weeks, facing off against several defenses ranked near the bottom of the NFL, including the Indianapolis Colts (27th), Cincinnati Bengals (22) and Seattle Seahawks (25th). Whether he takes advantage remains to be seen, but the Steelers' playoff hopes likely depend on it. 

Patriots/Steelers busted bettors: Thursday's surprisingly high-scoring affair had bettors pulling their hair out. With both offenses struggling and the Patriots (32nd) and Steelers (28th) ranked near the bottom of the NFL, many expected points to be at a premium. However, that wasn't the case as the teams topped the over of 30.5 points by halftime. 

According to John Ewing of BetMGM, 69 percent of bets were placed on the under. 

The Patriots offense came alive behind Zappe. He threw three touchdowns in the first half alone, helping New England top the 20-point mark for only the third time this season. Meanwhile, the Steelers had 10 points at the break, which surpassed or equaled their output in five games this year.

Of course, bettors in the know were aware that Yardbarker betting writer Jack Dougherty warned to be very careful about taking the under on Steelers-Pats, citing the history of games in which the O/U was 30 or less.