Pittsburgh
Steelers
1-0
43
FINAL
42
New England
Patriots
0-1
AI Recap
AI RECAPIn a thrilling Week 2 matchup, the Pittsburgh Steelers narrowly defeated the New England Patriots with a final score of 43-42. This high-stakes game showcased the fierce competition between two teams looking to establish their dominance early in the 2026 season. The victory gives the Steelers a crucial boost as they aim for playoff positioning.
Brock Purdy was the standout performer for Pittsburgh, throwing for an impressive 456 yards and five touchdowns, demonstrating his ability to lead the offense effectively. He connected frequently with Jayden Higgins, who racked up 109 receiving yards, making key plays that kept the Steelers ahead. Meanwhile, Tom Brady’s efforts on the ground for New England, including 75 rushing yards, highlighted his versatility, but it wasn’t enough to secure the win.
Defensively, the Steelers made crucial stops, particularly from Kayvon Thibodeaux, who registered three total tackles, and Cobie Durant, who intercepted a key pass. The turning point came late in the fourth quarter when Durant's interception halted a promising Patriots drive, allowing Pittsburgh to maintain their slim lead. Despite Frankie Luvu's sack for New England, the Steelers' defense ultimately held firm, sealing the victory in a nail-biter.
Passing
| Player | Pos | ATT | CMP | CMP% | YDS | TD | INT | QBR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brock Purdy | QB | 31 | 20 | 65% | 456 | 5 | 3 | 107.9 |
| Tom Brady | QB | 23 | 6 | 26% | 219 | 1 | 2 | 45.0 |
Rushing
| Player | Pos | ATT | YDS | YPC | YAC | TD | LNG | FUM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tom Brady | QB | 7 | 75 | 10.7 | 15 | 1 | 26 | 0 |
| Derrick Henry | HB | 12 | 68 | 5.7 | 17 | 2 | 21 | 0 |
| Kyren Williams | HB | 6 | 20 | 3.3 | 3 | 1 | 7 | 0 |
| David Montgomery | HB | 2 | 16 | 8.0 | 4 | 0 | 12 | 0 |
| Brock Purdy | QB | 2 | 4 | 2.0 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| Ashton Dulin | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Justin Jefferson | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Receiving
| Player | Pos | REC | YDS | YPR | YAC | TD | LNG | DROP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jayden Higgins | WR | 2 | 109 | 54.5 | 21 | 2 | 65 | 0 |
| Christian Watson | WR | 2 | 106 | 53.0 | 35 | 1 | 71 | 0 |
| Antonio Brown | WR | 4 | 106 | 26.5 | 43 | 2 | 47 | 0 |
| Justin Jefferson | WR | 5 | 98 | 19.6 | 29 | 0 | 43 | 0 |
| Terrance Ferguson | TE | 4 | 79 | 19.8 | 27 | 1 | 31 | 0 |
| Matthew Golden | WR | 2 | 72 | 36.0 | 14 | 0 | 51 | 0 |
| Ashton Dulin | WR | 3 | 45 | 15.0 | 10 | 0 | 20 | 0 |
| David Montgomery | HB | 2 | 41 | 20.5 | 50 | 0 | 25 | 0 |
| Isiah Pacheco | HB | 1 | 15 | 15.0 | 15 | 0 | 15 | 0 |
| Kalif Raymond | WR | 1 | 4 | 4.0 | — | 0 | 4 | 0 |
Defense
| Player | Pos | TKL | SACK | INT | FF | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Geno Stone | FS | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Denzel Ward | CB | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Cobie Durant | CB | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Kayvon Thibodeaux | LEDG | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Starling Thomas V | CB | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Devin Bush | MIKE | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Frankie Luvu | WILL | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Percy Butler | FS | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Jordyn Brooks | WILL | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Dax Hill | CB | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Grant Delpit | SS | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| Kevin Winston Jr | FS | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Eric Stokes | CB | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| K.J. Britt | MIKE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Foyesade Oluokun | MIKE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Sam Williams | LEDG | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tykee Smith | SS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Mike Sainristil | CB | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Christian Rozeboom | WILL | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Kicking
| Player | Pos | FGM | FGA | XPM | LNG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brandon Aubrey | K | 0 | 1 | 6 | 0 |
| Drew Stevens | K | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 |

