Pittsburgh
Steelers
0-1
27
FINAL
34
New England
Patriots
0-1
AI Recap
AI RECAPIn a thrilling Week 2 matchup, the New England Patriots narrowly defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers by a score of 34-27, improving their record as they push for a strong season start. The stakes were high as both teams sought to establish early momentum in the 2026 campaign, but the Patriots managed to hold off a late-game surge from the Steelers.
Pittsburgh's Anthony Richardson Sr. showcased his skills with a standout performance, throwing for 262 yards and three touchdowns, while Christian McCaffrey added a solid 93 rushing yards. Puka Nacua was a key target, racking up 125 receiving yards, making the Steelers' offense formidable throughout the game. However, despite their offensive firepower, it wasn't enough to overcome the Patriots.
Defensively, Devon Witherspoon played a pivotal role for New England, recording seven total tackles and snagging an interception that shifted the momentum in the Patriots' favor. Byron Young also made his presence felt with two sacks, consistently pressuring Richardson and disrupting the Steelers' rhythm. The turning point came late in the fourth quarter when Witherspoon's interception set up a crucial touchdown, ultimately sealing the victory for New England.
Passing
| Player | Pos | ATT | CMP | CMP% | YDS | TD | INT | QBR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anthony Richardson Sr | QB | 44 | 21 | 48% | 262 | 3 | 3 | 60.9 |
| Joe Milton | QB | 33 | 17 | 52% | 204 | 2 | 1 | 78.3 |
Rushing
| Player | Pos | ATT | YDS | YPC | YAC | TD | LNG | FUM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Christian McCaffrey | HB | 13 | 93 | 7.2 | 61 | 0 | 22 | 0 |
| Josh Jacobs | HB | 19 | 91 | 4.8 | 16 | 1 | 14 | 0 |
| Joe Milton | QB | 7 | 37 | 5.3 | 22 | 0 | 29 | 0 |
| Elijah Arroyo | TE | 1 | 27 | 27.0 | 25 | 0 | 27 | 0 |
| Mike Evans | WR | 1 | 24 | 24.0 | 14 | 1 | 24 | 0 |
| Anthony Richardson Sr | QB | 4 | 20 | 5.0 | — | 0 | 6 | 0 |
| Rhamondre Stevenson | HB | 3 | 15 | 5.0 | — | 0 | 6 | 0 |
| Jordyn Tyson | WR | 2 | 11 | 5.5 | — | 0 | 6 | 0 |
| Chase Brown | HB | 3 | 5 | 1.7 | — | 0 | 6 | 0 |
| Xavier Worthy | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Puka Nacua | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Colston Loveland | TE | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Receiving
| Player | Pos | REC | YDS | YPR | YAC | TD | LNG | DROP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Puka Nacua | WR | 9 | 125 | 13.9 | 46 | 1 | 28 | 0 |
| Mike Evans | WR | 5 | 117 | 23.4 | 71 | 1 | 63 | 0 |
| Jordyn Tyson | WR | 3 | 68 | 22.7 | 44 | 1 | 47 | 0 |
| Colston Loveland | TE | 4 | 45 | 11.3 | 14 | 0 | 29 | 0 |
| Xavier Worthy | WR | 4 | 32 | 8.0 | 10 | 0 | 13 | 0 |
| Cooper Kupp | WR | 4 | 32 | 8.0 | 8 | 0 | 17 | 0 |
| Elijah Arroyo | TE | 1 | 13 | 13.0 | 5 | 0 | 13 | 0 |
| Brenton Strange | TE | 1 | 12 | 12.0 | 1 | 1 | 12 | 0 |
| Tim Patrick | WR | 1 | 8 | 8.0 | 4 | 0 | 8 | 0 |
| Chase Brown | HB | 1 | 8 | 8.0 | — | 1 | 8 | 0 |
| Rhamondre Stevenson | HB | 1 | 5 | 5.0 | 4 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| Romeo Doubs | WR | 1 | 4 | 4.0 | — | 0 | 4 | 1 |
| Christian McCaffrey | HB | 2 | -1 | -0.5 | — | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Josh Jacobs | HB | 1 | -2 | -2.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Defense
| Player | Pos | TKL | SACK | INT | FF | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Devon Witherspoon | CB | 7 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Byron Young | LEDG | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Julian Blackmon | SS | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Jaden Hicks | SS | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Brian Branch | SS | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Jalon Walker | LEDG | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kwity Paye | REDG | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Max Melton | CB | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Quinnen Williams | DT | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Leonard Williams | DT | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Evan Williams | FS | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Nick Emmanwori | FS | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Sonny Styles | MIKE | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| Jacob Parrish | CB | 3 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Edgerrin Cooper | WILL | 3 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Alex Singleton | MIKE | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Davon Godchaux | DT | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jahdae Barron | CB | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Upton Stout | CB | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kaden Elliss | WILL | 0 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tyleik Williams | DT | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Joshua Farmer | DT | 0 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Ji'Ayir Brown | FS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Malik Harrison | MIKE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| C.J. Henderson | CB | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Nick Martin | WILL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Cole Holcomb | WILL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Keyron Crawford | REDG | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Kicking
| Player | Pos | FGM | FGA | XPM | LNG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wil Lutz | K | 2 | 2 | 3 | 49 |
| Chase McLaughlin | K | 2 | 3 | 4 | 47 |

